Shameful

Dick Morris

I think that withdrawal from Iraq — it obviously gives al Qaeda a huge victory. Huge victory. On the other hand, if we stay in Iraq, it gives them the opportunity to kill more Americans, which they really like.
One of the things, though, that I think the antiwar crowd has not considered is that, if we’re putting the Americans right within their arms’ reach, they don’t have to come to Wall Street to kill Americans. They don’t have to knock down the trade center. They can do it around the corner, and convenience is a big factor when you’re a terrorist.

It May Need To Be Refined...

...but this is a great idea. Let's do it Halloween Night.

Two Secrets No More

Somebody has snuck back in amongst us. I'm glad she has.

The agenda is posted for all to see over at the Observer.

Horrifying Thought

A pretty fair chunk of those who are trying to make the case that McGee Sr speaks for all blacks seem to feel that Charlie Sykes speaks for all whites.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Sorry for the lack of activity fans. There has been a whole lot of Capital-R Reality at this house lately.

For those of you who knew, my MIL has finally found peace. She passed last Wednesday after too long a struggle with cancer. My thanks for your kind words.

In other news, your humble typographer has been chosen for the part of Henry Blake in the ECT production of M*A*S*H. Save time during the weekend before July 4 or the weekend after. We're doing 6 shows so you can all come see us twice.

There is one other thing going on that truly threatens to curtail my blogging time. I won't say much until after Tuesday night because things can always change. Let's just say that I am excited about a new opportunity.

BBS BFF g

I'm Not Sure Where This Comes From

Even if nanotech becomes the norm it will still be a pain in the fanny to get a trombone back and forth to music class.

What Could Go Wrong?

There's a tragic story out of Green Bay this weekend that may provide some lessons for some of the "shoot first" crowd that has come out in the wake of the VT shootings last week.

Ben Sonnenberg, 25, was shot and killed by police outside a near east-side
tavern early Saturday morning, when, according to Green Bay police, he made a
motion that looked as though he was reaching for a weapon.

The story says that Sonneberg was shot multiple times in the back more than 10 feet from the car which had been stopped. No weapon was found at the scene of the shooting.

Four well-trained law officers, including one who had reason to use deadly force once before, killed a young man based on their false belief that he was reaching for a weapon. Unfortunately, that can happen when you disobey a law enforcement officer. Sonnenberg's only actions should have been to stand very still and answer all of the questions put to him.

In an adrenaline-fueled situation like a traffic stop after a chase at bar time decisions are often made without benefit of complete information and those decisions have their own consequences. But there's more.

Bill Sonnenberg said he found numerous bullet holes in buildings near the crime
scene, including some as high as 7 or 8 feet.

When adrenaline runs high there are often more shots fired than necessary and despite constant and ongoing training aim often suffers.

A bystander — identified Sunday as Cesar J. Grijalva-Ortiz, 31 — also was shot
and was taken to St. Vincent Hospital. Hospital nurse supervisor Patti Wauters
confirmed he hadn't been discharged as of Sunday afternoon but declined to give
further information. Police said Saturday they believed his injuries were not
life-threatening.

President Bush said that the VT students were in the wrong place at the wrong time. They weren't. They were in the class in which they belonged. It was the gunman in the wrong place. In the Green Bay case it was Grijalva-Ortiz who was shot for being in a place at the wrong time.

What does all of this have to do with VT? There are those who say that one more armed student in the lecture hall could have prevented much of the carnage. Is that case likely? What are the chances that only one more gun would have been present? What are the chances that the armed students would have been any better at target identification than the Green Bay officers? Would they have been more accurate? Faced with more than two shooters in an unexpected place could an armed student have been conditioned to only fire at the first shooter or would she have fired at anyone with a gun?

A prof at UW Madison did an exercise 25 years ago. During a lecture session, without warning, a person previously unknown to the class ran in from the side door, pulled a banana from his pocket, pointed it at the Prof and shouted, "Bang." The Professor fell down and the assailant ran from the room.

There were 140 different versions of what had happened in those 20 seconds of class. More than half swore that they had seen a gun. Nearly a quarter had heard a shot.

Panicked people do not make wise decisions. In the free for all atmosphere of a public shooting we could only expect the tragedy to be compounded by the presence of more weapons.

Four well-trained police officers managed to shoot two unarmed men and several buildings in the heat of the moment. How many would have been killed in a shootout in a lecture hall? It's impossible to say. That's why the CCW crowd's argument should carry no weight.

Alberto's Very, Very, Really Bad Day

Look at the bright side.

With the lack of memory shown by Alberto Gonzales yesterday he probably won't even be able to remember all of the people who said the country would be better off if he resigned.

Blacksburg

50 families are forever changed. Thousands more will show the scars. The need our sympathy and our empathy today.

The time will come for understanding and for action. This is a time for grieving.

Now We're Getting Somewhere

The letter is signed by Pat Leahy (D-VT), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Herb Kohl (D-WI), Russ Feingold (D-WI), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and reads in part:

We are concerned whether or not politics may have played a role in a case
brought by Stephen Biskupic, the United States Attorney based in Milwaukee,
against Georgia Thompson, formerly an official in the administration of
Wisconsin’s Democratic governor. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals was
reportedly so troubled by the insufficiency of the evidence against Ms. Thompson
that it made the unusual decision to issue an order reversing Ms. Thompson’s
conviction and releasing her from custody immediately after oral arguments in
her appeal.

You can read the whole letter here.

Similarities

Rick Wiley, the RPW, Karl Rove, sundry and various officials of the DOJ and Jess Bucher are all mad at Steve Biskupic because he didn't pursue voter fraud aggressively enough. Biskupic's reason?

There wasn't any to prosecute.

The Tizzysphere has a conniption because Georgia Thompson didn't "flip" to higher-ups and shine some light on the bigger crimes they are sure was there. Thompson's reason?

There was no bigger crime.

Right wing bloggers decry the lack of reporting of the good news from Iraq. The reason?

The news gets worse rather than better.

If you're going to call yourself something as pompous as "citizen journalist" you owe your readers, at the very least, a passing knowledge of reality.

The CEO Administration

"Hillary Clinton is running for president. She set a fundraising record---she's already raised 26 million dollars. That's a lot of money. To put that in perspective, that is more money than President Bush lost in all the years he was a businessman.".
--Jimmy Kimmel

"Lying Poisons Justice" -The Experts Speak

"What's at stake here is the rule of law. Even the president of the United
States has no right to break the law. If the House votes down this inquiry . . .
nothing will happen. The result will be a return to the imperial presidency of
the Nixon era, where the White House felt the laws did not apply to them, since
they never would be punished. That would be a national tragedy of immense
consequences."

-Wisconsin Representative James Sensennbrenner defending the authority of Congress to investigate Presidential conduct during the Clinton administration.

Henry Hyde played the "Nazi" card to cover the same transgressions.

"We fulfilled our oath of office to discharge our duty according to the
Constitution and when elected officials do that, democracy works
"Have you seen Auschwitz?
Do you see what happens when the rule of law
doesn't prevail? Lying poisons justice."

Modern Campaign Methods (A Retrospective)

Which troubles you more? Rather's sideburns or Karl Rove's?

What's The Difference?

What's the difference between Georgia Thompson and Scott Jensen?

The court says Georgia Thompson didn't do anything wrong.

Who Didn't see This Coming?

United States Court of Appeals
For the Seventh Circuit
Chicago, Illinois 60604
Argued April 5, 2007
Decided April 5, 2007
Before
Hon. FRANK H. EASTERBROOK, Chief Judge
Hon. WILLIAM J. BAUER, Circuit Judge
Hon. DIANE P. WOOD, Circuit Judge
No. 06-3676


UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
GEORGIA L. THOMPSON,
Defendant-Appellant.


Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
No. 06 CR 20
Rudolph T. Randa, Chief Judge.


Order
The judgment of conviction is reversed, and the case will
be remanded with instructions to enter a judgment of acquittal.

An opinion will be issued in due course. The time to file a
petition for rehearing is extended until 14 days after the court
issues its opinion.

This extension of time also means that the mandate will be
deferred. But Thompson is entitled to immediate release from
prison, on her own recognizance. The United States must make
No. 06-3676 Page 2 arrangements so that she may be released before the close of
business today.

Context Is Important

There were two pictures among those posted by Yahoo on Monday that caught my eye immediately. Yahoo pushes a feed of those pictures which are most frequently emailed every day.

When I saw these two I knew that they would rank near the top of 2007 lists for pictures most often miscaptioned.

This picture is of Senator Clinton seeing an old friend in the audience. It took exactly one day for Owen to have it miscaptioned as having something to do with campaign fund raising.








This picture, on the other hand, is of Newt Gingrich being lead away by his handlers after saying that bi-lingual education leads to the language of the Ghetto. Gingrich would later say that he meant to be anti-Semitic rather than anti-Hispanic.

I'm not sure how it will be miscaptioned by partisans but I'm certain that it will be.

Jess Bucher Sez

Only prosecutors would sit on the Supreme Court in Jessica McBride's state. If you spent your time working to make sure that people's Constitutional rights were protected you shouldn't be judging.

I realize that Jess' worldview may be a little bit skewed. After all. if you give a kid a hammer then everything needs to be pounded. It's just that she has this Wild West mindset when it comes to law enforcement.

If Jess were Queen we'd have all hangin' judges and we'd have more gunfights to settle things "the manly way" and we surely wouldn't brook no guff from them pesky furriners.

Poor Jess is moist with the thought that a conservative won an election without looking at the bigger picture. She should ask some journalists how they do it and then start asking people how the conservatives did in this nominally non-partisan election.

Around this part of the state I think the best example is from Fulton Township where Brian Christianson and his nuke-em-all "reformers" got soundly trounced by people who just wanted their government back from the Grover Norquist wannabes.

The Progressive Majority candidates made inroads in this election winning 8 new seats around the state including the Janesville Council and the Magnolia Town Board.

Jess' Election Night gloating shows how weak her grasp on the big picture is. It also proves once again that she needs to stop calling herself a journalist and tell the truth. Eric Severeid and the Russet Burbank are both commentators. Jess B is no more than that.

Election Thoughts

I don't understand why some folks are downright giddy that the manufacturers of asbestos insulation and lead paint now have a bought-and-paid-for seat on the Supreme Court. Quality of Life in Wisconsin is worse today than yesterday.

If my math is anywhere near correct we had somewhere around 1100 ballots cast in Evansville yesterday. Not shabby at all for a Spring election with uncontested Council races.

Louis Butler's High Court term expires next year. Expect another cavalcade of slime from the folks who brought you DDT.

Simple Stuff

If GWB had been honest enough to budget for his continuing enterprise in Iraq he wouldn't have to keep exposing his foolishness to continuing resolutions.

Just remember if he vetoes the funding for the troops he has no one but himself to blame.

Heartening News

This headline from the Gazette gives one some hope:

Challenger will face Paul Ryan

At last there is someone taking the challenge seriously enough to start a campaign before 4 months out.

Ryan is building some negatives for himself. He's still the only politician who has been proven to have done favors for Troha (Settle down. The words "In exchange for," are nowhere in that sentence. I'll leave the innuendo to others.) He voted against funding the troops in the continuing resolution. He voted against $2B in port security funds.

Paul Ryan has aligned himself with the Bush/Sensennbrenner True Believer Faction. In 2008 that may be the quickest way to set oneself up in private practice.

Please

Just go vote.

Just Freakin Incredible

From the Phoenix Newtimes:

Handguns For The Homeless
Give Piece a Chance
Arm the Homeless stages a firearms giveaway for Phoenix vagrants.
BY INDA HOUSE

Manny Marco, unemployed vagabond, tenderly loaded the last of 30 9-millimeter bullets into the spring-action, extended clip for his new Mac-10--a semiautomatic assault weapon capable of throwing rounds as fast as Marco can blink.

"That's very good, Manny," coaxed Arm the Homeless firearms instructor Pete Whippit. "Now, insert the clip and rack that lever there." Marco did so, producing the wicked, unmistakable chik-chik of a freshly loaded weapon.

"Okay, Manny," Whippit continued, pointing to a switch. "Now, all you need to do is flick this thing here from 'Safe' to 'Fire,' and you are cocked, locked and ready to rock."

Tears of joy trickled through the caked grime on Marco's face as he threw both arms around Whippit, still holding the fully loaded machine pistol. Nearby, a cluster of vagrants sorting through a shopping cart filled with handguns and shotguns ducked and danced away from the arc of the Mac-10's barrel.

"God bless you, and God bless Arm the Homeless," Marco said. "This is the nicest thing anyone's done for me in 10 years."With that, Marco withdrew from the embrace and shook the Mac-10 menacingly at a reporter. "Beats the hell out of a little spare change, don't it?" The proud new gun owner slid the Mac-10 into a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles backpack, which he latched over a soiled bed roll. He waved goodbye, then set out across the desolate, dry bed of the Salt River, his course set for the corporate towers of downtown Phoenix, two miles away.

Marco said he spends most afternoons there, panhandling near the Valley National Bank building. "That man is going to rest easier tonight because of the gift we bestowed upon him today," said Whippit, his eyes shielded behind military surplus mirror shades. "Not only did we give Manny the peace of mind that comes with carrying a weapon. We also gave him the sense of self-respect due any man who exercises his God-given, Constitutional right to keep and bear arms.

"Just because someone is homeless, doesn't mean they don't need a gun--quite the contrary," Whippit continued. "That's what Arm the Homeless is all about--making sure any American who wants a gun has one, whether they can afford it or not."

On March 25, Whippit and five other Valley gun activists calling themselves Arm the Homeless distributed free, legal firearms to 76 homeless men and women during a three-hour giveaway on the Salt River bed. The action--technically a series of transfers between private citizens--was completely legal under Arizona's loose gun laws (Arm the Homeless required all firearm recipients to sign a form stating they are not convicted felons).

Appropriately, most of the weaponry--which included eight .357 magnum revolvers, at least five .38s, two .44s, dozens of 9mm, .45, .25 and .380 caliber semiautomatic pistols, a few Luger .22s, and high-capacity arms such as the Mac-10, seven Tec-9s, and one SKS assault rifle--was kept on-site in a shopping cart, from which the homeless literally chose their weapon.

The giveaway was staged in a secluded patch of wasteland beneath the Central Avenue Bridge. Honey Hawk, the gun group's "minister of information," said the event was promoted solely though word of mouth, on a "classified, need-to-know basis."

"Basically, we planned the operation, then established contact agents within the downtown Phoenix homeless population, through which we disseminated the time and place specifics," she said. The giveaway was first-come, first-armed, and began at high noon.

As the vagrants arrived in ragged bands, two Arm the Homeless organizers secured them into groups of five in a holding area cordoned off with rope in the shadow of one of the overpass' concrete supports. The shopping cart of guns was on the opposite side.

Whippit escorted each group in turn to the "arming zone," where they sat on the ground for a 15-minute lecture from Arm the Homeless instructors, who skimmed over the basic principles of firearm safety, then identified and explained the pros and cons of the four types of guns available--revolver, semiautomatic pistol, shotgun and assault rifle.

"Now, the SKS assault rifle is not a carry-down-the-street kind of weapon," Whippit said during one lecture. "It's a camp weapon. It's a keep-it-in-your-sleeping-bag-by-the-fire weapon. The SKS is ideal for defending an established position."

After the lecture, each group of five was instructed to make a selection from the shopping cart, with a 10-minute time limit on browsing. Cat, 43, a member of the first group, immediately seized upon a Mossburg 500 shotgun, which came with a box of Milstor shatter disc rounds--each Milstor shell is packed with a stack of 15 dime-size metal discs, perforated in quarters to detach upon barrel exit.

"I want this one!" Cat said."That's a lot of gun for a little lady," one Arm the Homeless volunteer told her. "How about this, instead?" He reached into the cart and pulled out a silver, Colt .380 that fit into his palm. "This is what we call a purse gun. It might be more your type."

"I don't have a purse!" protested Cat. "I want the scatter gun!"

"Let her have the damn shotgun," Whippit directed. "We've got people to arm."

Whippit, 33, is a Marine Recon combat veteran who says he saw action in the 1989 Mongol-Sumerian conflict. After Whippit left the Marines in 1992 (records indicate an honorable discharge), he says he fought as a paid mercenary with the Mau-Mau Liberation Front in several west African tribal wars. Whippit followed a girlfriend to the Valley about a year ago, and now lives in east Mesa, where Arm the Homeless is based.

"Once I got here, I decided to use the money I made as a hired gun fighting for causes I didn't believe in to fund an organization fighting for one I do," said Whippit. "I found a few like-minded individuals, and we started having meetings and acquiring guns."

Whippit says Arm the Homeless accumulated its stockpile of weapons through numerous, scattered purchases at Valley area "cash and carry" gun shows, where private, small volume dealers are not required to register sales, and handgun buyers can avoid the background checks mandated by the 1993 Brady Bill. Arm the Homeless spent more than $25,000 on the guns, Hawk says, not including the SKS, Mac-10 and three Tec-9s, which ATH members donated from private collections she characterized as "extensive."

Arm the Homeless, which is a 501c4 tax-exempt organization, has also received more than $10,000 in direct cash donations from Second Amendment fanatics--much of that generated through the group's Web site: www.armthehomless.com.

"All the weapons we're giving away are used weapons, but they're good used weapons," Hawk said. "There's not a Saturday Night Special in the lot." Arm the Homeless could have provided each gun recipient with more than one box of ammo, she said, but "we didn't want them selling bullets for booze."

Also, Hawk said, two days before the giveaway, Arm the Homeless mailed a letter to every address listed under "Pawnbrokers" in the yellow pages. The communique informed pawn shop owners of the group's action, and asked them not to purchase any weapons from homeless people. "We thought this thing through," Hawk said. "We didn't just come down here and start handing out guns. This is not some haphazard distribution of dangerous weaponry. This is a well-organized political and social service action."

Bob Dobbs, director of the Downtown Business Interest Protection Committee for the City of Phoenix, said the gun giveaway "sounds like somebody's idea of a sick joke."

"What do these gun crazies think they're going to accomplish with this idiocy?" he asked. "I mean, do they have any idea how much damage this will do to Phoenix's reputation? Would you want to visit a city where the homeless are being given guns? This is catastrophic. So much for revitalizing downtown."

Dobbs said he planned to advise Mayor Skip Rimsza to declare an emergency and call for the passage of an ordinance to require all Phoenix gun owners to have a legal mailing address, other than a homeless shelter.

"At least a P.O. Box," Dobbs said. "I mean, sweet Jesus, is that too much to ask of someone with a loaded .44?"

Meanwhile, Terrence "Skip" Towne, a disgruntled former member of Arm the Homeless, has begun a campaign to discredit the organization.

"Arm the Homeless--hah! What a bunch of crap. I call it Arm the Whole Mess," snarled Towne, formerly Whippit's right-hand man in the group. Towne, who lives in Surprise, said he initially was taken in by Whippit's combat stories, which he has since begun to doubt. "I think Whippit's a fascist fruitcake whose real agenda is to get rid of the homeless. I think he hopes they all shoot each other, which they probably will," Towne said.

Whippit says he expelled Towne from the group in January for misuse of weapons. "Every Friday night, like clockwork, Skip would snort a bunch of bathtub speed, load about 50 of our guns into his truck, and disappear into the desert. He'd burn through 500 bucks of ammo a weekend, easy. He had to go."

Commander Guy Armstrong, head of Sheriff Joe Arpaio's Homeless Posse, says none of his volunteer patrolmen, who are themselves homeless, have seen evidence of more firearms among the street people. Asked if he is concerned about the prospect of encountering armed homeless, Armstrong shrugged and said, "Not really. We've got guns, too."

A reporter who'd been invited to cover the giveaway asked Hawk if distributing guns to the homeless might lead them to rob and shoot people. She fired this sarcastic retort: "I think that question reflects your prejudice. Let me guess--homeless people are all criminals or crazy, and shouldn't be able to own guns. Yeah, that's real enlightened."

Hawk brandished a sheet of crime statistics indicating that people who live on the streets are 10 times as likely to become victims of violent crime as people who don't. "These people need guns," she said. "It's not their fault our cities aren't safe, and it's not fair to deny them the right to protect themselves in a dangerous environment, just because they're poor."

She pointed to 74-year-old WW II veteran Gabo "Pops" McClean, who had just claimed a gleaming black Tec-9. McClean assumed a firing position and pretended to pull the Tec-9's trigger, rattling the weapon with both hands and rolling his tongue behind his teeth to make machine gun noises.

"I'd sure like to see some skinhead punks try to set him on fire tonight," Hawk said. "Gabo there looks like he's ready to go Charles Bronson on their ass." As an Arm the Homeless instructor showed McClean how to conceal the Tec-9 on a shoulder sling beneath his tattered windbreaker, Hawk admitted that the homeless gun recipients probably do not have permits to carry concealed weapons in the state of Arizona.

"I doubt if many of them have the money to afford the 16-hour class and permit fees," she said. "Which is just another example of how, when it comes to guns, this country discriminates against its so-called 'second-class citizens.'" Hawk said Arm the Homeless hoped to recruit a Department of Public Safety certified firearms instructor to conduct concealed-weapons permit classes for the homeless.

"If they donate their time, we'll come up with the permit money and do our best to round all [the homeless] up and get 'em back here for a CCW class, so they can legally carry concealed. "Obviously, it's not as big a problem with the SKS and the shotguns, unless they get their hands on a hacksaw. "In any case, we consider what these people do with the guns after they get them to be their business. Our business is to make a forceful statement in support of the Second Amendment, and that statement is that when guns are only for people with homes, only people with homes will have guns."

As if to punctuate Hawk's point, a rapid-fire pop-pop-pop volley of shots rang out from 100 yards away, where homeless gun recipient Habbie "Abe" Rafuls was busy emptying the pre-ban, 15-round clip of his newly acquired Smith and Wesson 9mm. Rafuls whooped as he pumped an old mattress full of lead.

"Seeing that gives me a warm feeling inside," Whippit said.He grabbed the sleeve of a passing Arm the Homeless member and pointed to Rafuls, just as the man fired his last bullet into the ground. The ricochet kicked up a spoof of dust and sang off into the distance. Rafuls began spinning circles, repeatedly pulling the trigger on a spent clip.

"Go ahead and give that man another box of ammo," Whippit ordered. "Let's make his day."

At press time, Arm the Homeless announced a second firearm giveaway, to take place in the America West Arena plaza on Monday, April 2, starting at 7:30 p.m. (one half hour before tip-off of the Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Lakers basketball game). For volunteer information or to donate a firearm, call Arm the Homeless.

phoenixnewtimes.com

Don't Set The Bar TOO High

In advance of Opening Day the Gazette sums it up for the realists among Brewer fans.

Brewers Take Another Shot At Meeting
Expectations

There's absolutely none of that "Dare to be great" stuff in a headline like that. Just go out and win 82, Ned. Next year we can set some loftier goals. Just keep the kids healthy and the geezers happy and we'll be glad to invite you back for 08.

Observations

If you are going to whine about "those people" not becoming legal citizens then you can't use the term "immigration lawyer" as a perjorative.

You can't really equate admitted transgressions with hypothetical situations. If you know that one person has violated, but only fear that another maybe might, you need to look at which you fear most.

Spending this much money for a Court race is unseemly at best and makes me sad for our society.

"Tort Reform" is code for "keeping injured people out of the courts."

"Malpractice Limits" is code for "keeping injured people out of the courts."

The Supreme Court doesn't put a single person in jail. If someone wants to be "tough on crime" they should stay in the Circuit Court system.

Whichever candidate you support you need to be honest with yourself about which cases you want them to be activist about. There are no "non-activist" judges. Ever.

There aren't really any werewolves running for the Court...this time.

Life Is A Series Of Choices

Are you prepared to vote on Tuesday?

Choose wisely

UM?

Forgive my asking, but if the President had no input into the firings of the USAs how in the devil can he be claiming Executive Privilege for strategy sessions with his advisors?

Either he was involved or he wasn't but one will preclude the other.

Who Said That?

Tony Snow on executive Privelege in his column in the Chicago Tribune from 1998 talking about a different Prez

"Most of us want no part of a president who is cynical enough to use the majesty of his office to evade the one thing he is sworn to uphold the rule of law.''

Accomplishing The Unimaginable

Alberto Gonzales has done something that many people had thought impossible.

He's made people think of John Ashcroft fondly.

One Quick Question

How do your brackets look?

Even Jess Sort Of Gets It

It's come to this. Even Jess McBride thinks that the White House owes Steve Biskupic an apology. She can see that the actions of the CEO Administration have cast a pall over the actions of every US Attorney over the last 6 years.

Say what you want about Attorney General Goodhair, at least no one suspects that he was dancing to the tune of Washington when he was USA in Wisconsin.

It would be comforting to think that Alberto Gonzalez would be vacating his office soon. I'm less confident of that all the time now. This administration won't rest while a shred of the Constitution is intact.

Happy Holidays

Wishing a Happy St Urho's day to all my Finnish friends

Jody Gets All Of The Credit

The Side Street Photoshops the Photoshopper.

Must be seen to be believed.

Riding The Paranoia Train

I had this post set to go for tomorrow but Bruce Murphy makes the same point from a different direction.

What we know.

At least 8 US Attorneys have been let go under dubious circumstances.

Several of them have been let go because they either were investigating Republican politician's corruption or would not file charges against Democrats before the election.

Karl Rove and Alberto Gonzales are going to dislocate something in all of the finger pointing going on.

At least three Congressmen admit to having called those fired attorneys with their concerns about cases with political ramifications.

Today's headlines say that the DOJ and the White House worked together to decide which attorneys to throw under the bus.

It's at this point that the paranoid asks...

How many US Attorneys got "The Call" and gave in to the pressure rather than fight the good fight and be fired?

What drives Steve Biskupic's interest in campaign finance and Wisconsin Democrats? Why go after a low level bureaucrat like Georgia Thompson when youj admit you have no real case?

Maybe there's no connection at all. Maybe it's just odd timing. What is certain is that the actions of The Executive Branch have made it thinkable to ask the questions. There's the shame.

Looking Back Fondly

Remember the good old days?

When the right side of the Cheddarsphere still thought Gov Doyle spent too much on education instead of whinging about a percentage point or two in a Budget proposal.

And remember when folks were praising Mark Green for saying that in his administration business would only have one phone number to call if they wanted the help of the state? Now, if the DOT turns out to have helped a Wisconsin business those same Green supporters want to make a Federal case out of it.

Remember those lazy hazy days back when Scott Jensen was found by a jury of his peers to be a felon? Whatever happened to Scooter, anyway? It seems like just a year ago he said he was going to file an appeal and clear his name.

Does anybody remember that giddy summer when JB van Hollen said that, if only we'd elect him, then we'd be free of terrorists in Wisconsin? Are those terrorists still training in the Northwoods or have they all gone to work at the Leinie Lodge, having seen the error in trying to stare down AG Goodhair?

It must be true what they say. "Nostalgia ain't what it used to be."

Somebody Feels Misled

My Life Suddenly Seems Less Complicated

From The Independent of London:

AN EMBITTERED stepmother who hired a circus clown named Banjo to murder her
stepson and his wife, and dispose of the bodies, was jailed for nine years
yesterday.

No matter how bad my day was or the prospects for tomorrow are I have never seen this sentence about my family or acquaintances:

Her accomplice in the plot - a millionaire property developer who introduced her
to the supposed "hitman" - was also jailed for nine years.

Do you feel better about yourself now, too? I know that family can be embarrassing.

Those Pesky Exceptions

The menu at Hondo's On Main in Fredericksburg TX says that it's open 7 days a week except Monday and Tuesday.

That's kind of the way the whole world works, isn't it?

The worst of it is that I don't know of any other place to go to get a sweaty-cold Shiner Bock and play Connect Four at the same time.

Mardi Gras Ends- Election Season Begins In Earnest

From the County Clerks website at 6 AM Wednesday:

Richard T. Woulfe 229
Tris Lahti 158
Jeff Herbers 226
Kathi Swanson 130
Gary Rehfeldt 140
Melissa Hammann 234
Write-in 4

It looks as if it is time to thank Kathi and Gary for all that they brought to the discussion of the issues in Evansville and begin looking forward to April.

What question would you ask the candidates if you had the chance?

It's Too Late To Vote Early

But it's not too late to vote. I got there at 7 Sharp and was #4. I doubt they'll keep up that pace.

Dorothy Was Right

There's no place like home.

"It Was Immoral Then And It Would Be Immoral Now To Engage In The Same Delusion. "

Congressman Patrick Murphy's Remarks, AS DELIVERED in the House:

Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you Mr. Chairman, I appreciate it.

I take the floor today not as a Democrat or Republican, but as an Iraq war veteran who was a Captain with the 82nd Airborne Division in Baghdad.

I speak with a heavy heart for my fellow paratrooper Specialist Chad Keith, Specialist James Lambert and 17 other brave men who I served with who never made it home.

I rise to give voice to hundreds of thousands of patriotic Pennsylvanians and veterans across the globe who are deeply troubled by the President's call to escalate the number of American troops in Iraq.

I served in Baghdad from June of 2003 to January of 2004. Walking in my own combat boots, I saw first hand this Administration's failed policy in Iraq.

I led convoys up and down "Ambush Alley" in a Humvee without doors - convoys that Americans still run today because too many Iraqis are still sitting on the sidelines.

I served in al-Rashid, Baghdad which, like Philadelphia, is home to 1.5 million people. While there are 7,000 Philadelphia police officers serving like my father in Philadelphia, protecting its citizens, there were only 3,500 of us in al-Rashid, Baghdad.

Mr. Speaker, the time for more troops was four years ago. But this President ignored military experts like General Shinseki & General Zinni, who in 2003, called for several hundred thousand troops to secure Iraq.

Now Mr. Speaker, our President again is ignoring military leaders. Patriots like General Colin Powell, like General Abizaid, and members of the bi-partisan Iraq Study Group who oppose this escalation

But most importantly, Mr. Speaker, Congresses in the past did not stand up to the President and his policies. But today I stand with my other military veterans some who were just elected - like Sergeant Major Tim Walz, Admiral Joe Sestak, and Commander Chris Carney. We stand together to tell this Administration that we are against this escalation and that Congress will no longer give the President a blank check.

Mr. Speaker, close to my heart is a small park on the corner of 24th and Aspen Streets in Philadelphia. This is the Patrick Ward Memorial Park.

Patrick Ward was a door gunner in the U.S. Army during Vietnam. He was killed serving the country that he loved. He was the type of guy that neighborhoods devote street corners to and parents name their children after - including my parents, Marge and Jack Murphy.
Mr. Speaker, I ask you - how many more street-corner memorials are we going to have for this war?

This is what the President's proposal does - it sends more of our best and bravest to die refereeing a civil war.

Just a month ago Sgt. Jae Moon from my district in Levittown, Bucks County was killed in Iraq.
You know, a few blocks away from this great chamber, when you walk in the snow, is the Vietnam Memorial, where half of the soldiers listed on that wall died after America's leaders knew our strategy would not work.

It was immoral then and it would be immoral now to engage in the same delusion.

That's why Mr. Speaker, sending more troops into civil war is the wrong strategy. We need to win the War on Terror and reasonable people may disagree on what to do, but most will agree that it is immoral to send young Americans to fight and die in a conflict without a real strategy for success.

The President's current course is not resolute, it is reckless.

That is why I will vote to send a message to our President that staying the course is no longer an option.

Mr. Speaker, its time for a new direction in Iraq. From my time serving with the 82d Airborne Division in Iraq, it became clear that in order to succeed there, we must tell the Iraqis that we will not be there forever. Yet, three years now since I have been home, it's still Americans leading convoys up and down Ambush Alley and securing Iraqi street corners.

We must make Iraqis stand up for Iraq - and set a timeline to start bringing our heroes home.
That's why I am proud to be an original cosponsor - with Senator Barack Obama and fellow paratrooper, Congressman Mike Thompson - of the Iraq De-Escalation Act - a moderate and responsible plan to start brining our troops home, mandating a surge in diplomacy, and refocusing our efforts on the War on Terror in Afghanistan.

Mr. Speaker, our country needs a real plan to get our troops out of Iraq, to protect our homeland and secure and refocus our efforts on capturing and killing Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda.

There are over 130,000 American servicemen and women serving bravely in Iraq. Unfortunately, thousands more are on the way.

Mr. Speaker, an open-ended strategy that ends in more faceless road-side bombs in Baghdad and more street-corner memorials in America, is not one that I will support.

I yield back the remainder of my time.

Don't Forget

I know it's hard to think about in this cold and wet weather but Tuesday is an Election Day.

In the Evansville School Board race you will be asked to select two candidates from the six to narrow the field to 4 for the General in April.

There is also a race for the State Supreme Court.

Get out and vote. You can make a difference.

I Believe I Can Explain The Weather

The Blue Devils lose 4 straight and fall out of the Top 25.

The Salukis rank Number 16.

Beelzebub himself must be freezing.

We'll Mis Ye

Dennis York has given it up. The anonymous blogger who has given us all so much pleasure is joing the working world and is giving up the blog fight.

He's going to work for WPRI now. You all remember that organization. The where Jess Bucher cleans the filter on the think-tank.

A Modest Proposal

The war drums are beating once again for the elimination of the so-called Frankenstein Veto. This little gem has been with us since the days that Tommy T first bowdlerized a budget bill to twist it to his will and has now reached the absurd heights of the Veto-Matic.

It's clear to most everyone at some level that the individual-item veto is going to have to go but no one seems to have the stomach for eliminating it whilst their own is in the Statehouse. I offer my own solution.

Kill the blasted thing now to take effect with the next governor.

Yes. I know that is two years too long for some of my friends on the right but it has grated on both sides for so long that two more years is of minor consequence. Governor Doyle has said that he's done after this term and no one can accurately predict the candidates at this point, much less the winner. Let's get a new system in place now and stop the madness at some point rather than letting it go on forever because of a lack of legislative huevos.

Maybe we could get Paul Ryan to show some leadership at the state level and get him to tell us all why the line-item veto is such a mistake. ;)

How Badly Do You Need To See A Problem?

May we please move past the Speaker's Airplane Quandry, please? It's becoming clear that Nancy Pelosi did not request any plane, much less a 757.

The Sergeant-at-Arms of the House has said that the decision to give her a plane at all as well as to give her one with a non-stop range was his. Even Tony Snow defended the Speaker yesterday.

"This is a silly story and I think it's been unfair to the speaker," White
House spokesman Tony Snow said.

The right-wing yappers need to see a plane problem. They are looking for something about which to be outraged. I'll offer them a plane problem which should be enough to put the undies in a bunch.

Who in their right mind would send 363 tons of $100 bills into a war zone? Go ahead. Discuss. I'll wait.

What's The First Step?

Yeah, yeah. I know. JB van Hollen shot his mouth off a lot during his campaign. He said he'd have the DNA backlog at the State Crime Lab clear in three weeks. Now, he's a month into his term and all he can do is parrot GWB. "It's hard work. Gonna take time. Stay the course. Need more funding."

Been there. Heard that.

It's also been a month since AG Goodhair took office and we've not seen a single initiative to root out those terrorist cells training in Wisconsin. Van Hollen said he knew where they were because he had special double-secret information from the Feds. Now, it's not so imprtant to him.

But don't misunderestimate JBvH. He knows what to do as the only statewide elected official from his party. He watched John Gard bring on staff while declaring a hiring freeze for everyone else in the Assembly. JB showed us on MOnday that he knows how to reward them what does for him.

JB hired former Dane County Sherrif Gary Hamblin as administrator of the Justice Department's Division of Law Enforcement Services. Instead of hiring two of those actual technicians that everyone in the state can see is needed JB's first step is to spend $102,000 of our money to hire the man who threw Kathleen Falk under the Madison City bus.

What does Hamblin have to say about hitting the ground running and solving the backlog problem?

"I have a lot of learning to do, not only with DNA but the whole crime lab
process," he said. "The important thing is that we all work together as a team.
I don't come in here with any notions as to how to fix it."

There you have it. Without a notion. The WSJournal article continues.

Hamblin told reporters Monday that reducing the backlog will require hiring
more analysts and training officers about what evidence is most appropriate to
submit to the lab. He said he wasn't sure whether other steps are needed.

"If we can train officers to submit those things that do have important
relevance to the case, I think we can streamline the process a little bit,"
Hamblin said.

There is the crux of the biscuit. Maybe, after some training and growing and wheedling for money. Just maybe, eventually, JBvH's $102,000 solution will streamline the process a little bit. Time to start calling him JB van Hooey.

It Must Be Official, I Saw It In The Paper

Evansville forum features six candidates, controversial issues
(This is a sticky post. Scroll down for new posts)
(Published Thursday, February 1, 2007 10:53:54 AM CST)

By Gina Duwe
Gazette Staff

EVANSVILLE-Controversial issues that include half-day and 4-year-old kindergarten and projected overcrowding have lured six newcomers to run for two seats on the Evansville School Board.

A Feb. 20 primary will narrow the field to four candidates, and two Evansville residents are leading a grassroots effort to make sure voters are informed. Jim Brooks and Karen Aikman are organizing a 90-minute forum Saturday to allow each candidate time to present their vision for the district.

The forum will start at 10 a.m. in the media room at Evansville High School, 640 S. Fifth St.The public is encouraged to meet the candidates after the forum. Each candidate will respond to four questions provided in advance.

"This event is not intended to be a debate or to be confrontational," Aikman said. "We are striving to build a safe environment to start a discussion of the issues facing the district." Each of the six candidates has been invited to participate.

They are:--
Melissa Hammann, 250 Eager Court.--
Jeff Herbers, 411 S. Fifth St.--
Tris Lahti, 8702 N. Territorial Road.--
Gary Rehfeldt, 10678 W. Oak Ridge Road.--
Kathi Swanson, 4322 N. Cornfield Drive.--
Richard T. Woulfe, 255 E. Main St.

Incumbents John Willoughby and Dennis Knudson are not seeking re-election.

Voters will select two candidates April 3 to fill three-year terms

Now The World Can Go On Spinning

It must be true. I read it in the Biloxi Sun Herald.

Favre is coming back in 2007.

Happy February 2

This is that magical day when Andrew Bogut steps out onto his porch at sunup. If he sees his shadow it means we'll see 6 more weeks of bad basketball.

Why The Government Has To Step In Sometimes

Peter has his undies in a bunch because Racine requires pet licensing and restricts the number of pets in a household.

Here's an example of the people who ruin it for everyone.

When 57-year-old John Adams opened the door to his home, officers said, a
pit bull ran outside and started attacking the other two pit bulls.

Eventually, the officers were able to pry apart the dog's jaws and then
went inside the house.
Animal control officers said that the home's floors
had been rotting away from urine and feces, and urine was running down the
staircase from the second floor.

It appeared that Adams had tried to control the urine waterfall with a
dam of cocktail napkins, officers said

Candidate Forum Info

(This is a sticky post. Scroll down for new posts)

I've been a little busy of late preparing for the School Board Candidates Forum for next Saturday. I hope that all three of my readers will be able to attend the event.

Karen Aikman and I have tried to design an event that will allow all of the candidates to put themselves forward to the voters as they wish to be seen. We have not set the event as a debate or a pop-quiz.

There will be time after the event for the voters to have face time with the candidates.

The candidates have all received the questions which will be asked. The questions are:

1) You have each chosen to take on the difficult and rewarding task of running for
the Evansville School Board. Please share with us the top two reasons you
wish to serve.

2) The School Board is asked to respond to the needs, wants and demands of many stakeholders in the district. Who is the primary “customer” of the school board and why?

3) We read each week of the competing demands placed on the school district and upon the board. Please focus on those which you consider to be the top two issues facing the board after the election and how you would balance those with the remaining issues.

4) There are six candidates to fill two seats. Why should the voters of the district hire you? What skills and experiences will you bring to the board making you the best candidate for the position?

We hope to see you at the High School Media Room Saturday at 10 AM.

RIP

Anthony Zurcher has a tribute to Molly Ivins at Creator's Syndicate that says it so much better than I could today.

Ivins poked the powerful, right or left, in ways that made us understand she was on our side. She wasn't willing to abide foolishness by either party or its practitioners. In a world where vitriol passes for punditry, where political discourse has been reduced to gainsaying or to taunts of evil, stupid or venal, Molly will be missed.

Zurcher:

Goodbye, Molly I.

Molly Ivins is gone, and her words will never grace these pages again --
for this, we will mourn. But Molly wasn't the type of woman who would want us to
grieve. More likely, she'd say something like, "Hang in there, keep fightin' for
freedom, raise more hell, and don't forget to laugh, too."

If there was one thing Molly wanted us to understand, it's that the
world of politics is absurd. Since we can't cry, we might as well laugh. And in
case we ever forgot, Molly would remind us, several times a week, in her own
unique style.

Shortly after becoming editor of Molly Ivins' syndicated column, I
learned one of my most important jobs was to tell her newspaper clients that,
yes, Molly meant to write it that way. We called her linguistic peculiarities
"Molly-isms." Administration officials were "Bushies," government was in fact
spelled "guvment," business was "bidness." And if someone was "madder than a
peach orchard boar," well, he was quite mad indeed.

Of course, having grown up in Texas, all of this made sense to me. But
to newspaper editors in Seattle, Chicago, Detroit and beyond -- Yankee land, as
Molly would say -- her folksy language could be a mystery. "That's just Molly
being Molly," I would explain and leave it at that.

more

Motivations

Robert Jenkins' Ear

USS Maddox and USS Turner Joy in the Gulf of Tonkin

Karbala

WMD

Josh Marshall wonders what the administration will use as a justification for its insane attack on Iran.

Some key requirements occur to me.

1. Despite being fake, the incident must seem reasonably credible.

2. It must appear serious enough that discounting its importance or questioning its veracity appears the height of unseriousness.

3. It must place the majority of us in the odd and unexpected
position of granting to President Bush the unfettered discretion to launch a war
against Iran at the time and place of his choosing, despite our desire that he
start it right now.

Invitation

The Public Is Invited
To Attend a
School Board Candidate Forum



Saturday, February 3, 2007
10am-12 noon

In the
Media Room
Evansville High School
640 5th St

Case Closed- Book 'Em Danno

From Euless, OK CSI. Another case solved, complete with a map of the scene.

4 towels, ashtray taken from Motel 6
By DOMINGO RAMIREZ JR.
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
STAR-TELEGRAM

EULESS -- For at least one customer, Tom Bodett probably won't be leaving the light on.
A thief took two cotton towels, two hand towels and an ashtray from a Motel 6 in the 100 block of Airport Freeway on Monday.

A police report did not have the dollar loss in the theft.

Bodett, the longtime spokesman for Motel 6, uses his trademark promise that "We'll leave the light on for you" to entice customers to the economy motels.

But Bodett won't be losing sleep over the Euless theft.

A police report states that a 28-year-old Watauga man who had been registered to the room from which the items were stolen was questioned by police officers in the motel's parking lot.
Patrol officers interviewed the man after noticing that he had been sitting in his vehicle in the parking lot for a long time.

In his vehicle were the missing towels and ashtray, reports state.

Playing To His Strengths

From Think Progress.

The new White House pastry chef,
William Yosses, actually co-authored this book:

A Clarification

If the story of your arrest contains the words "naked" and "tasered" you have made, perhaps, some poor choices.

If that story also contains the words "cafeteria" and "grapeseed oil" you're just showing off.

"That prank went a little farther than he intended, I guess," Lt Jeff
Gaylor said.

School officials reported that Killian was a good student, Gaylor said.
There was no indication of substance abuse or a medical problem.

The Always Classy Chicago Bears Fans

In case you were undecided about who to root for in XLI.

Impressions On The SOTU

Didn't Joe Lieberman look just a little too much like Eddie Haskell last night? It's tough to simper and fawn at a distance but he was doing his best.

I'm betting that Flyin' Jim Sensennbrenner swallowed his gum when the President started talking about immigration reform.

Sec Rice spent most of the night looking as if she'd just smelled something bad. Do yo suppose she's loving her job right now?

I'm pretty sure that I heard one open guffaw when the President started to talk about balanced budgets and fiscal restraint. That's just not something that anyone thinks of when they think of GWB. You could almost feel John Murtha and Ted Stevens rolling their eyes when the President talked about earmark reform.

Did anybody ever wake Teddy Kennedy? He was showing more jowl than a plate of collards at a Waffle Hut.

The curtain time on the event was 9 PM EST. Anybody that couldn't be in their seat by then should have been made to wait until after the first song. Michael Chertoff came into the room looking like a Tom Turkey on the morning after Thanksgiving. He must have felt relief when he read the prepared remarks and there wasn't a single mention of New Orleans.

Josh makes a point about the Pres that I would have missed.

After disarmingly gracious opening remarks about Nancy Pelosi's speakership, the
president congratulates the 'Democrat majority' -- words most every Democrat
takes as a calculated insult. The prepared remarks say "Democratic majority".
But apparently he couldn't help himself.

When did this foolishness start and why?

I thought that it was one of this President's better speaking efforts. I wish I had more faith in his pledges of goodwill and bipartisanship. I know that his remarks must have rocked the red-meat true-believers to their very cores and that he'll take grief for that. It's important to remember that GWB has targeted his Presidency to benefit a very narrow slice of his party while taking advantage of perceived alliances of principle. He's not going to abandon the friends who got him to where he is now.

Owen Defends The Confederacy

He says that secession is okay if it's for economic reasons.

Is it racist? Maybe for some people, but it makes a lot of
sense.

Government should be representative. If there is a large
minority of people whose opinions are constantly negated by a majority, why
shouldn’t the large minority have the opportunity to form their own political
unit? This is especially pertinent when the minority is wealthier and ends
up paying for most of the majority’s policies.

Racist? Cultural? Economical? Regional? Does it
matter?

Troubled Men Lead In Troubled Times

One for everybody.

He Should Have Taken A Pass On The Fish

Why does this happen just before I'm getting ready to take a flight?

Newt's Message

"If you get to the bottom of the barrel you can count on me."

"We Were Too Busy Planning A Surge To Try To Figure Out If A Surge Was A Good Idea"

The National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq still isn't done. They were just too busy to figure out what was needed in Iraq because they thought something was needed in Washington.

CBS Must Be Giddy

They've got an all-Midwest Superbowl that's going to last until just about 11PM on the East Coast. Vegas is opening early with the Colts as a touchdown favorite with an over-under at 49.5.

Maybe they should skip straight to the overtime and get it over with. Then they could have Dave Coulier do a 90 minute special with just the commercials and we'd still all be in bed at a decent hour.

All The Cool Kids Are Doing It

Folkbum started it. I just wanted to make sure that I remembered as much as I thought I did.

You know the Bible 88%!

Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
Create MySpace Quizzes

Just Askin'

If you're working as a spokesperson for a candidate for the Supreme Court of the state shouldn't you, at least, give lip service to the presumption of innocence and the accused's right to a trial?

I'll Repeat The Question

Did Mark Green write a letter to the judge on behalf of Bob Ney?

From TPM

Journalist Ellen Ratner, writing on Rep. Bob Ney's (R-OH) behalf to the
judge who will sentence him, reports on her conversations with the "many"
lawmakers who "would like to support former Congressman Ney, but because of the
political climate in Washington, they dare not."

"If You're Not With Us, You're Against Us"

Nouri al Maliki tells Condi and George to stop helping the terrorists.

The head of Iraq's Shiite Muslim-led government defended his country's
independence and sovereignty and called on U.S. leaders to show faith in his
ability to lead.

Maliki disputed President Bush's remarks broadcast Tuesday that the
execution of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein "looked like it was kind of a
revenge killing" and took exception to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's
Senate testimony last week that Maliki's administration was on "borrowed
time."

The prime minister said statements such as Rice's "give morale boosts
for the terrorists and push them toward making an extra effort and making them
believe they have defeated the American administration," Maliki said. "But I can
tell you that they have not defeated the Iraqi government."

This Is A Bad Idea

I can certainly understand the desire to not so much as acknowledge an amendment to the Constitution with which one disagrees. However, the object of the Democracy is to honor the institutions even while working, within the system, to change them.

Letting this one slide opens the door to reciprocity for other exceptions until the oath becomes nothing more than a vehicle for holding loopholes together.

Does BioDiesel Make Your Car Gay?

I think this guy is serious. He says that soy formula is making our kids gayer.

I'm spucking feechless.

We Regret The Error- The Best Retractions Of 2006

They call these Crunk's. I don't know whay. They just do.

I Need Some Help, Please

I'm too busy to get all outraged right now but I guess I should be so I'm asking for help.

Would one of you work up a little high dudgeon on my behalf, please? You see, I got a Canadian quarter in change back from the vending machine and it's de riguer right now to get all pissy about foreign money.

I just don't have the time or energy so if one of you could get all outraged and stuff about Canadians coming here to take away our ice carving jobs I'd really appreciate it.

Which Definition?

Surge

Main Entry: surge
Pronunciation: 's&rj
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): surged; surg·ing
Etymology: earlier, to ride (at anchor) probably in part from Middle French sourgir to cast anchor, land, from Catalan surgir to heave, cast anchor, from Latin surgere to rise, spring up; from sub- up + regere to lead straight; in part from Latin surgere -- more at SUB-, RIGHT
intransitive verb
1 : to rise and fall actively : TOSS
2 : to rise and move in waves or billows : SWELL 3 : to slip around a windlass, capstan, or bitts -- used especially of a rope
4 : to rise suddenly to an excessive or abnormal value
5 : to move with a surge or in surges
transitive verb : to let go or slacken gradually (as a rope)

M-W.com Says

Escalate

Main Entry: es·ca·late
Pronunciation: 'es-k&-"lAt, ÷-ky&-
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): -lat·ed; -lat·ing
Etymology: back-formation from escalator
intransitive verb : to increase in extent, volume, number, amount, intensity, or scope

transitive verb : EXPAND
2 - es·ca·la·tion /"es-k&-'lA-sh&n, ÷-ky&-/ noun -
es·ca·la·to·ry /'es-k&-l&-"tor-E, ÷-ky&-/ adjective

Tired of that I-Pod already? Do you just want to see it go away?

The good folks at willitblend.com have a way to brighten your day.

Why Do It?

When I first started blogging I said that the only possible reason was to say, "Look at me!" My thinking hasn't changed much. I sit at the keyboard typing away at something I hope will strike a chord or give someone that, "a-ha," moment of which I'm so fond.

Over at Firedoglake there's a piece that describes the 5 stages of blogging for those who have never gone through them. Please, take a moment and look to see yourself in that piece.

I Have A Question, Please

If a state refuses to recognize gay marriages but are willing to recognize gay separation agreements haven't they, in fact, created something substantially similar to divorce?

Doesn't that, in turn, mean that the state recognized the validity of the original union as substantially similar to marriage?

Oh, For Cryin' Out Loud

Just dip him in bronze and put him up outside the courthouse for the pigeons.

If the only way to get some good press is to have your wife do it maybe JBvH was right.

Ticky Tacky

You didn't ask, but I'm just sayin'

I don't care if some of the proceeds did go to a good cause. Raising a third of a million dollars for a second inauguration for a governor is just wrong.

Compared to the obscene levels that Presidential inauguration have raised lately it is a drop in the proverbial bucket but giving a little money to the Boy's and Girl's Clubs doesn't take away the stink of fund raising and selling access outside the campaigning process.

And speaking of selling access. The inauguration and victory dance of JB vanHollen showed up on the news the othermorning. I've seen cattle industry trade fairs with better ambiance than that. Drab folks, obliged to show up and celebrate the one small scrap they managed to cadge from the table wandered around a motel conference room that had been decorated by some Junior High School pre-prom committee.

I don't recall an inauguration for previous AG's. I don't recall hearing about a Friends of committee for a chief law enforcer. It all just seemed a little tawdry for a man whose bumper stickers said something about Integrity.

Extreme Makeover- Citywide Edition

Early April.

That's when the fun starts downtown according to the Gazette.

This Man Put Fear In All Of Us (in a good way, of course)

Rest In Peace, Mr Breitenbach. Madison and Wisconsin are better places because you were here.

One Last Holiday Thought

As I take out the trash this morning a question comes to mind.

What happened to the other nogs?

You always hear about Egg Nog but what about the others? Was there a Butter Nog? A Cheese Nog? Meat Nogs? What happened to them?

I bet it was those trans-fat people.

Last Look At 2006 In Blogging

October

We saw a ramp up to the elections. Michael J Fox gave his opinion.
There was writing on a wall.
Habeaus Corpus was an issue for Richard.
4K came to the forefront on the homefront.
Obamamania began in earnest.

November

There was an election. In the manner of Time Magazine, go find your own links.
The Trade Market Survey came around again.
Jess McBride still brought out the best in us all.
George W finally went to Viet Nam.
Brett Favre made it easy to be nostalgic for the present.

December

The month made it look as if 2007 would be a good blogging year, too. Mark Graul has another candidate to mislead.
Saddam is gone. Iraq isn't.
New House. Same as the Old House.
Nick saw a bad sign for the new year.
The November elections are still going on in the courts.

Today is the filing deadline for Spring elections. Let the Good Times Roll.

Blogging About Blogging- Q3 '06

Still more of the stories we blogged in 2006

July

James had some questions about running meat.

Tim had a very bad dream.

One of the County Sheriff candidates had a novel solution to crime by the mentally ill.

Paul looked at George's habit of secret touching.

Nick tried to give Mark Green some advice. Green ignored him.

August

Pluto had a size problem.

We had a look at statistics and growth here in town.

Tom Reynolds reinforced the impression that he may not be all there by not being there at all.

Nathan looked at the problem immigrants cause.

My very favoritest comment chain appeared in which Jess McBride tried to explain why her hsuband wasn't bitter or childish by being, well, bitter and childish.

September

The Brawler looked at some phone callers.

Everybody heard about Mark Foley.

Mark Green was sort of for stem cell research, kinda. Researchers didn't buy it.

Just go watch the video. It has nothing to do with politics.

Liquids on a Plane turned out to be the horror story of the Fall.

Leaning Blue went dark.

Looking Forward

It's time for everyone and their brother to make predictions. Have you met my brother?

1) Next year's Burlington Liar's Club winner won't be near as lame as this year's.

2) Scott Walker will feud with his County Board. Bloggers will step up to defend both sides. Neither side deserves their efforts.

3) Jess McBride will piss off the Brawler 3 days out of 5.

4) The Observer will remain our one best source for City news until the new Evansville website is up and running. Then the Observer will be the better of two.

5) November will find us wondering when the troops will start to leave Iraq. With poll numbers in the high 20's GWB will tell us that protecting the last 4 buildings in Baghdad is a mission whose success we haven't seen yet.

6) Dan Wietecha will be greeted as a conquering hero until the first budget cycle. After that his dog won't look him in the eye for two months. He will not deserve the grief he'll get from the city or his pooch.

7) Flyin' Jim Sensennbrenner will propose building a wall around Aurora HealthCare. Just because he can.

8) Riverboat gambling won't come to 6th and Vision in 2007. Neither will a dry collector.

9) Scott Jensen will lose on appeal. Mark Green will lose on appeal. The cranberry guy will lose on appeal. JB van Hollen will claim that injured consumers are clogging our courts.

10) William Jefferson will resign to spend more time with his family.

11) Tom Delay won't start posting to his own blog.

12) Bill Hammann will miss public life until the first time Melissa comes home after a contentious School Board meeting. Thanks, Bill for your hard work.

13) When a Progressive finally does declare candidacy for Mayor of Madison even the Democrats will be disappointed in who it is.

14) The backlog at the Crime Lab will be two days longer in December 2007 than it is today. Jim Doyle and JBvH will blame each other.

15) The Tommy Train will never get past the Des Moines station.

16) Mitt Romney drops out soon after that.

17) The City will wind up owning a lot more of the Value Store project than we want.

18) Building permits for new construction will triple in 2007 in Evansville. 60% will be for multi-family dwellings.

19) Paul Ryan will have a diving board installed on his campaign vault so he can dive into the surplus like Scrooge McDuck until the 1st District Dems can field a real candidate.

20) No TABOR. No Conceal and Carry. No school funding reform. No real ethics reform. No kidding. Some of this is too easy to write.

Happy New Year anyway.