ANNAPOLIS — Newt Gingrich visited the state capital on Tuesday to campaign for Maryland’s April 3 presidential primary.
Mr. Gingrich toured the city during the morning and made a stop at the State House where he briefly addressed the Senate before meeting with a group of House Republicans.
The former U.S. House speaker spoke with reporters afterward and spent much of the time defending his struggling presidential campaign.
He acknowledged that campaign money is tight but said he plans to stay in the race until GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney reaches a majority of possible convention delegates.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Poll: Majority In GOP Want Gingrich, Paul Out
As the GOP presidential primary and caucus calendar nears its fourth month, a new survey indicates most Republicans would like to see Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul drop their bids for the nomination.
And a majority of Republicans questioned in a CNN/ORC International poll say their party's presidential nomination should be determined by the primaries and caucuses rather than at the GOP convention in Tampa, Florida in late August. But according to the survey, a majority of Republicans don't want Rick Santorum to end his campaign for the nomination.
Six out of ten Republicans say that Gingrich should drop out of the race, with 39% saying that the former House speaker should not end his bid. And 61% say Paul should drop out, with 36% saying that the longtime congressman from Texas should continue to campaign for the White House.
And a majority of Republicans questioned in a CNN/ORC International poll say their party's presidential nomination should be determined by the primaries and caucuses rather than at the GOP convention in Tampa, Florida in late August. But according to the survey, a majority of Republicans don't want Rick Santorum to end his campaign for the nomination.
Six out of ten Republicans say that Gingrich should drop out of the race, with 39% saying that the former House speaker should not end his bid. And 61% say Paul should drop out, with 36% saying that the longtime congressman from Texas should continue to campaign for the White House.
Anti-Same-Sex Marriage Group’s Racial Wedge Strategy Revealed
The blogosphere is abuzz with the story that broke last night, when the Human Rights Campaign released internal memos from the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), the nation's largest and most visible anti-same sex-marriage group, calling for the use of a racial wedge strategy to fight campaigns for marriage equality.
“The strategic goal of this project is to drive a wedge between gays and blacks -- two key Democratic constituencies,” one of the NOM memos says.
“The documents, marked “confidential,” were unsealed yesterday afternoon in Maine by court order, as part of that state’s ongoing ethics investigation into NOM’s campaign finances.
The memo spells out specific steps to enact, including:
Find, equip, energize and connect African American spokespeople for marriage, develop a media campaign around their objections to gay marriage as a civil right; provoke the gay marriage base into responding by denouncing these spokesmen and women as bigots…”
Here is an excerpt on NOM’s Hispanic strategy:
"The Latino vote in America is a key swing vote, and will be so even more so in the future, both because of demographic growth and inherent uncertainty: Will the process of assimilation to the dominant Anglo culture lead Hispanics to abandon traditional family values? We must interrupt this process of assimilation by making support for marriage a key badge of Latino identity - a symbol of resistance to inappropriate assimilation."
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“The strategic goal of this project is to drive a wedge between gays and blacks -- two key Democratic constituencies,” one of the NOM memos says.
“The documents, marked “confidential,” were unsealed yesterday afternoon in Maine by court order, as part of that state’s ongoing ethics investigation into NOM’s campaign finances.
The memo spells out specific steps to enact, including:
Find, equip, energize and connect African American spokespeople for marriage, develop a media campaign around their objections to gay marriage as a civil right; provoke the gay marriage base into responding by denouncing these spokesmen and women as bigots…”
Here is an excerpt on NOM’s Hispanic strategy:
"The Latino vote in America is a key swing vote, and will be so even more so in the future, both because of demographic growth and inherent uncertainty: Will the process of assimilation to the dominant Anglo culture lead Hispanics to abandon traditional family values? We must interrupt this process of assimilation by making support for marriage a key badge of Latino identity - a symbol of resistance to inappropriate assimilation."
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Prosecutors: Democratic campaign treasurer embezzled $7 million from multiple clients
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Federal prosecutors said in a court filing late Tuesday that a longtime California Democratic campaign treasurer embezzled $7 million from at least 50 candidates, officeholders and political operatives in a scheme that had been perpetuated for over 10 years
Such filings are usually indicative of an upcoming plea bargain, but prosecutors would not comment on whether this was true in the case of Kinde Durkee, who spent two decades working for scores of campaigns in California and was Sen. Dianne Feinstein's campaign treasurer.
The $7 million claim is a much higher amount than the initial charge against Durkee, which claimed she bilked about $600,000 from a California state assemblyman.
The filing gives the most detailed account to date on Durkee's ongoing scheme, and claims she used her clients' campaign money to cover an array of personal and business expenses.
Sheriff: No More Facebook Passwords Needed
A Virginia sheriff’s office said it will stop reviewing Facebook accounts of potential employees.
Applicants to the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office used to have to allow screeners to see their social media accounts, but outrage from both job seekers and lawmakers has forced the office, and others around the country, to suspend the practice.
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Applicants to the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office used to have to allow screeners to see their social media accounts, but outrage from both job seekers and lawmakers has forced the office, and others around the country, to suspend the practice.
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Passengers Recount Scare After Pilot Outburst
Passengers aboard an early morning flight bound from New York to Las Vegas first noticed something wrong when the plane's top pilot came out of the cockpit, didn't close the door and tried to force his way into an occupied bathroom.
The JetBlue captain's co-workers tried to calm him as he became more jittery, coaxing him to the back of the plane while making sure _ above all _ that he didn't get back near the plane's controls.
Then, he sprinted up the cabin's aisle _ ranting about a bomb, screaming "They're going to take us down!" and urging confused passengers to pray.
"Nobody knew what to do because he is the captain of the plane," said Don Davis, the owner of a Ronkonkoma, N.Y.-based wireless broadband manufacturer who was traveling to Sin City for a security industry conference.
Throwing Gasoline On Racial Tensions
President Obama:
You said you’d heal the racial divide
and that you support the rule of law.
Why aren't you calling for calm?
You said you’d heal the racial divide
and that you support the rule of law.
Why aren't you calling for calm?
Unarmed black teen TRAYVON MARTIN (left)
was shot and killed by neighborhood watch
volunteer GEORGE ZIMMERMAN
New Black Panther Party offers $10,000 dead-or-alive bounty for "capture" of Zimmerman ...
As tensions soar, New Black Panthers seek “10,000 black men” to hunt Zimmerman down …
New Black Panthers: "No need for police, Zimmerman should fear for his life" …
NYTimes adds fuel to racial tensions by calling Zimmerman a “white” Hispanic …
Spike Lee tweets George Zimmerman's home address ...
Jesse Jackson on Trayvon Martin case: "Black people are under attack" ...
Jackson appeals to racial animosity: Obama's victory "triggered a backlash" against blacks …
Louis Farrakhan: "Where there is no justice there will be no peace" ...
Farrakhan: "Soon and very soon there may be retaliation" ...
With investigation still underway, Sharpton seizes on racial tenaions, demands Zimmerman be arrested ...
Obama: "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon" ...
Obama's remarks prejudice case against Zimmerman ...
* * *
Will Obama comment on THIS racial killing?
* * *
FLASHBACK:
Obama accused white police who
arrested black professor of “acting stupidly”.
FLASHBACK:
Sharpton, Jackson, Farrakhan, Black Panthers
stoked racial tensions in rush to judgment on
Duke lacrosse sexual assault case.
FLASHBACK:
Obama DOJ refused to prosecute Black Panthers
for clear-cut case of voter intimidation.
President’s Illegal Uncle Surrenders License for 45 Days
Onyango Obama — the president’s illegal alien half uncle — admitted to sufficient facts today in his drunken driving bust and his case is being continued without a finding for one year — but he must surrender his license.
Obama, 67, was ordered to give up his license for 45 days, effective today, a Framingham District Court judge ruled. He left court without speaking to the press.
Obama had been waging an aggressive legal battle against Framingham cops ever since he was pulled over Aug. 24 for driving erratically and blowing 0.14 on a Breathalyzer. But his attorney today said it was time to move on.
“After a thorough review, we felt it was in his interests to end the matter without any further proceedings. He’s glad to have this behind him,” said Obama’s attorney P. Scott Bratton.
'I Am Trayvon': Trademark and More in Works
An armed neighborhood-watch volunteer encounters what he tells police is a suspicious character in a hoodie, and there’s a confrontation. The volunteer ends up with head injuries, and the “suspicious character,” who was determined to be returning from a convenience store with candy, is dead from a gunshot.
Police look into the case of Trayvon Martin and decide not to file charges because of a number of circumstances. There the case sits until politicians and others discover it and apparently decide to start using it for their own benefit.
President Obama laments the death, saying if he had had a son, he would have looked like the victim, and his campaign suddenly starts promoting hoodies.
What The Media Doesn’t Want You To Know About Trayvon Martin
When a story regarding the Trayvon Martin death appears, it is almost universally accompanied by this image:
It is of a Trayvon Martin years younger than he really was. And it's not accurate. Dan Linehan has done some sleuthing and found a much different picture of Trayvon Martin than the one being forced down our throats. The real Trayvon Martin is being scrubbed as you read this.
This is a more recent image of Trayvon Martin
Twitter
It seems that Tray was also on Twitter, but his account seems to have been recently deleted by his family or friends.
His screen name was “@NO_LIMIT_NIGGA, as you can see from the twitpic account screenshot above. He was also a member of a twitter hash group #team4dat.
At first, I was skeptical that anyone would maintain an account with that sort of derogatory slur in the title, but after doing some research, it’s apparent that it was Trayvon’s account.
The account was in existence long before the shooting occurred a few weeks ago, and was deleted only recently, there are still dozens of references to @NO_LIMIT_NIGGA in google’s cache.
The associated twitpic account matches the account name and is still online at the time of publication. Most of the pics were uploaded months ago, so this account was associated with Trayvon long before the shooting took place.
Several of Tray’s friends have been very open about referring to Trayvon using that account as well. His cousin, who is quite active on Twitter, refers to Trayvon more than a dozen times using the @NO_LIMIT_NIGGA nickname.
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New Posts to fall below.
Russian media expose Obama birth 'forgery'
While many U.S. mainstream media outlets spike news about the Obama eligibility investigation, Russia’s government radio is keeping the world abreast of the scandal that has caused “the biggest censorship and blackout in the history of journalism.”
The Voice of Russia – successor of Radio Moscow, the official station of the Soviet Union – published an exclusive interview with Sheriff Joe Arpaio March 26 titled, “Obama’s birth certificate may be forgery.” As WND reported, Arpaio and his Cold Case Posse announced there is probable cause indicating the documents released by the White House last April purported to be Obama’s original, long-form birth certificate and Selective Service registration card are actually forgeries.
“Wherever I go, people commend me for doing this,” Arpaio told The Voice of Russia. “So, naturally this has been probably the biggest censorship and blackout in the history of journalism when no one from the national level will cover the story.”
He continued, “You know, when I do something, whether it is [inaudible] pink underwear or chain gangs, what I feed to inmates, that goes national. I’ve been on 4,000 international profiles, international and national, and yet this has been has been blacked out when I’m investigating this situation.”
We Have A Great Opportunity
Next Tuesday, April 3 is Maryland’s Presidential Primary Election Day! As you know, I am unopposed in the primary – largely because of all the hard work you and I put into the last election. Together, we sent the Obama supporting Democrat back home and we won that election by more than 12%! That was just the beginning of us taking back this country and restoring common sense principles and family values.WE HAVE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY ON APRIL 3 AND I NEED YOUR HELP!!!
The controversial gay marriage law passed in Annapolis about one month ago. Regardless of your position on gay marriage, we all believe that the citizens of Maryland should have the opportunity to vote on this substantial changed to Maryland’s law and culture.
WE NEED YOU TO HELP GATHER SIGNATURES FOR THE GAY MARRIAGE PETITION ON APRIL 3.
If you would go to your own polling place – even just for one or two hours – and gather signatures for the gay marriage petition drive, we can get this important measure on the ballot on November 6.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
1. Go to http://www.mdpetitions.com/
a. Sign up to get your own petition
b. Sign up to get a volunteer packet
c. If you sign up to get the MDPETITIONS newsletter while you are there, we can let you know if there is another issue we need to get on the ballot in the future
d. MDPETITIONS.COM website will send you the Maryland Marriage Alliance. They are working on the petition drive in coordination with MDPETITIONS.
2. Email me and let me know that you signed up. That way, I can follow up with the Maryland Marriage Alliance and make sure that you get your petitions before April 3.
a. Email that to – info@andyharris.com
3. YOU CAN MAIL YOUR COMPLETED PETITIONS BACK TO ME FOR PROCESSING. Each petition must be processed and validated before we can submit it to the Board of Elections.
Mail to:
Andy Harris
PO Box 604
Bel Air, MD 21014
WE NEED 150,000 SIGNATURES TO GET THIS ON THE BALLOT. Primary Election Day offers a unique opportunity to get the valid signatures we need. PLEASE HELP GET GAY MARRIAGE ON THE BALLOT BY COMMITTING AT LEAST 1-2 HOURS AT YOUR OWN POLLING PLACE!
Thank you for your work on this very important issue.
Andy Harris
Barack vs. Barack: Group Uses President’s Words Against Him in Viral Obamacare Video
As protesters rally outside the Supreme Court while justices listen to high-toned arguments on the constitutionality of President Barack Obama’s signature health care law, one group is hoping the president’s own words will help the case against the law. At least his words before he was president.
The central dispute over the law is a provision that requires individuals to have health insurance by 2014 or pay a penalty. American Crossroads, a 527 organization advised by Karl Rove, has released a new video showing that Barack Obama himself has not always supported the individual mandate at the center of his controversial health care reform plan:
More HERE including video
'I Could Look Like George Zimmerman'
President Obama's comment, "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon," is one curious statement for a President of the United States, who is a supposed Constitutional scholar. It borders on inciting angry man justice and panders to the lowest unthinking masses in America. Instead of using the incident as a "teaching moment", to teach that facts are gathered around a possible crime and, if determined necessary, decided in court before an impartial jury as to guilt or innocence, the President says nothing close. He panders to the angry crowd.
I have no idea what went on between Zimmerman and Trayvon. Let the facts come out. But the facts, to date, suggest there is more than one side to this story. Far from being a racist, Zimmerman's lawyer says Zimmerman mentored black youth. On CNN, Zimmerman's lawyer said that Zimmerman had a broken nose and a huge gash on the back of his head, suggesting a pretty violent struggle.
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I have no idea what went on between Zimmerman and Trayvon. Let the facts come out. But the facts, to date, suggest there is more than one side to this story. Far from being a racist, Zimmerman's lawyer says Zimmerman mentored black youth. On CNN, Zimmerman's lawyer said that Zimmerman had a broken nose and a huge gash on the back of his head, suggesting a pretty violent struggle.
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Look Who Democrats Wheel Out in 'War on Women'
Perhaps she’s never gotten over being mistaken for a hotel maid while serving as U.S. secretary of state, but Madeleine Albright is joining the chorus of the political left today, claiming there’s a “war on women” stoked by Republicans.
Albright, who was America’s top diplomat in President Bill Clinton’s administration, has just penned a fundraising plea for Democrats, saying, “Here in America, Republicans have launched an all out attack on women’s rights. They’ve targeted women’s health care and are trying to roll back basic rights that most of us thought were won more than a generation ago.”
“It seems every time women take one step forward, extremists try to push us back,” she added.
Democracy And Violence
A staunchly-defended article of faith in Western political rhetoric is the belief that democratic governments do not engage in wars with one another. This belief has been promoted for the purpose of generating trust in the state. If political systems are democratically constituted, it is contended, the public need not fear government officials whose powers could be taken away by the same electoral process that put them in office. The American Civil War, wherein the democratically-established federal and confederate states warred with one another would seem to put this doctrine in doubt. As would a couple of 20th century skirmishes that pitted democratic states such as Great Britain and the United States and others against a democratic Germany.
Beyond this simplistic faith in a "social contract" theory of the state lies the reality that such systems have always been under the control of small groups of persons who are answerable to no one, particularly those they presume the authority to rule. "Democracy" is just one abstraction that the state owners have employed to distract the attention of their victims; to create in the minds of their subjects the illusion that they, not the owners, are running the system.
Believing that the state represents their interests, and that – through "democratic" processes - they control its direction and energies, most men and women identify themselves with that state. In this way, people and the state share the same "ego boundaries." When millions of people come together in this manner, it becomes easy for each to lose his or her individuality – and, hence, responsibility - in a collective identity. By engendering fear of others who share different ego-boundary identities, the state is able to mobilize "dark side" forces of the collective unconscious into a critical mass that allows the state to aggrandize its powers through violent, destructive means. Adolf Hitler used such methods to organize Germans against those he called non-Aryans. In the same way has the United States employed the specters of "communism," "drug-dealers," and "terrorism" to bamboozle its ego-boundary adherents into participating in its continuing war against life itself.
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Beyond this simplistic faith in a "social contract" theory of the state lies the reality that such systems have always been under the control of small groups of persons who are answerable to no one, particularly those they presume the authority to rule. "Democracy" is just one abstraction that the state owners have employed to distract the attention of their victims; to create in the minds of their subjects the illusion that they, not the owners, are running the system.
Believing that the state represents their interests, and that – through "democratic" processes - they control its direction and energies, most men and women identify themselves with that state. In this way, people and the state share the same "ego boundaries." When millions of people come together in this manner, it becomes easy for each to lose his or her individuality – and, hence, responsibility - in a collective identity. By engendering fear of others who share different ego-boundary identities, the state is able to mobilize "dark side" forces of the collective unconscious into a critical mass that allows the state to aggrandize its powers through violent, destructive means. Adolf Hitler used such methods to organize Germans against those he called non-Aryans. In the same way has the United States employed the specters of "communism," "drug-dealers," and "terrorism" to bamboozle its ego-boundary adherents into participating in its continuing war against life itself.
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Spike Lee Reportedly Tweeted WRONG Address for George Zimmerman
Spike Lee incited quite a controversy last week when he re-tweeted George Zimmerman’s home address to his 200,000 followers. With a $10,000 bounty on his head, George Zimmerman — who shot and killed 17-year old Trayvon Martin last month — was certainly in danger if a mob got its hands on him.
Indeed, the leader of the New Black Panthers’ statement, “God d***it, he should be fearful for his life,” and subsequent Twitter comments along the lines of, “Lets go smash this n***a…EVERYBODY REPOST THIS George W. Zimmerman 159 Edgewater Circle Sanford, Florida 32773 (407)435-2400,” confirmed that any visits would not be a simple social call.
Indeed, the leader of the New Black Panthers’ statement, “God d***it, he should be fearful for his life,” and subsequent Twitter comments along the lines of, “Lets go smash this n***a…EVERYBODY REPOST THIS George W. Zimmerman 159 Edgewater Circle Sanford, Florida 32773 (407)435-2400,” confirmed that any visits would not be a simple social call.
So it’s a little embarrassing that Washington Times reporter Kerry Picket decided to take a drive near Zimmerman’s supposed residence and found that, “The Edgewater Circle address Mr. Lee re-tweeted out is not part of the gated Retreat at Twin Lakes where the shooting took place, and where Mr. Zimmerman lives. The area is not even a gated community.”
In fact, Picket met the man who lives across the street and found that a woman named Elaine actually lives at the address, and has been put in danger by the overwhelming publicity.
Senators Call For Investigation Into Employers Asking For Facebook Access
Last week, Facebook came out swinging against the practice of employers asking employees or potential hires for access to their social network accounts, in order to dig around and find out more about them. And now, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Charles Schumer are pushing the government to investigate the matter further.
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Russian Media Expose Obama Birth 'Forgery'
But American news agencies still absent on presidential scandal
While many U.S. mainstream media outlets spike news about the Obama eligibility investigation, Russia’s government radio is keeping the world abreast of the scandal that has caused “the biggest censorship and blackout in the history of journalism.”
The Voice of Russia – successor of Radio Moscow, the official station of the Soviet Union – published an exclusive interview with Sheriff Joe Arpaio March 26 titled, “Obama’s birth certificate may be forgery.” As WND reported, Arpaio and his Cold Case Posse announced there is probable cause indicating the documents released by the White House last April purported to be Obama’s original, long-form birth certificate and Selective Service registration card are actually forgeries.
More
While many U.S. mainstream media outlets spike news about the Obama eligibility investigation, Russia’s government radio is keeping the world abreast of the scandal that has caused “the biggest censorship and blackout in the history of journalism.”
The Voice of Russia – successor of Radio Moscow, the official station of the Soviet Union – published an exclusive interview with Sheriff Joe Arpaio March 26 titled, “Obama’s birth certificate may be forgery.” As WND reported, Arpaio and his Cold Case Posse announced there is probable cause indicating the documents released by the White House last April purported to be Obama’s original, long-form birth certificate and Selective Service registration card are actually forgeries.
More
Best Study Ever: Eat Chocolate Every Day & Shed Pounds?
Like something the cartoon character Cathy might dream up when she's despairing over trying on bikinis, a new study has found a link between frequent chocolate consumption and weight loss. This is akin to someone announcing that you will get paid to sleep. Life changing.
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Lorax Statue Stolen From Geisel’s La Jolla Garden
A 2-foot bronze statue of Dr. Seuss’ Lorax character was stolen from the backyard of Audrey Geisel’s La Jolla hillside mansion over the weekend.
Property manager Carl Romero said he and Geisel, widow of children’s book author Theodore Geisel, discovered the loss Monday morning as they were walking through the garden.
Property manager Carl Romero said he and Geisel, widow of children’s book author Theodore Geisel, discovered the loss Monday morning as they were walking through the garden.
“It’s a valuable piece because there are only two of them, and it’s an iconic figure,” Romero said Tuesday.
He said he last noticed the sculpture in the yard late Saturday afternoon. On Monday, he saw footprints in the garden indicating that thieves dragged the 300-pound statue and base to an access road and lifted it over a chain-link fence. He notified San Diego police of the theft.
Congress Mulls Over Bill That Would Hurt FCC's Ability To Regulate Mergers
To the cable, phone, wireless and broadcasting companies in the U.S., the Federal Communications Commission can sometimes seem to be a big wet blanket on all their merger-happy fun. Thus, Congress is now considering legislation that would revise the way the FCC does everything from introducing regulations to reviewing mergers.
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State Confiscates Newborn Over Vaccinations
An organization that routinely deals with homeschooling issues across the U.S. and around the globe is taking on a case of parental rights because the circumstances – a social worker calling police over a newborn’s shots – is just too egregious to let pass.
The announcement was made by Michael P. Farris, the chairman of the Home School Legal Defense Association, today.
“We are taking this case because we are tired of seeing the erosion of parental rights in virtually every area of life. Parental rights in medical cases have an impact on broader parental rights, including educational decisions,” he said. “And the plain fact is this: If we don’t fight for parental rights, it is probable that our rights will be eroded bit by bit until there is nothing that remains.”
AP Asks Cheney’s Doctors If They Stopped Beating Their Wives Yet
Like Jerry Seinfeld, the Associated Press did a masterful job of making a story out of nothing this weekend after news broke that former Vice President Dick Cheney was the recipient of a heart transplant.
In fact, APs first paragraph is one of those masterful bits of psychological manipulation along the lines of the old rhetorical trick that goes: “when did you stop beating your wife?”
With its first paragraph the AP cast doubt on the propriety of Cheney getting a heart transplant, raised the specter of Cheney getting “special treatment” (even while denying he did) and played the age card to boot pointing out that many “thousands of younger people” are still waiting while Cheney is now walking around with a new heart.
The nerve of that guy.
Of course, the whole paragraph is geared to cause doubt about the propriety of Cheney getting his transplant even while hiding under plausible deniability that this was its purpose.
Here is that first paragraph:
Doctors say it is unlikely that former Vice President Dick Cheney got special treatment when he was given a new heart at age 71 that thousands of younger people also were in line to receive.
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In fact, APs first paragraph is one of those masterful bits of psychological manipulation along the lines of the old rhetorical trick that goes: “when did you stop beating your wife?”
With its first paragraph the AP cast doubt on the propriety of Cheney getting a heart transplant, raised the specter of Cheney getting “special treatment” (even while denying he did) and played the age card to boot pointing out that many “thousands of younger people” are still waiting while Cheney is now walking around with a new heart.
The nerve of that guy.
Of course, the whole paragraph is geared to cause doubt about the propriety of Cheney getting his transplant even while hiding under plausible deniability that this was its purpose.
Here is that first paragraph:
Doctors say it is unlikely that former Vice President Dick Cheney got special treatment when he was given a new heart at age 71 that thousands of younger people also were in line to receive.
More
State Seeking Certification to Help With Blue Crab Sales
Deciding among the crab offerings at the supermarket can be daunting. Jumbo lump, backfin or claw? Chesapeake, Gulf or Indonesian?
Competition is tough when it comes to the packaged blue crab meat many associate with the Chesapeake Bay but which often comes from the Gulf of Mexico, Venezuela and the Far East. That’s one reason Maryland fisheries officials hope to set their catch apart by touting the state’s sustainable fishing methods.
Maryland is in the early stages of seeking Marine Stewardship Council certification for its blue crab harvest, which one chef predicted would be “huge” in helping sales. The state is seeking the certification as more people become concerned about where their food comes from and how its production affects the environment.
Has College Become Too Easy?
You can lead a student to knowledge, according to an old academic saying, but you can't make him or her think.
I recently wrote about the possibility of testing and certification for what I called a "college-level GED." Like the current GED test for high school equivalency, it would award certification to bright, hardworking job applicants who want to show potential employers how much they know, even though they never graduated from college.
I heard from a number of readers who supported the idea. Some were eager to take the test now, if they could. But the most thoughtful question I received went like this: What about the "critical thinking" skills that we traditionally expect campus academic life to teach and encourage?
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I recently wrote about the possibility of testing and certification for what I called a "college-level GED." Like the current GED test for high school equivalency, it would award certification to bright, hardworking job applicants who want to show potential employers how much they know, even though they never graduated from college.
I heard from a number of readers who supported the idea. Some were eager to take the test now, if they could. But the most thoughtful question I received went like this: What about the "critical thinking" skills that we traditionally expect campus academic life to teach and encourage?
More
Dem Pulled From House Floor For Trayvon Hoodie
Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., lost his right to speak on the House floor after he violated rules by putting on a hoodie and sunglasses in honor of Trayvon Martin, the Florida teen shot last month.
"May God bless Trayvon Martin's soul, his family and -- [inaudible]" Rush said as he was removed from the House floor this morning for wearing a hoodie.
Rush was wearing a grey hoodie under his suit jacket. He took off his jacket, pulled the hood over his head and put on sunglasses while saying "racial profiling has to stop, Mr. Speaker. Just because someone wears a hoodie does not make them a hoodlum," he said.
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New Posts to fall below.
Eligibility invades U.S. town-hall meetings
Heading into the 2012 election, members of Congress probably should expect to be grilled in their various town-hall meetings on the eligibility of Barack Obama to be president.
That circumstance has followed the announcement from Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Arizona that there is probable cause there was forgery in the creation of Obama’s birth certificate released by the White House last year, and fraud in its presentation as a real document. His Cold Case Posse’s investigation into Obama’s eligibility for the Arizona presidential ballot continues.
Among the latest members to be challenged on the issue was U.S. Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Calif., who was confronted by questions from a computer document expert who has examined Obama’s purported birth certificate.
The report comes from Mara Zebest, an author and editor of dozens of books on computer software, who has concluded that Obama’s document is a fraud.
Are The “Less Fortunate” Less Fortunate?
In his front-page-of-the-business-section “Economic Scene” column in The New York Times last week, Eduardo Porter wrote, “The United States does less than other rich countries to transfer income from the affluent to the less fortunate.”
Think about that sentence for a moment. It ends oddly. Logic dictates that it should have said, “transfer income from the affluent to the less affluent,” not the less fortunate.
But for Porter, as for the left generally, those who are not affluent are not merely “less affluent,” they are “less fortunate.”
Why is this? Why is the leftist division almost always between the “affluent” and the “less fortunate” or between the “more fortunate” and the “less fortunate”?
To understand the left, one must understand that in its view the greatest evil is material inequality. The left is more troubled by economic inequality than by evil, as humanity has generally understood the term. The leftist divides the world not between good and evil but rich and poor.
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Think about that sentence for a moment. It ends oddly. Logic dictates that it should have said, “transfer income from the affluent to the less affluent,” not the less fortunate.
But for Porter, as for the left generally, those who are not affluent are not merely “less affluent,” they are “less fortunate.”
Why is this? Why is the leftist division almost always between the “affluent” and the “less fortunate” or between the “more fortunate” and the “less fortunate”?
To understand the left, one must understand that in its view the greatest evil is material inequality. The left is more troubled by economic inequality than by evil, as humanity has generally understood the term. The leftist divides the world not between good and evil but rich and poor.
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City-Funded Activist Group Teaches Homeless How to Invade Apartments
It’s breaking and entering for dummies.
Picture the Homeless, a Bronx nonprofit that has received at least $240,000 in taxpayer money in the last five years, is giving a crash course on squatting — and city-owned buildings are a prime target.
Two weeks ago, board member Andres Perez held a teach-in on how to wrest “control” of vacant apartments. He called it “homesteading.”
“The best time to enter a building is in the late hours,” he advised a group of about 20, who gathered in front of the half-empty East New York housing complex Arlington Village.
“You make sure you have your proper tools. You remove the chains and padlock, and then you go in.”
Pro-life 'October Baby' Rejected by Major Studios, Blitzes Box Office
“The Hunger Games” wasn’t the only film to hit box office paydirt this past weekend. Although it only opened in 390 theaters, the anti-abortion drama “October Baby,” starring John Schneider,earned the second-highest-per-screen average, bringing in almost $2 million in ticket sales.
“I was shattered when I first learned about the story. I was moved and mesmerized. I wasn’t an activist, I was just someone who was shattered by the truth,” director Jon Erwin told FOX411’s Pop Tarts. “Here is our little film, small budget, in the top ten (at the box office). We are thrilled, blown away.”
“October Baby” follows the emotional journey of a young woman who learns that she was almost aborted, but at the last minute was instead given up for adoption. The film almost didn’t see the light of day.
Biker
A tough looking group of bikers were riding when they saw a woman about to jump off a bridge, so they stopped.
The leader, a big burly man, gets off his bike and says, "What are you doing?"
"I'm going to commit suicide," she says.
While he didn't want to appear insensitive, he didn't want to miss an opportunity either, so he asked, "Well, before you jump, why don't you give me a kiss?"
So she does. And it was a long, deep, lingering kiss...
After she's finished, the biker says, "Wow! That was the best kiss I've ever had! That's a real talent you are wasting. You could be famous! Why in the world would you want to commit suicide?"
"My parents don't like me dressing up like a girl."
The authorities think she may have been pushed.
The leader, a big burly man, gets off his bike and says, "What are you doing?"
"I'm going to commit suicide," she says.
While he didn't want to appear insensitive, he didn't want to miss an opportunity either, so he asked, "Well, before you jump, why don't you give me a kiss?"
So she does. And it was a long, deep, lingering kiss...
After she's finished, the biker says, "Wow! That was the best kiss I've ever had! That's a real talent you are wasting. You could be famous! Why in the world would you want to commit suicide?"
"My parents don't like me dressing up like a girl."
The authorities think she may have been pushed.
D.C. Insider Blows Whistle on 'Global Warming'
I’ll be frank with you – even though my name is Jim (come on, everyone needs even a weak laugh in this difficult world): I like James Inhofe a lot.
Only recently, a friend of mine who likes to think she is a lefty categorized the Oklahoma senator as a wing-nut, but as my discerning wife pointed out, don’t wing-nuts hold things together?
Sen. Inhofe, elected to Congress in 1994, has been one of those true watchdogs in the effort to “hold things together.” His work on the Committee on Environment and Public Works now seems like a divine appointment; it has given him the opportunity to be a whistleblower on “global warming.”
AMC Says It Will Let Kids See Unrated "Bully" Movie With Parental Permission
In a nod to internet rage over the Motion Picture Association of America having slapped an R rating on the documentary Bully — a move the Weinstein Company has responded to by opting to release the movie as unrated — AMC Theatres is letting it be known that it will buck the rules and allow kids to see the film.
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Fruitland & Fruitland Intermediate Go Into Lockdown Earlier Today
The Fruitland Police received a call saying someone was trying to enter the Lucky Star Restaurant. The witness then watched the suspect run into the woods.
When the Police arrived there was no real sign of any forced entry but as they searched for the suspect they felt it best to lock down the school.
The owner of the restaurant showed up and it was decided that there was no forced entry, just someone who set off the alarm by trying to open the doors on the east part of the restaurant.
Parents should receive a call from the principal explaining there was a code orange today.
The suspect was never located.
When the Police arrived there was no real sign of any forced entry but as they searched for the suspect they felt it best to lock down the school.
The owner of the restaurant showed up and it was decided that there was no forced entry, just someone who set off the alarm by trying to open the doors on the east part of the restaurant.
Parents should receive a call from the principal explaining there was a code orange today.
The suspect was never located.
Justices Signal Deep Trouble for Health Care Law
The fate of President Barack Obama'shealth care overhaul was cast into deeper jeopardy Tuesday as the Supreme Court's conservative justices sharply and repeatedly questioned its core requirement that virtually every American carry insurance. The court will now take up whether any remnant of the historic law can survive if that linchpin fails.
The justices' questions in Tuesday's hearing carried deeply serious implications but were sometimes flavored with fanciful suggestions. If the government can force people to buy health insurance, justices wanted to know, can it require people to buy burial insurance? Cellphones? Broccoli?
The law, pushed to passage by Obama and congressional Democrats two years ago, would affect nearly all Americans and extend insurance coverage to 30 million people who now lack it. Republicans are strongly opposed, including the presidential contenders now campaigning for the chance to challenge Obama in November.
Severe Storms Possible In D.C. Area
There is a threat of severe thunderstorms this afternoon into early this evening as a cold front sweeps through the region.
The time frame for the greatest threat is 3-7 p.m., according to Storm4 meteorologist Tom Kierein.
Why the severe weather threat? An area of low pressure and its associated cold front will move through this afternoon and early this evening. As the front nears, winds will increase.
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Court Hints Entire Health Care Law Might Need To Be Struck Down
In the final day of arguments on 2010 law, justices wrestle with what happens to the law without the provision that requires uninsured to buy insurance.
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Veggie Mandates? Justices Ask How Far Gov't Can Go
WASHINGTON (AP) - It boiled down to a debate over broccoli. And bread. And burial plots. If government can tell people to buy health insurance, Supreme Court justices wanted to know, what else could it make them buy?
Throughout Tuesday's hearing on the health care law, the justices and lawyers argued about the perfect product to illustrate the limits of the federal government's power over interstate markets.
"Everybody has to buy food sooner or later, so you define the market as food, therefore, everybody is in the market; therefore, you can make people buy broccoli," offered Justice Antonin Scalia, obviously resistant to expanding government's reach.
Welcome to the United States of Orwell, Part 2: Law-Abiding Taxpayers Treated As Criminals
Law-abiding taxpayers are treated like criminals while the criminal class of financiers and State apparatchiks are free to loot and pillage muppets and taxpayers alike.
I recently received quite an education about how law-abiding taxpayers are treated by the state of California via dozens upon dozens of emails detailing how the Golden State ransacked the bank accounts of law-abiding taxpayers in other states without notification or due process, as if the citizens being looted were crafty bankers who'd stolen church funds to live tax-free in an offshore tax haven.
As we all know, crafty (and politically protected) bankers are free to loot churches, muppets and the taxpayers at will while taxpayers are looted by lawless government. Here is a typical account of state thievery. It is anonymous for a good reason: As I noted last week, law-abiding citizens are terrified of their governments, local, state and Federal, as they know that these agencies are literally above the law and will exact retribution on anyone who reveals their tyrannical trashing of due process or who questions their feudal pillaging of oppressed debt-serfs. (I previously addressed this topic in Welcome to the Predatory State of California--Even If You Don't Live There [8] March 20, 2012)
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I recently received quite an education about how law-abiding taxpayers are treated by the state of California via dozens upon dozens of emails detailing how the Golden State ransacked the bank accounts of law-abiding taxpayers in other states without notification or due process, as if the citizens being looted were crafty bankers who'd stolen church funds to live tax-free in an offshore tax haven.
As we all know, crafty (and politically protected) bankers are free to loot churches, muppets and the taxpayers at will while taxpayers are looted by lawless government. Here is a typical account of state thievery. It is anonymous for a good reason: As I noted last week, law-abiding citizens are terrified of their governments, local, state and Federal, as they know that these agencies are literally above the law and will exact retribution on anyone who reveals their tyrannical trashing of due process or who questions their feudal pillaging of oppressed debt-serfs. (I previously addressed this topic in Welcome to the Predatory State of California--Even If You Don't Live There [8] March 20, 2012)
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Successful Face Transplant Gives Man New Life
Surgeons from the University of Maryland Medical Center on Mar. 27 detailed what they said was the world's most comprehensive face transplant - allowing a 37-year-old man to emerge from behind a mask 15 years after a gun accident almost killed him.
More photos Here
Oscar-Winning Producer Presents '2016': Investigative Obama Documentary
Director Steven Spielberg, who donated more than $87,000 to the Democratic Party in the last election cycle, has a co-producer who feels a little differently than he does about President Barack Obama.
Meet Gerald R. Molen: Spielberg’s co-producer on Hollywood blockbusters such as "Schindler’s List," "Jurassic Park" and "Minority Report." Molen is the driving force behind “2016,” a documentary -- based on "The Roots of Obama's Rage," a book written by Dinesh D'Souza -- about President Obama scheduled to hit theaters this summer.
Molen promises, that like D'Souza's book, the film will take viewers deep into the heart and mind of our president, a leader he contends is unique in the course of our nation’s history because of his far-left radical views.
The film’s trailer debuted at CPAC 2012 earlier this year and was followed by a moving speech by D’Souza himself. The film's, as explained by D’Souza, is simple: Obama is not a traditional Democrat like Bill Clinton and Michael Dukakis. Nor is Obama akin to left-wing liberals such as John Kerry or Jimmy Carter.
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Meet Gerald R. Molen: Spielberg’s co-producer on Hollywood blockbusters such as "Schindler’s List," "Jurassic Park" and "Minority Report." Molen is the driving force behind “2016,” a documentary -- based on "The Roots of Obama's Rage," a book written by Dinesh D'Souza -- about President Obama scheduled to hit theaters this summer.
Molen promises, that like D'Souza's book, the film will take viewers deep into the heart and mind of our president, a leader he contends is unique in the course of our nation’s history because of his far-left radical views.
The film’s trailer debuted at CPAC 2012 earlier this year and was followed by a moving speech by D’Souza himself. The film's, as explained by D’Souza, is simple: Obama is not a traditional Democrat like Bill Clinton and Michael Dukakis. Nor is Obama akin to left-wing liberals such as John Kerry or Jimmy Carter.
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Hurricane Officials: No More Tape For Windows
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Officials with the National Hurricane Center had a message Tuesday for residents living in hurricane-prone areas: Don't tape your windows.
Center officials are joining with a consumer advocate group at the National Hurricane Conference in Orlando, Fla. this week to encourage residents to skip taping their windows when a hurricane is heading their way. They believe it leads to a false sense of security and actually increases danger.
Instead, residents should use proven methods such as hurricane shutters or impact-resistant windows, Bill Read, director of the National Hurricane Center, told hundreds of meteorologists and emergency management officials at the weeklong conference. Attendees are going to seminars on insurance policy and emergency communications as well as hawking hurricane-related wares such as canned food and building-hardening materials.
"Our goal is to break this myth," Read said, referring to taping. "It does not protect your windows. At best, it's an inconvenience. At worst, some people have the illusion that they're safe ... and people can get severely hurt."
A Fistful Of Euros
This week, my congressional committee will hold a hearing to examine how the Federal Reserve bails out European banks, propping up spendthrift European governments in the process. Unfortunately, this bailout comes at the expense of American citizens, in the form of higher prices and diminished savings down the road.
A good analysis of the Fed's "swap" scheme first appeared in the Wall Street Journal back in December, in an article by Gerald O'Driscoll entitled, "The Federal Reserve's Covert Bailout of Europe." Essentially, beginning late last year the Fed provided US dollars to the European Central Bank in exchange for Euros − sometimes as much as $100 billion at a time. The ECB then funneled those dollars to European banks to provide liquidity and prevent crises from bank insolvencies. Since the currency swap was not technically a loan, the Fed did not have to embarrass itself by openly showing foreign bank debt on its balance sheet. The ECB meanwhile did not have to print new euros and expose the true fragility of big European banks.
The entire purpose of this unholy arrangement was to obscure the truth: namely that the Fed was bailing out Europe with US dollars.
But why is it the business of the Federal Reserve to bail out European banks that find themselves short of dollars to pay their dollar-denominated contracts? After all, those contracts often were hedges taken to protect banks against weakness of the euro. Hedges are supposed to reduce risk, but banks that miscalculate should suffer their own losses accordingly. It's not our business if the ECB chooses to create moral hazards by providing liquidity to European banks, but why should the Fed prop up Europe's bad decisions!
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A good analysis of the Fed's "swap" scheme first appeared in the Wall Street Journal back in December, in an article by Gerald O'Driscoll entitled, "The Federal Reserve's Covert Bailout of Europe." Essentially, beginning late last year the Fed provided US dollars to the European Central Bank in exchange for Euros − sometimes as much as $100 billion at a time. The ECB then funneled those dollars to European banks to provide liquidity and prevent crises from bank insolvencies. Since the currency swap was not technically a loan, the Fed did not have to embarrass itself by openly showing foreign bank debt on its balance sheet. The ECB meanwhile did not have to print new euros and expose the true fragility of big European banks.
The entire purpose of this unholy arrangement was to obscure the truth: namely that the Fed was bailing out Europe with US dollars.
But why is it the business of the Federal Reserve to bail out European banks that find themselves short of dollars to pay their dollar-denominated contracts? After all, those contracts often were hedges taken to protect banks against weakness of the euro. Hedges are supposed to reduce risk, but banks that miscalculate should suffer their own losses accordingly. It's not our business if the ECB chooses to create moral hazards by providing liquidity to European banks, but why should the Fed prop up Europe's bad decisions!
More
County Executive’s Community Forums On Wicomico’s FY 2013 Economic Outlook
County Executive Rick Pollitt is calling on all citizens to attend one of the upcoming Community Forums as we present an overview of the economic factors affecting the county and hear from constituents regarding their priorities. A presentation will be given on the County’s current fiscal health and will include a spending and revenue trend analysis. The County Executive has developed this outreach series to better engage community members from around the county as part of the annual budget process. All citizens are urged to attend and actively participate with comments and questions. If you are interested in having this presentation at your next organizational meeting please email tleebrooks@wicomicocounty.org. 410-548-4801
The forums are scheduled for:
Wednesday, March 28, 7 p.m., Midway Room of the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center
Thursday, March 29, 7 p.m., Hebron Volunteer Fire Department (parking and entry behind the fire hall)
Monday, April 2, 7 p.m., Pittsville Volunteer Fire Department
The forums are scheduled for:
Wednesday, March 28, 7 p.m., Midway Room of the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center
Thursday, March 29, 7 p.m., Hebron Volunteer Fire Department (parking and entry behind the fire hall)
Monday, April 2, 7 p.m., Pittsville Volunteer Fire Department
Americans Angry With Obama Over Gas Prices
More than two-thirds of Americans disapprove of the way President Barack Obama is handling highgasoline prices, although most do not blame him for them, according to a Reuters/Ipsos online poll released on Tuesday.
Sixty-eight percent disapprove and 24 percent approve of how Obama is responding to price increases that have become one of the biggest issues in the 2012 presidential campaign.
In the past month, U.S. fuel prices have jumped about $0.30 per gallon to about $3.90 and the Republicans seeking to replace the Democrat in the November 6 election have seized upon the issue to attack his energy policies.
The disapproval reaches across party lines, potentially spelling trouble for Obama in the election, although the online survey showed voters hold oil companies or foreign countries more accountable than politicians for the price spike.
Public Notice
THREE MORE ELECTION REDISTRICTING PUBLIC FORUMS REMAIN ON SALISBURY CITY COUNCIL SCHEDULE
The Salisbury City Council reminds the public that there are still opportunities to participate in public forums on the election redistricting effort the City is undertaking for its local elections, as a result of the changes in city population reported by the 2010 Census. The Mayor hosted one such meeting in February, and the Council has held two so far in March.
The next meetings for public participation at Salisbury locations are:
Tuesday, March 27, 2012 – 6:30 p.m. – Harvest Baptist Church, corner of South Boulevard and Eastern Shore Drive
Thursday, March 29, 2012 – 6:30 p.m. – Fire Station #16 Training Room, Cypress Street
Monday, April 2, 2012 – 12:30 p.m. – Council Chambers (Room 301) of the Government
Office Building, 125 North Division Street
The public will learn about redistricting principles, may ask questions, can look at statisticdriven maps and provide information and feedback to the council about their neighborhoods (e.g., geographic boundaries, cohesiveness based on economics, race, shared interests, cultures or other factors, etc.)
Comments or questions may also be submitted to all City Council members via email,
ALLCityCouncilMembers@ci.salisbury.md.us, or by mail to Salisbury City Council Members,
125 N. Division St., Salisbury, MD 21801. For more information, contact Kim Nichols in the
City Clerk’s office’s at (410) 548-3140.
The Salisbury City Council reminds the public that there are still opportunities to participate in public forums on the election redistricting effort the City is undertaking for its local elections, as a result of the changes in city population reported by the 2010 Census. The Mayor hosted one such meeting in February, and the Council has held two so far in March.
The next meetings for public participation at Salisbury locations are:
Tuesday, March 27, 2012 – 6:30 p.m. – Harvest Baptist Church, corner of South Boulevard and Eastern Shore Drive
Thursday, March 29, 2012 – 6:30 p.m. – Fire Station #16 Training Room, Cypress Street
Monday, April 2, 2012 – 12:30 p.m. – Council Chambers (Room 301) of the Government
Office Building, 125 North Division Street
The public will learn about redistricting principles, may ask questions, can look at statisticdriven maps and provide information and feedback to the council about their neighborhoods (e.g., geographic boundaries, cohesiveness based on economics, race, shared interests, cultures or other factors, etc.)
Comments or questions may also be submitted to all City Council members via email,
ALLCityCouncilMembers@ci.salisbury.md.us, or by mail to Salisbury City Council Members,
125 N. Division St., Salisbury, MD 21801. For more information, contact Kim Nichols in the
City Clerk’s office’s at (410) 548-3140.
Richard Douglas On Sen. Cardin's Floor Speech Re: Trayvon Martin
U.S. Senate Candidate Richard Douglas offered the following reaction to Sen. Ben Cardin's floor speech today that mentioned the tragic death of Trayvon Martin:
"We haven't heard the Senator make floor speeches about over 200 men and women murdered in Baltimore City and Prince George's county within a one-year period, " said Douglas. "Trayvon Martin's death is a tragedy, and our prayers are with his family. But let's remember that this is an election year and not forget our people here at home when
career politicians seek media attention."
"We haven't heard the Senator make floor speeches about over 200 men and women murdered in Baltimore City and Prince George's county within a one-year period, " said Douglas. "Trayvon Martin's death is a tragedy, and our prayers are with his family. But let's remember that this is an election year and not forget our people here at home when
career politicians seek media attention."
Rubio: "We Are A Nation Of Haves And Soon-To-Haves"
THIS IS THE MAN WHO SHOULD BE RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT
Alcohol Test
This is an alcohol test: If you pass it, you can keep drinking, if not, it's time to stop. Follow the simple instructions below:
1. Click on the link, (GO HERE) below.
2. A new window will open - click on the man's nose
3. For each time you click on his nose, you can have another drink!!!
GO HERE
1. Click on the link, (GO HERE) below.
2. A new window will open - click on the man's nose
3. For each time you click on his nose, you can have another drink!!!
GO HERE
WCSO Press Releases 3-28-12
Incident: Warrant
Date of Incident: 22 March 2012
Location: W. Elizabeth Street, Delmar, MD
Suspect: Benjamin Brooks, Jr., 31, Delmar, MD
Narrative: On 22 March 2012 at 9:29 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico Sheriff’s Office arrested Benjamin Brooks at a residence on West Elizabeth Street in Delmar, MD. Brooks was wanted on an arrest warrant issued on 2 March 2012 charging him with Manufacturing and Distribution of CDS.
The deputy transported Brooks to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained brooks in the Detention Center in lieu of $150,000.00 bond.
Charges: Possession of CDS with the Intent to Distribute
Manufacture of CDS
Incident: Warrant
Date of Incident: 22 March 2012
Location: 3600 block of Stockyard Road, Eden, MD
Suspect: Gregory James Wright, 47, Princess Anne, MD
Narrative: On 22 March 2012 at 10:24 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office took Gregory James Wright into custody on a Wicomico County Circuit Court Body Attachment in a Child Support Case. The deputy transported Wright to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and detained in the Detention Center on a pre-set bond of $2,000.00
Charges: Failure to Appear for a Child Support hearing
Incident: Warrant
Date of Incident: 22 March 2012
Location: 700 block of Roger Street, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Otiscia Yvonne Wilkins, 30, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 22 March 2012 at 9:54, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office located Otiscia Wilkins at a residence in the 700 block of Roger Street in Salisbury. Wilkins had been sought on an arrest warrant that had been issued on 29 September 2011 in an assault case.
The deputy took Wilkins into custody and transported her to the Central Booking Unit where she was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Wilkins in the Detention Center in lieu of $5,000.00 bond.
Charges: Assault 2nd Degree
Incident: Warrant
Date of Incident: 24 March 2012
Location: 6000 block of Willing Drive, Salisbury
Suspect: Nicholas William McQuown, 21, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 24 March 2012 at 9:35, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in the 6000 block of Willing Drive for the purpose of locating Nicholas McQuown. A bench warrant for McQuown’s arrest had been issued on 15 March 2012 when he failed to appear for a violation of probation hearing in a burglary case.
The deputy arrested McQuown and transported him to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, McQuown was detained by the Commissioner in the Detention Center without bond.
Charges: Failure to Appear
Date of Incident: 22 March 2012
Location: W. Elizabeth Street, Delmar, MD
Suspect: Benjamin Brooks, Jr., 31, Delmar, MD
Narrative: On 22 March 2012 at 9:29 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico Sheriff’s Office arrested Benjamin Brooks at a residence on West Elizabeth Street in Delmar, MD. Brooks was wanted on an arrest warrant issued on 2 March 2012 charging him with Manufacturing and Distribution of CDS.
The deputy transported Brooks to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained brooks in the Detention Center in lieu of $150,000.00 bond.
Charges: Possession of CDS with the Intent to Distribute
Manufacture of CDS
Incident: Warrant
Date of Incident: 22 March 2012
Location: 3600 block of Stockyard Road, Eden, MD
Suspect: Gregory James Wright, 47, Princess Anne, MD
Narrative: On 22 March 2012 at 10:24 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office took Gregory James Wright into custody on a Wicomico County Circuit Court Body Attachment in a Child Support Case. The deputy transported Wright to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and detained in the Detention Center on a pre-set bond of $2,000.00
Charges: Failure to Appear for a Child Support hearing
Incident: Warrant
Date of Incident: 22 March 2012
Location: 700 block of Roger Street, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Otiscia Yvonne Wilkins, 30, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 22 March 2012 at 9:54, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office located Otiscia Wilkins at a residence in the 700 block of Roger Street in Salisbury. Wilkins had been sought on an arrest warrant that had been issued on 29 September 2011 in an assault case.
The deputy took Wilkins into custody and transported her to the Central Booking Unit where she was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Wilkins in the Detention Center in lieu of $5,000.00 bond.
Charges: Assault 2nd Degree
Incident: Warrant
Date of Incident: 24 March 2012
Location: 6000 block of Willing Drive, Salisbury
Suspect: Nicholas William McQuown, 21, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 24 March 2012 at 9:35, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in the 6000 block of Willing Drive for the purpose of locating Nicholas McQuown. A bench warrant for McQuown’s arrest had been issued on 15 March 2012 when he failed to appear for a violation of probation hearing in a burglary case.
The deputy arrested McQuown and transported him to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, McQuown was detained by the Commissioner in the Detention Center without bond.
Charges: Failure to Appear
They Are Going To Listen To Everyone Of Your Phone Calls And Read Everyone Of Your Emails
Under construction by contractors with top-secret clearances, the blandly named Utah Data Center is being built for the National Security Agency. A project of immense secrecy, it is the final piece in a complex puzzle assembled over the past decade. Its purpose: to intercept, decipher, analyze, and store vast swaths of the world’s communications as they zap down from satellites and zip through the underground and undersea cables of international, foreign, and domestic networks. The heavily fortified $2 billion center should be up and running in September 2013. Flowing through its servers and routers and stored in near-bottomless databases will be all forms of communication, including the complete contents of private emails, cell phone calls, and Google searches, as well as all sorts of personal data trails—parking receipts, travel itineraries, bookstore purchases, and other digital “pocket litter.” It is, in some measure, the realization of the “total information awareness” program created during the first term of the Bush administration—an effort that was killed by Congress in 2003 after it caused an outcry over its potential for invading Americans’ privacy.
You will have no secrets from the government. Your only moat of protection will be standard government ineptness and bureaucracy.
Source
Rise of the Prepper – Could the Recent Popularity Cause Problems for Preppers?
As Americans grow concerned about our future; Guns, Gold and Emergency Food are all selling at record levels. From T.V. Shows about preppers, to a number of states preparing so called Doomsday Bills, it seems that the prepper lifestyle is going mainstream.
So what does that Mean for Preppers?
In my opinion, if you haven’t stocked up on what you need – NOW IS THE TIME TO DO IT!
With Guns, Gold and Emergency Food sales at a record high, there’s a growing concern that shortages are about to hit the marketplace. As people begin to stock up on preparedness related items, we will likely see nationwide shortages similar to what happened during the elections in 2008.
According to the FBI, Americans are buying a record number of guns. It started right around last Christmas, when over 1.5 million background checks were requested by gun dealers in December of 2011. That’s the highest number of background checks ever requested in a single month, and according to the latest numbers it looks like sales are expected to rise.
Big Brother On Steroids
New CCTV Camera Can Scan 36 Million Faces per Second ---and Recognize Anyone Who Has Ever Walked in Front of It
A new camera technology from Hitachi Hokusai Electric can scan days of camera footage instantly, and find any face which has EVER walked past it.
Its makers boast that it can scan 36 million faces per second.
The technology raises the spectre of governments - or other organisations - being able to 'find' anyone instantly simply using a passport photo or a Facebook profile, reports the UK's Daily Mail.
The camera 'processes' faces as it records, so that all faces which pass in front of it are recorded and stored instantly.
Thankfully, the system does still have limitations - it can only scan faces within a certain field of view in front of the camera, and faces have to be at least 40x40 pixels in size to be indexed by the system. But that will likely "improve" over time.
Source
A new camera technology from Hitachi Hokusai Electric can scan days of camera footage instantly, and find any face which has EVER walked past it.
Its makers boast that it can scan 36 million faces per second.
The technology raises the spectre of governments - or other organisations - being able to 'find' anyone instantly simply using a passport photo or a Facebook profile, reports the UK's Daily Mail.
The camera 'processes' faces as it records, so that all faces which pass in front of it are recorded and stored instantly.
Thankfully, the system does still have limitations - it can only scan faces within a certain field of view in front of the camera, and faces have to be at least 40x40 pixels in size to be indexed by the system. But that will likely "improve" over time.
Source
FACEBOOK REJECTS PUPPY MILL ADS FOR GOOD!
In response to concerns raised by the ASPCA and its national “No Pet Store Puppies” campaign, measures will be put in place to ensure that puppy mill dogs will no longer be sold via Marketplace on Facebook. The ASPCA is working with Facebook and Oodle, the online classifieds service that powers Marketplace on Facebook, to restrict listings of puppy mill dogs on the popular social media site. Through an ongoing removal process, ads placed by puppy mills have already started coming down. The process was designed to ensure that individuals may continue to post dogs available for a nominal adoption or rehoming fee.
The ASPCA believes that reducing Internet venues through which puppy mills can offer their dogs will help combat the inhumane puppy mill industry. Many puppies sold online come from puppy mills—these are large-scale, commercial facilities that commonly keep dogs in unsanitary, overcrowded and often cruel conditions without sufficient veterinary care, food, water or socialization.
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The ASPCA believes that reducing Internet venues through which puppy mills can offer their dogs will help combat the inhumane puppy mill industry. Many puppies sold online come from puppy mills—these are large-scale, commercial facilities that commonly keep dogs in unsanitary, overcrowded and often cruel conditions without sufficient veterinary care, food, water or socialization.
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Bidding Wars Erupt For Homes In Silicon Valley, Miami, Seattle And Washington D.C.
Bloomberg reports:
Bidding wars, absent from most parts of the U.S. residential market since its peak in 2006, are erupting from Seattle and Silicon Valley to Miami and Washington, D.C. The inventory of homes hovers close to a six-year low, while an increase in jobs and record affordability are tempting more buyers. The number of contracts to buy previously owned homes jumped 14 percent in February from a year earlier, the National Association of Realtors reported yesterday...
While listings will probably rise as banks accelerate foreclosures and sellers gain confidence in the market, the U.S. metropolitan areas with the strongest economies may be ready to absorb the additional inventory, said Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody’s Analytics...
Low values and interest rates have made buying a better deal than renting in 98 of the largest 100 metropolitan areas, according to Trulia Inc.
Overall,home prices dropped 3.8 percent in January from a year earlier, according to the the S&P/Case-Shiller index.The housing market never cleared properly during the Great Recession, because of government meddling in the sector. As the overhang clears, the housing sector will, again, heat up in areas beyond Miami and Silicon Valley. You guessed it, all because of Fed money printing.
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Bidding wars, absent from most parts of the U.S. residential market since its peak in 2006, are erupting from Seattle and Silicon Valley to Miami and Washington, D.C. The inventory of homes hovers close to a six-year low, while an increase in jobs and record affordability are tempting more buyers. The number of contracts to buy previously owned homes jumped 14 percent in February from a year earlier, the National Association of Realtors reported yesterday...
While listings will probably rise as banks accelerate foreclosures and sellers gain confidence in the market, the U.S. metropolitan areas with the strongest economies may be ready to absorb the additional inventory, said Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody’s Analytics...
Low values and interest rates have made buying a better deal than renting in 98 of the largest 100 metropolitan areas, according to Trulia Inc.
Overall,home prices dropped 3.8 percent in January from a year earlier, according to the the S&P/Case-Shiller index.The housing market never cleared properly during the Great Recession, because of government meddling in the sector. As the overhang clears, the housing sector will, again, heat up in areas beyond Miami and Silicon Valley. You guessed it, all because of Fed money printing.
More
Today's Survey Question 3-28-12
How Old is Grandma?
One evening a grandson was talking to his grandmother about current events.
The grandson asked his grandmother what she thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age, and just things in general..
The Grandmother replied, "Well, let me think a minute, I was born before:
' television
' penicillin
' polio shots
' frozen foods
' Xerox
' contact lenses
' Frisbees and
' the pill
There were no:
' credit cards
' laser beams or
' ball-point pens
Man had not invented:
' pantyhose
' air conditioners
' dishwashers
' clothes dryers
' and the clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air
' and man hadn’t yet walked on the moon
Your Grandfather and I got married first, .. .... ... and then lived together..
Every family had a father and a mother.
Until I was 25, I called every man older than me, "Sir".
And after I turned 25, I still called policemen and every man with a title, "Sir."
We were before gay-rights, computer - dating, dual careers, daycare centers, and group therapy.
Our lives were governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment, and common sense.
We were taught to know the difference between right and wrong and to stand up and take responsibility for our actions.
Serving your country was a privilege; living in this country was a bigger privilege...
We thought fast food was what people ate during Lent.
Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins.
Draft dodgers were those who closed front doors as the evening breeze started.
Time-sharing meant time the family spent together in the evenings and weekends - not purchasing condominiums.
We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, CDs, electric typewriters, yogurt, or guys wearing earrings.
We listened to Big Bands, Jack Benny, and the President's speeches on our radios.
And I don't ever remember any kid blowing his brains out listening to Tommy Dorsey.
If you saw anything with 'Made in Japan ' on it, it was junk
The term 'making out' referred to how you did on your school exam....
Pizza Hut, McDonald's, and instant coffee were unheard of.
We had 5 &10-cent stores where you could actually buy things for 5 and 10 cents.
Ice-cream cones, phone calls, rides on a streetcar, and a Pepsi were all a nickel.
And if you didn't want to splurge, you could spend your nickel on enough stamps to mail 1 letter and 2 postcards.
You could buy a new Ford Coupe for $600, . .. . but who could afford one?
Too bad, because gas was 11 cents a gallon.
In my day:
' "grass" was mowed,
' "coke" was a cold drink,
' "pot" was something your mother cooked in and
' "rock music" was your grandmother's lullaby.
' "Aids" were helpers in the Principal's office,
' "chip" meant a piece of wood,
' "hardware" was found in a hardware store and
' "software" wasn't even a word.
And we were the last generation to actually believe that a lady needed a husband to have a baby.
No wonder people call us "old and confused" and say there is a generation gap.
How old do you think I am?
I bet you have this old lady in mind....you are in for a shock!
Read on to see -- pretty scary if you think about it and pretty sad at the same time.
Jim Rogers: "Bernanke Couldn't Get A Job As A Banker. He's Just A Printer."
Excuse me," Jim Rogers says, pulling a navy blue sock over his right foot. "I'm a little jet lagged."
A Nepalese house boy is making over the Khaleej suite at Emirates Palace Hotel, the television is tuned to CNN, his laptop is open and dinging occasional alerts for new emails, and two BlackBerrys are charging on his desk.
“ A lot of the problems we're facing today is that people have forgotten how to work hard. It's a generational thing. If you go to a fast food restaurant or a department store in the United States, you'll see senior citizens working behind the counter or greeting customers. They're doing it because they have a work ethic ”
Investor Jim Rogers
"I have a problem with jetlag," he says. "Do you have a cure?"
Melatonin, but it's illegal in the UAE and most of the Arab world
"Really? It's an over-the-counter medication in most of the world," he says. He should know, he's been around it twice. Once on a motorbike and once in a custom-made Mercedes-Benz.
But that's what retired people do: Travel.
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A Nepalese house boy is making over the Khaleej suite at Emirates Palace Hotel, the television is tuned to CNN, his laptop is open and dinging occasional alerts for new emails, and two BlackBerrys are charging on his desk.
“ A lot of the problems we're facing today is that people have forgotten how to work hard. It's a generational thing. If you go to a fast food restaurant or a department store in the United States, you'll see senior citizens working behind the counter or greeting customers. They're doing it because they have a work ethic ”
Investor Jim Rogers
"I have a problem with jetlag," he says. "Do you have a cure?"
Melatonin, but it's illegal in the UAE and most of the Arab world
"Really? It's an over-the-counter medication in most of the world," he says. He should know, he's been around it twice. Once on a motorbike and once in a custom-made Mercedes-Benz.
But that's what retired people do: Travel.
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I'll Do Anything For $20.00
A woman was sitting at a bar enjoying an after work cocktail with her girlfriends when Steven, a tall, exceptionally handsome, extremely sexy, middle-aged man entered. He was so striking that the woman could not take her eyes off him.
This seasoned yet playful heartthrob noticed her overly attentive stare and walked directly toward her. (As any man would.) Before she could offer her apologies for staring so rudely, he leaned over and whispered to her, "I'll do anything, absolutely anything, that you want me to do, no matter how kinky, for $20.00.. on one condition..."
Flabbergasted but intrigued, the woman asked what the condition was. The man replied, "You have to tell me what you want me to do in just three words."
The woman considered his proposition for a moment, and then slowly removed $20 bill from her purse, which she pressed into the man's hand along with her address. She looked deeply and passionately into his eyes, barely concealing her anticipation and excitement, and slowly and meaningfully said....
"Clean my house."
This seasoned yet playful heartthrob noticed her overly attentive stare and walked directly toward her. (As any man would.) Before she could offer her apologies for staring so rudely, he leaned over and whispered to her, "I'll do anything, absolutely anything, that you want me to do, no matter how kinky, for $20.00.. on one condition..."
Flabbergasted but intrigued, the woman asked what the condition was. The man replied, "You have to tell me what you want me to do in just three words."
The woman considered his proposition for a moment, and then slowly removed $20 bill from her purse, which she pressed into the man's hand along with her address. She looked deeply and passionately into his eyes, barely concealing her anticipation and excitement, and slowly and meaningfully said....
"Clean my house."
Magic Johnson Group To Buy Dodgers For Record $2B
NEW YORK (AP) - A group that includes former Lakers star Magic Johnson and longtime baseball executive Stan Kasten agreed Tuesday night to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers from Frank McCourt for a record $2 billion.
The price would shatter the mark for a sports franchise,, Stephen Ross paid $1.1 billion for the NFL's Miami Dolphins in 2009, and in England In Malcolm Glazer and his family took over the Manchester United soccer club in 2005 in a deal then valued at $1.47 billion.
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The price would shatter the mark for a sports franchise,, Stephen Ross paid $1.1 billion for the NFL's Miami Dolphins in 2009, and in England In Malcolm Glazer and his family took over the Manchester United soccer club in 2005 in a deal then valued at $1.47 billion.
More
Trayvon Rally Delivers Colorblind Message
WASHINGTON – Thousands of people gathered in Freedom Plaza here to remember Trayvon Martin and heard a message of colorblindness.
The 17-year-old black American was killed Feb. 26 by 28-year-old George Zimmerman – a Latino American, described by some as “white,” who served as a neighborhood watch captain in a suburb of Orlando, Fla.
Details from the case are still being revealed.
Though the Martin-Zimmerman controversy has been charged with racial tension and agitation, the audience responded favorably to a colorblind message.
Arguably the loudest cheer from the crowd occurred when the Rev. David Bowers of No Murders DC spoke.
He said, “We need the same righteous indignation when a black man kills a black man, or a black man kills a black woman, as when a white man kills a black man. All of our lives, black, white, no matter who we are, are just as valuable.”
Black Farmers File Claims In USDA Settlement
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - When Roy James needed money to buy equipment and dig an irrigation well for his father's Mississippi farm, he applied for a loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture _ but was turned down.
The USDA said it denied the application filed in 1995 because James had inadequate education and didn't have farming experience _ even though he had a college degree and had worked for years on the farm that grows soybean, wheat and cotton.
"I couldn't understand why they turned me down," James said. "It was confusing."
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The USDA said it denied the application filed in 1995 because James had inadequate education and didn't have farming experience _ even though he had a college degree and had worked for years on the farm that grows soybean, wheat and cotton.
"I couldn't understand why they turned me down," James said. "It was confusing."
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D.C. To Announce Marijuana Center Locations Friday
WASHINGTON - The five locations where D.C. residents can obtain medical marijuana will be announced Friday.
D.C. joins 16 other states in the country that have made it legal to use marijuana for medical reasons.
Under the law, approved by Congress in 2010, doctors can write a recommendation for the use of marijuana by those who have HIV/AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma and other serious conditions.
But D.C. native Steve DeAngelo, executive director of Harbor Side Health center in Oakland, Calif., the largest medical marijuana dispensary on the nation, says the District's bill has some serious flaws.
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D.C. joins 16 other states in the country that have made it legal to use marijuana for medical reasons.
Under the law, approved by Congress in 2010, doctors can write a recommendation for the use of marijuana by those who have HIV/AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma and other serious conditions.
But D.C. native Steve DeAngelo, executive director of Harbor Side Health center in Oakland, Calif., the largest medical marijuana dispensary on the nation, says the District's bill has some serious flaws.
More
Chicken Man Kills Himself After Long Fight With Roswell Government Officials
This is one of those stories that often never makes it to the Front Page of any newspaper or website. It’s a story about Property Rights and Eminent domain, it’s the story of one man who tried to fight back, and sadly it’s the story of a man who lost it all in the process. It’s also a story that can happen to anyone who is reading this article.
The story begins back in 2009 when Andrew Wordes, otherwise known as the Roswell Chicken Man, began his fight to raise chickens on his property. In February 2009, the city of Roswell, GA started to cite Andrew Wordes for raising livestock in his backyard. Wordes, who had started raising chickens on his .97-acre homestead in 2005, decided to fight back. And guess what he Won.
But sadly that’s when the real trouble started….
Police To Ignore California Impound Law Amid Concern Of Fairness To Illegal Immigrants
The Los Angeles Police Department will soon start ignoring California state law, which requires police to impound the vehicles of unlicensed drivers for 30 days.
The majority of unlicensed motorists in Los Angeles are immigrants who are in the country illegally and have low-income jobs. The LAPD says the state's impound law is unfair because it limits their ability to get to their jobs and imposes a steep fine to get their car back.
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The majority of unlicensed motorists in Los Angeles are immigrants who are in the country illegally and have low-income jobs. The LAPD says the state's impound law is unfair because it limits their ability to get to their jobs and imposes a steep fine to get their car back.
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Same-Sex Marriage Foes Sought to Split Democratic Base
The leading national organization opposing same-sex marriage has sought to split the Democratic Party base by pitting African-Americans and Hispanics against gay-rights groups, according to confidential strategy memos made public by court officials in Maine.
“The strategic goal of this project is to drive a wedge between gays and blacks — two key Democratic constituencies,” says one of the memos. It also suggests “interrupting” the process of cultural assimilation for Hispanics in hopes of curtailing support for same-sex marriage.
The documents, dating from 2009, were written by the National Organization for Marriage and had been kept from the public until Monday, when they were unsealed by court officials in Maine.
Obama: The Affirmative Action President
by Matt Patterson
(columnist - Washington Post, New York Post, San Francisco Examiner)
Years from now, historians may regard the 2008 election of Barack Obama as an inscrutable and disturbing phenomenon, a baffling breed of mass hysteria akin perhaps to the witch craze of the Middle Ages. How, they will wonder, did a man so devoid of professional accomplishment beguile so many into thinking he could manage the world's largest economy, direct the world's most powerful military, execute the world's most consequential job?
Imagine a future historian examining Obama's pre-presidential life: ushered into and through the Ivy League despite unremarkable grades and test scores along the way; a cushy non-job as a "community organizer"; a brief career as a state legislator devoid of legislative achievement (and in fact nearly devoid of his attention, so often did he vote "present") ; and finally an unaccomplished single term in the United States Senate, the entirety of which was devoted to his presidential ambitions. He left no academic legacy in academia, authored no signature legislation as a legislator.
And then there is the matter of his troubling associations: the white-hating, America-loathing preacher who for decades served as Obama's "spiritual mentor"; a real-life, actual terrorist who served as Obama's colleague and political sponsor. It is easy to imagine a future historian looking at it all and asking: how on Earth was such a man elected president?
Not content to wait for history, the incomparable Norman Podhoretz addressed the question recently in the Wall Street Journal:
To be sure, no white candidate who had close associations with an outspoken hater of America like Jeremiah Wright and an unrepentant terrorist like Bill Ayers, would have lasted a single day. But because Mr. Obama was black, and therefore entitled in the eyes of liberaldom to have hung out with protesters against various American injustices, even if they were a bit extreme, he was given a pass.
Let that sink in: Obama was given a pass -- held to a lower standard -- because of the color of his skin. Podhoretz continues:
And in any case, what did such ancient history matter when he was also so articulate and elegant and (as he himself had said) "non-threatening," all of which gave him a fighting chance to become the first black president and thereby to lay the curse of racism to rest?
Podhoretz puts his finger, I think, on the animating pulse of the Obama phenomenon -- affirmative action. Not in the legal sense, of course. But certainly in the motivating sentiment behind all affirmative action laws and regulations, which are designed primarily to make white people, and especially white liberals, feel good about themselves.
Unfortunately, minorities often suffer so that whites can pat themselves on the back.
Liberals routinely admit minorities to schools for which they are not qualified, yet take no responsibility for the inevitable poor performance and high drop-out rates which follow. Liberals don't care if these minority students fail; liberals aren't around to witness the emotional devastation and deflated self esteem resulting from the racist policy that is affirmative action. Yes, racist.
Holding someone to a separate standard merely because of the color of his skin -- that's affirmative action in a nutshell, and if that isn't racism, then nothing is. And that is what America did to Obama.
True, Obama himself was never troubled by his lack of achievements, but why would he be? As many have noted, Obama was told he was good enough for Columbia despite undistinguished grades at Occidental; he was told he was good enough for the US Senate despite a mediocre record in Illinois ; he was told he was good enough to be president despite no record at all in the Senate. All his life, every step of the way, Obama was told he was good enough for the next step, in spite of ample evidence to the contrary. What could this breed if not the sort of empty narcissism on display every time Obama speaks?
In 2008, many who agreed that he lacked executive qualifications nonetheless raved about Obama's oratory skills, intellect, and cool character. Those people -- conservatives included -- ought now to be deeply embarrassed. The man thinks and speaks in the hoariest of clichés, and that's when he has his teleprompter in front of him; when the prompter is absent he can barely think or speak at all.***Not one original idea has ever issued from his mouth -- it's all warmed-over Marxism of the kind that has failed over and over again for 100 years.*
And what about his character? Obama is constantly blaming anything and everything else for his troubles. Bush did it; it was bad luck; I inherited this mess. It is embarrassing to see a president so willing to advertise his own powerlessness, so comfortable with his own incompetence. But really, what were we to expect? The man has never been responsible for anything, so how do we expect him to act responsibly?
In short: our president is a small and small-minded man, with neither the temperament nor the intellect to handle his job. *When you understand that, and only when you understand that, will the current erosion of liberty and prosperity make sense. It could not have gone otherwise with such a man in the Oval Office.*
(columnist - Washington Post, New York Post, San Francisco Examiner)
Years from now, historians may regard the 2008 election of Barack Obama as an inscrutable and disturbing phenomenon, a baffling breed of mass hysteria akin perhaps to the witch craze of the Middle Ages. How, they will wonder, did a man so devoid of professional accomplishment beguile so many into thinking he could manage the world's largest economy, direct the world's most powerful military, execute the world's most consequential job?
Imagine a future historian examining Obama's pre-presidential life: ushered into and through the Ivy League despite unremarkable grades and test scores along the way; a cushy non-job as a "community organizer"; a brief career as a state legislator devoid of legislative achievement (and in fact nearly devoid of his attention, so often did he vote "present") ; and finally an unaccomplished single term in the United States Senate, the entirety of which was devoted to his presidential ambitions. He left no academic legacy in academia, authored no signature legislation as a legislator.
And then there is the matter of his troubling associations: the white-hating, America-loathing preacher who for decades served as Obama's "spiritual mentor"; a real-life, actual terrorist who served as Obama's colleague and political sponsor. It is easy to imagine a future historian looking at it all and asking: how on Earth was such a man elected president?
Not content to wait for history, the incomparable Norman Podhoretz addressed the question recently in the Wall Street Journal:
To be sure, no white candidate who had close associations with an outspoken hater of America like Jeremiah Wright and an unrepentant terrorist like Bill Ayers, would have lasted a single day. But because Mr. Obama was black, and therefore entitled in the eyes of liberaldom to have hung out with protesters against various American injustices, even if they were a bit extreme, he was given a pass.
Let that sink in: Obama was given a pass -- held to a lower standard -- because of the color of his skin. Podhoretz continues:
And in any case, what did such ancient history matter when he was also so articulate and elegant and (as he himself had said) "non-threatening," all of which gave him a fighting chance to become the first black president and thereby to lay the curse of racism to rest?
Podhoretz puts his finger, I think, on the animating pulse of the Obama phenomenon -- affirmative action. Not in the legal sense, of course. But certainly in the motivating sentiment behind all affirmative action laws and regulations, which are designed primarily to make white people, and especially white liberals, feel good about themselves.
Unfortunately, minorities often suffer so that whites can pat themselves on the back.
Liberals routinely admit minorities to schools for which they are not qualified, yet take no responsibility for the inevitable poor performance and high drop-out rates which follow. Liberals don't care if these minority students fail; liberals aren't around to witness the emotional devastation and deflated self esteem resulting from the racist policy that is affirmative action. Yes, racist.
Holding someone to a separate standard merely because of the color of his skin -- that's affirmative action in a nutshell, and if that isn't racism, then nothing is. And that is what America did to Obama.
True, Obama himself was never troubled by his lack of achievements, but why would he be? As many have noted, Obama was told he was good enough for Columbia despite undistinguished grades at Occidental; he was told he was good enough for the US Senate despite a mediocre record in Illinois ; he was told he was good enough to be president despite no record at all in the Senate. All his life, every step of the way, Obama was told he was good enough for the next step, in spite of ample evidence to the contrary. What could this breed if not the sort of empty narcissism on display every time Obama speaks?
In 2008, many who agreed that he lacked executive qualifications nonetheless raved about Obama's oratory skills, intellect, and cool character. Those people -- conservatives included -- ought now to be deeply embarrassed. The man thinks and speaks in the hoariest of clichés, and that's when he has his teleprompter in front of him; when the prompter is absent he can barely think or speak at all.***Not one original idea has ever issued from his mouth -- it's all warmed-over Marxism of the kind that has failed over and over again for 100 years.*
And what about his character? Obama is constantly blaming anything and everything else for his troubles. Bush did it; it was bad luck; I inherited this mess. It is embarrassing to see a president so willing to advertise his own powerlessness, so comfortable with his own incompetence. But really, what were we to expect? The man has never been responsible for anything, so how do we expect him to act responsibly?
In short: our president is a small and small-minded man, with neither the temperament nor the intellect to handle his job. *When you understand that, and only when you understand that, will the current erosion of liberty and prosperity make sense. It could not have gone otherwise with such a man in the Oval Office.*