From The Emails 113007

Teaching Hate In The Name Of Anti-Discrimination PC

Hey folks,

Happy Friday to you. Being Friday, it's time to go to the Emails. You know, I have been saying this for a pretty long time now. I just started saying it more again out of the necessity with all that is going on. If we are to have TRUE equality in this country, we have to treat everyone equally. The good, bad, and ugly. We have to PROMOTE equality, teach equality, and START seeing people for WHO they are, and not WHAT they are.

What am I talking about. I'm talking about SIX Black men jumping and beating ONE White guy, then the Six THUGS, are treated like the VICTIM. I'm talking about two Black guys BREAKING into a house at 4:30 in the morning, BEATING one young White kid to the point where he is now in an institution, unable to feed himself, and the FATHER and HOMEOWNER being threatened because he defended his home. Now, I'm talking about THIS. A NINE year old KID, being suspended by a School for a HATE CRIMES. Yup.

The person that sent me this, also included this note.

"Parents have no rights??? Who do these teachers think they are?"

Here is the article. From News 12 out of Phoenix, 9-year old suspended for 'hate crime'

Robert Anglen
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 27, 2007 03:05 PM

A Glendale elementary school principal has admitted to telling a 9-year old boy that it is OK to have racist feelings as long as you keep them to yourself.

Get this.

“As we said to (the boy) when he was in here, in your heart you may have that feeling, and that is OK if that is your personal belief,” Abraham Lincoln Traditional School Principal Virginia Voinovich said in a tape-recorded parent-teacher conference.

The boy was suspended for three days this month for allegedly committing a “hate crime” by using the expression “brown people.”

In an interview Monday, Voinovich would not address her comments, first saying she didn't remember the incident, then demanding a copy of the recording and finally insisting that she could not talk about a student's discipline.

The circumstances of the boy’s suspension itself raise troubling questions about student discipline, interrogation and oversight at Abraham Lincoln.

You bet it does.

According to school officials, the boy made a statement about “brown people” to another elementary student with whom he was having a conflict. They maintain it was his second offense using the phrase.

And the proof of this?

But the tape recording indicates this only came out after another parent was allowed to question the boy and elicited from him the statement that he “doesn't cooperate with brown people.”

Imagine that folks. A nine year old was able to be tricked into saying this by an ADULT? How could this be? A young, full of mush brain, no, he's NINE, a sponge brain, was able to be lead? Is THAT possible? {Sigh}

After that was reported to the boy's teacher, he was made to stand in front of his class and publicly confess what he'd said.

The boy maintains that he never said it; that the words were put in his mouth by the parent who questioned him. That parent happens to be the mother of the student with whom he is having a conflict—and she happens to work for Abraham Lincoln as a detention-room officer.

Who taped this?

The tape indicates that rather than just spouting off with racial invective, the boy was asked first why he didn't want to cooperate with brown people by the parent/school official.

In court, this might be called entrapment. Not to mention a conflict of interest.

Officials at the Washington Elementary School District, who are supposed to oversee Voinovich, wouldn't comment about the boy’s suspension. They said only the principal is qualified to talk about it.

Well, the boy’s mother is talking, and she is angry. She has also removed her son from the school.

As well she SHOULD be.

“I want parents to know … that principals can abuse their powers,” Sherry Neve, 35, said. “Principals need to have pro-active supervisors. I want the parents to know that the principal was influencing my son in a way I wouldn't want him to be raised.”

Neve said school officials didn’t advise her of the incident until several days after they questioned her son. When Neve objected to the suspension during the conference, Voinovich told her that she didn't have any rights; that parents give up their rights to discipline when they send a child to school, the tape shows.

What an insane statement. But something I have been warning you folks about.

“If you don't want that, you can take him out of here,” Voinovich said tersely.

And she did. GREAT!

Neve insists that her son is not a racist and that he never differentiated a person's color until the school made it in an issue.

“We were raised to be color blind,” she said. “My children were raised the same way.”

But let's assume for a minute that the boy actually made the comment. Does this make him a racist and guilty of a hate crime? Or does it make him a confused 9-year-old in need of counseling?

Instead of taking an opportunity to educate the boy and get to the root of the problem, the principal taught him another lesson altogether: It's OK to feel like a racist as long as you keep your feelings to yourself.

Kids often say the darndest things. Apparently, so do principals.

Folks, this Principal should be suspended for this as well. This is COMPLETELY insane. You want to see how this country COULD be? Look at kids playing. They do not care if their friend is darker than them. They do not care if their friend is White, Black, Asian, Jewish, Christian, Boy or Girl. They DEFINITELY do not care about rich or poor. All they know is that, that person is their friend. That is until the adults get involved.

Once again, and most likely not the last time, if we want TRUE equality in this country, then we better start taking MLK's advice to heart. Judge people based on the content of their character and NOT on the color of their skin. Reward good behavior for good, and bad, for bad. Not showing preferential treatment in either way, based solely on the color of their skin.

I'm not a big fan of Lawsuits, but in this case, I hope the Parent DOES sue. I hope she wins.
Peter.

CNN YouTube Debate The Rated R Version

Hey folks,

Happy Thursday to you. Well, last night the CNN YouTube Debate went Rated R. R for Republicans. Not really to much to add, if you watched it. One thing of note though. More on that in a second.

Basically, many are going to make noise about Romney and Rudy exchanging heated blows. The first votes are about a month away. The Election is growing closer. OF COURSE they are going to get more serious. The crunch is on. Look at Hillary and Barrack. Now to the point of note, that NO ONE is talking about

Remember what I said back in July? About the Dem version? The YouTube Democratic Debate

Even though it was a show. It was interesting. I have to give CNN credit for this. The editor, and those that CHOSE the questions did a pretty good job. It was entertaining. But remember, the questions were HIGHLY and INTENTLY screened and only those chosen out of a countless number submitted made it.

One point, the war. Out of all those submitted, there were really NO questions about Iraq. This even stunned CNN. But of course they had to use the ones they got. But think about this folks. The common talking points and the catalyst for all the daily investigations and attempts to “get Bush” by the LWL always goes back to the war. The people hate Bush. They people want us out of Iraq. The people want Bush impeached. Yet when the people were given the opportunity to ask questions, Iraq was one of the last things asked about. Back to the article.

Same thing here. The War had little to nothing to do with it. Amazing huh? If you listen to some of the Die Hard LWL members, you see that they are STILL repeating the War is lost, we can't win, and most Americans want us out. So I ask you again Yet when the people were given the opportunity to ask questions, Iraq was one of the last things asked about. Some takes on the debate?

Here is AP's take on it. GOP rivals clash on immigration, torture

By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer

Republican presidential rivals Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney scornfully debated immigration in a provocative, no-holds-barred CNN/YouTube debate just over a month before the first votes are cast.

Giuliani, the front-runner in national polls, accused Romney Wednesday of employing illegal immigrants at his home and running a "sanctuary mansion." The testy personal exchange came after Romney said Giuliani had retained New York's status as a sanctuary city while he was mayor.

Romney said it would "not be American" to check the papers of workers employed by a contractor simply because they have a "funny accent." He had landscapers at his Belmont, Mass., home who turned out to be in the country illegally.

Giuliani shot back, calling Romney's attitude "holier than thou."

"Mitt usually criticizes people when he usually has the far worse record," Giuliani said.

The audience, however, booed Giuliani as he tried to persist in his criticism of Romney.

The confrontation came at the start of an innovative CNN/YouTube debate that forced the candidates to confront immigration immediately, signaling the volatility of the issue among Republican voters. The eight Republican candidates encountered a range of questions, including abortion, gun control from a gun wielding NRA member, and farm subsidies from a man eating an ear of corn.

They were even asked if they believed every word in the Bible by a man holding the holy book, and a question on the powers of the vice president from a gun-toting cartoon-version of Dick Cheney.

No one was exempt in the free-for-all as the candidates squabbled over interrogation techniques, the Iraq war, crime and who wields the most conservative record. The candidates tried to position themselves to the right of each other, knowing full well that conservatives hold sway in selecting the GOP nominee.

At the outset, immigration dominated the questions submitted online and swept in the remainder of the Republican field.

Fred Thompson took the opportunity to distinguish himself from both Romney and Giuliani, arguing that Romney had supported President Bush's plan to provide a path to citizenship for some immigrants in the United States illegally now. He took Giuliani to task for attacking Romney's employment of illegal immigrants.

"I think we've all had people who we've hired who in retrospect was a bad decision," he said, alluding to Bernard Kerik, Giuliani's disgraced former police commissioner who is under federal indictment on multiple charges.

Sen. John McCain, for whom the immigration issue has proved particularly vexing, defended his support for an unsuccessful overhaul of immigration laws that included a temporary worker program and a path to citizenship.

"We must recognize these are God's children as well," McCain said. "They need our love and compassion, and I want to ensure that I will enforce the borders first. But we won't demagogue it."

Mike Huckabee, who has also come under GOP criticism for some of his immigration policies while governor of Arkansas, defended benefits he supported for children of illegal immigrants, including allowing children to be eligible to apply for college scholarships.

"Are we going to say kids who are here illegally are going to get a special deal?" Romney asked.

Huckabee objected, saying the benefit was based on merit. "We are a better country than to punish children for what their parents did," he said.

The most fierce exchanges were among the candidates with the most at stake with only five weeks left before the first voting in the presidential contest begins. Giuliani leads in national polls but trails Romney in early-voting Iowa and New Hampshire. Romney faces challenges from Huckabee in Iowa and from Giuliani and McCain in New Hampshire.

Thompson, in what amounted to one of the first video attacks of the campaign, questioned the conservative credentials of two of his rivals in a YouTube clip. The video challenged Romney on abortion and Huckabee on taxes.

"I wanted to give my buddies here a little extra air time," Thompson said to laughter as he defended the video.

For Thompson, Romney and Huckabee are his biggest obstacles toward establishing himself as the candidate of conservatives.

"I was wrong, I was effectively pro-choice," said Romney, who has said he changed his stance in 2004 during debates on stem cell research. "On abortion, I was wrong."

"If people are looking for somebody in this country who has never made a mistake ... then they ought to find somebody else," he said.

As the front-runner, Giuliani faced questions about gun control, abortion and whether New York taxpayers foot the bill for security he received while the married mayor visited his then-girlfriend, Judith Nathan, now his wife.

Giuliani said he had 24-hour protection as mayor because of threats against him and said all costs incurred were proper.

"I had nothing to do with the handling of their records," he said of how his security detail reported the expenses. "And they were handled, as far as I know, perfectly appropriately."

McCain, who has shown no love for Romney during the campaign, seized on Romney's response to a question about the legality of waterboarding as an interrogation technique. Romney said that as a candidate he would not publicly discuss what techniques he would rule out. That prompted McCain, a former Vietnam POW, to assert that waterboarding is indeed torture and should not be tolerated.

"Governor, let me tell you, if we're going to gain the high ground in this world ... we're not going to torture people," McCain said. "How in the world someone could think that that kind of thing could be inflicted on people who are in our custody is absolutely beyond me."

McCain also engaged Ron Paul, a Texas congressman whose libertarian views and opposition to the war have attracted thousands of donors, millions of dollars and a devoted online following.

McCain said Paul is promoting isolationism in calling for the United States to disengage from the war. "We allowed (Adolf) Hitler to come to power with that attitude of isolation," he said.

Paul objected, saying McCain had misunderstood his support for nonintervention with isolationism.

"I want to trade with people, talk with people, travel," Paul replied. "But I don't want to send troops overseas using force to tell them how to live." Later he made clear he would not run as an independent, despite demands from many of his supporters.

One questioner, Keith Kerr of Santa Rosa, Calif., a retired Army colonel who served as a brigadier general in the reserves, asked the candidates about their views on gays in the military and revealed himself to be gay. Not mentioned was his membership on a steering committee of gays and lesbians for Democratic candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Huckabee, Romney, McCain and Rep. Duncan Hunter all said they supported the current "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

The debate ended as it began, with Romney and Giuliani in a deeply personal dispute — over the New York Yankees vs. the Boston Red Sox.

"When I was mayor of New York City, the Yankees won four world championships," Giuliani said. "Since I've left being mayor of New York City, the Yankees have won none."

Romney, who was off by one year — 87 instead of 86 — on the length of the Red Sox World Series drought, replied: "Like most Americans, we love our sports teams and hate the Yankees."

How about this from Reuters. Fireworks erupt at Republican debate

By Steve Holland

Republican presidential candidates Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney angrily accused each other on Wednesday of failing to be tough enough on illegal immigration as fireworks erupted at a debate.

The CNN/YouTube debate was as close to a free-for-all as can be expected at such events. The candidates did not shy away from open confrontations with each other and the questions were submitted by the public on videotape.

At a tense time in the Republican field with little more than a month until Iowa starts the state-by-state U.S. election contests, Arizona Sen. John McCain accused Romney of supporting torture methods for terrorism suspects and ripped Texas Rep. Ron Paul for his demand to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, close on Romney's heels in the polls in Iowa, might have gotten off the line of the night with a wry attack on the Republicans' favorite enemy, Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, when he said he would not support sending astronauts to Mars.

"Whether we need to send somebody to Mars, I don't know. But I'll tell you what, if we do, I've got a few suggestions, and maybe Hillary could be on the first rocket," he said to laughter.

As the leader in national polls in the Republican race to be the party's nominee in the November 2008 election, Giuliani was in the crossfire early and often.

Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts who is leading in the two early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire, scoffed at Giuliani's insistence he did not turn a blind eye to illegal immigration when he was mayor of New York.

Illegal immigration is a key concern for Republican voters, with many wanting stronger enforcement of immigration laws and better control of the U.S. border with Mexico.

Giuliani shot back that Romney had employed illegal immigrants at the governor's mansion in Massachusetts and accused him of having a "holier than thou" attitude on the issue.

"You did, you did have illegal immigrants working at your mansion, didn't you?" Giuliani asked in a tense, personal exchange with Romney standing at the next podium.

"No, I did not," Romney responded, calling Giuliani's charge "offensive," and saying any illegals would have been working for a company hired for upkeep at the mansion.

"If you hear someone with a funny accent, you as a homeowner are supposed to go out there and say, 'Let me see your papers?' Is that what you're asking?" he replied.

When Giuliani pressed the issue, some boos were heard in the crowd at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg.

Giuliani, held in deep suspicion by the U.S. gun lobby, heard more boos from the crowd when he answered a videotaped question on why he required people in New York to pass an exam to possess guns.

IRAQ, WATERBOARDING

Paul, who has shown surprising fundraising strength on the Internet, including $4.3 million in one day last month, drew the ire of McCain by saying the United States could save $1 trillion by bringing home U.S. troops from Iraq.

McCain said he just returned from a Thanksgiving visit to soldiers in Iraq and their message to Americans was "let us finish" the job.

"I want to tell you that that kind of isolationism, sir, is what caused World War Two," McCain told Paul.

Paul fired back, "The real question you have to ask is why do I get the most (campaign) money from active-duty officers and military personnel?"

On a question about whether he supported "waterboarding," an interrogation method that involves simulated drowning, Romney said he would not specify what measures might be necessary to gain useful information from terrorism suspects.

McCain accused Romney of waffling and said he should be able to take a definite stance that "we will never allow torture to take place" by U.S. personnel.

Giuliani was forced to respond to a story by Politico.com that as mayor he billed obscure city agencies for tens of thousands of dollars in security expenses amassed during the time he was beginning an extramarital relationship with future wife Judith Nathan in the Hamptons.

Giuliani said the money spent was handled "as far as I know, perfectly appropriately," by his security personnel at a time when he had received a lot of threats.

Even the New York Times could not find much. but they did asked THIS interesting question. Debate Wrap-Up: Tough Talk

CNN generally did a good job of stepping in and following up on the pointed questions from the videos. But why did they let Brig. Gen. Keith H. Kerr, who came out as gay after his retirement, to rule the floor for an extensive speech? And why did they not tell the audience that he is a national co-chair of a veterans’ committee for Senator Hillary Clinton?

Good question. Notice? Other than Waterboarding, Iraq was not an issue. Notice also, one of the BIGGEST issues WAS Immigration, Rights, and National Policies. Just like the Democrat version. So WHAT are most Americans concerned with?
Peter

In Your Face Attempt At Voter Fraud

Hey folks,

THIS is too funny. I heard this yesterday afternoon. I was laughing so hard I had to pull over. I couldn't believe this was true. So I came home, and checked it out for my self. It’s TRUE. Imagine if you would, if Rudy, Romney, or any Republican said this. Imagine if Katherine Harris {2000 Elections, Florida} said this?

“Not affiliated with a political party? Not registered? Not even old enough to vote?

No problem. Come and help choose the nation's next president.”

Or this?

"You can vote in Florida without being a resident. You can vote in the primary because you someday may want to live here.

Everybody has the right to vote somewhere. The question is where that place is."

What about those that say WHAT?!? You cannot be serious. This is VOTER Fraud. You mean people can come to Florida, vote, with no limits. No proof of residency, ID, proof or age? Then what would stop them from going home and voting again?

They said, “You cannot say that. Everyone has the Right to vote. By saying that this appears to be an in your face, wide open, and clear attempt at Voter Fraud, it is part of the campaign of fear to restrict people's right to vote.”

I’m not making this up folks. I’m asking what you would think if someone like Katherine Harris made these statements, then openly starting busing people into Florida to vote.? Well, this is no fairytale. But it’s not Florida, it’s Iowa, N.H.Get this from the AP-Focusing on Who Can Vote in Iowa, N.H. By MIKE GLOVER

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — It's Jan. 3 in Iowa and you decide, what the heck, I'm going to a precinct caucus.

Not affiliated with a political party? Not registered? Not even old enough to vote?

No problem. Come and help choose the nation's next president.

In yet another quirk of Iowa's caucus system, all citizens can participate as long as they sign a voter registration card, attesting to residency in the precinct and show that they'll be 18 in time for the general election.

"It has not been a problem," said state Democratic Party spokeswoman Carrie Giddins.

It HASN’T been a problem, because nearly NO ONE knew about it. NOW we do.

Some people do have a problem with the ease of registering for New Hampshire's leadoff primary, which follows Iowa's caucuses by five days.

New Hampshire allows same-day registration at the polls, has no minimum residency period and defines a voter's home as the place where he or she sleeps most nights or intends to return after a temporary absence. The state, not the parties, runs the primary, and changes to residency laws have been hotly contested.

{Laughing} Translation time. New Hampshire allows same-day registration at the polls, No way to check back round or to certify that the person voting is LEGAL and ABLE to vote. has no minimum residency period and defines a voter's home as the place where he or she sleeps most nights or intends to return after a temporary absence. BUSED IN. They have to go home sometime.

This year, New Hampshire Democrats pushed through a change that some Republicans contend would enable campaigns to bus in people who could cast a ballot and then vote again in their real home states.

"You can vote in New Hampshire without being a resident," said Republican state Sen. Bob Clegg. "You can vote in the primary because you someday may want to live here."

Democratic state Sen. Peter Burling calls such arguments "part of the campaign of fear to restrict people's right to vote."

David Scanlan, New Hampshire's deputy secretary of state, acknowledged the law is ambiguous about prohibiting people from voting in more than one state. But he insisted there are no widespread problems.

Are you KIDDING me?

"Everybody has the right to vote somewhere," he said. "The question is where that place is."

In Iowa, requirements for taking part in the caucuses are becoming a focus for candidates now that the contest is a little more than a month away. The voter registration rule — or lack of one — is among a handful of unusual policies that make the caucuses puzzling even to many Iowans.

Even the REAL Residents do not like this. You know why? Lets say the majority of those in Iowa WANT Hillary to be the nominee, and Rat Man, buses in enough people to vote for ANYONE else. Hillary loses. Not by Iowans’s choice, but because of the lack of rule. It can happen. It WILL happen. Not necessarily Dennis, but anyone. Could be they DON’T want Hillary, yet she wins. Get the picture.

But then again, this could also be the setting of another foundation in case of a loss. They can then argue it was fixed. Not fair, ETC. But THEY are the ones doing it.

Campaigns have been trying to explain away the mystery in an effort to attract potential supporters.

There is no mystery. It’s Voter Fraud in the open.

Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton has produced a video starring her husband, former President Clinton, to explain the caucuses process, and campaign officials hope up to 50,000 activists eventually see it. Rival Barack Obama has launched a "caucus pros" program, in which seniors and other longtime participants help newcomers know what to expect.

Republican Rudy Giuliani's campaign has held training sessions around the state, led by prominent folks like former pro football quarterback Fran Tarkenton, who played for the Vikings just up the road in Minneapolis.

The caucuses, run by the parties and not state election officials, have long allowed voters to show up and register or switch party registration. If they're found to have lied they can be fined up to $7,500, but problems rarely arise.

Or are REPORTED at least.

Giddins said the only incident in recent memory came in 2000, when an out-of-state reporter tried to register as a precinct resident. He was charged and paid a fine, she said.

If gaining access to your precinct caucus in Iowa is a low-key affair, actually participating can be far more volatile.

Unlike what most Americans are accustomed to, there's no voting booth — and nothing private about the 1,784 precinct caucuses held in church basements, fire stations and libraries.

"Discussions can happen, old wounds can flare again from activists and it can get intense," said veteran Democratic operative Matt Paul. "One mistake that people make is underestimating the value of neighbors looking at their neighbors and wondering what they are going to do. You have to publicly stand, physically stand in support of your candidate."

That would be called intimidation folks. Vote for the RIGHT person, or be ostracized

Although both parties welcome nearly anyone willing to venture out during a cold Midwestern night, they take vastly different approaches.

On the Republican side, activists at each meeting elect a leader, then backers of each candidate deliver speeches on their behalf. Those gathered then publicly vote, often by raising their hands but sometimes by marking a ballot.

After the results are phoned in to a central reporting system, activists turn to party business such as beginning to write a party platform, electing precinct officers and picking delegates to county conventions in March.

"Ours is fairly simple compared to the Democrats," said Chuck Laudner, executive director of the Republican Party of Iowa.

When Democrats gather, they elect folks to run the meeting and then turn to the issue of "viability." In essence, a candidates must have the backing of 15 percent of the people who show up at each caucus to be eligible to win any delegates and move to the next step. Once that number is determined, the activists break into preference groups for the candidates they favor.

That's when it gets interesting.

"A couple of things can happen," Giddins said.

Backers of candidates who don't reach the 15 percent threshold, can join with other groups to reach that magic percentage. They can also agree to join forces with a group that is viable. Such decisions come after negotiations over issues such as who will be elected as a delegate, or who will back a proposed platform plank later in the evening.

Caucus-goers then gather in candidate groups, and those numbers are counted and run through a formula that results in the number of delegates reported to a central tabulation area.

Although most Iowans can participate in the caucuses, few do.

That’s because THEY know this is rigged
.

There are 600,572 registered Democrats and 574,571 registered Republicans in the state, with an additional 737,054 registered without declaring a party allegiance. Most estimates are that somewhere north of 100,000 will show up in each party. In 2004, 124,000 Democrats took part, and about 90,000 Republicans caucused in 2000 for the last contested GOP event.

So they do not even have to bus in THAT many people to have it go the way they want. Completely unbelievable, but true. Yet, there are still some that say Bush Stole the election in 2000. Now stand up and raise your hand so we can count you, or not, depending on who you raise your hand for. Oh, by the way, don’t forget, we know who you are. Vote for the right person.
Peter

Dinner Party COULD Work

Hey folks,

The big news today is that the Peace Summit is taking place. As I have told you in the past that I have been to, and even hosted, "World Summit Dinner Parties." I have been there when there were Representatives from Russia, Canada, the Philippians, Seychelles Islands, The Czech Republic, England, Britain, Sweden, of course, the good Ol' USA, ETC. Over the years, when these take place in these dinners, I am ALWAYS in Aw. I love meeting these people and actually LEARNING from the everyday people that were born and raised in these countries. I love their take on politics, reality and basically, life itself.

Are there differences? Of course. Are there disagreements on certain issues from time to time? Of course. But it is ALWAYS civil, and seems that ALL are open and listening. Wanting to learn other points of views.

I love this piece by the AP - Mideast state dinner itself is statement by HOPE YEN, Associated Press Writer

Throwing a fancy dinner party is never easy. But it takes the stress up a notch when some of the guests won't even shake hands.

Monday night's dinner at the State Department for participants in the Mideast peace conference was akin to the Super Bowl of suppertime protocol.

What to serve guests without offending either Muslim or kosher sensitivities?

Who should be seated next to whom when some guests shudder at the notion of even being photographed together?

This part was easy: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the host of the affair, sat front and center. On either side of her were Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, the most pivotal of this array of players.

"Madam Secretary, thank you for your hospitality," President Bush said. Looking around, he joked: "I was wondering where my place is."

Actually, he didn't stay. He instead talked of the common goal — two states, Israel and Palestine, living in harmony — and reminded the representatives from more than 40 Mideast delegations that he was personally committed to the cause. It took him about two minutes.

To cap off his toast, Bush stepped forward to clink glasses with Abbas and Olmert; his had water in it. Theirs had iced tea.

Then Bush worked the room for several minutes, although he still made it back to the White House more than 15 minutes ahead of schedule.

Many of the people in the room have had frosty relations for decades, if they were on speaking terms at all, due to continuing conflict over the future of the fractured Middle East.

"We will, of course, be respectful of the various relationships, or the various states of relationships, among the participants," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack. "These are all experienced professionals. I would expect that they are going to be focused on the tasks at hand."

The dinner guests gathered in the Benjamin Franklin State Dining Room, which has seen scores of high-profile diplomatic pronouncements but perhaps none fraught with as much delicate protocol as this one. The guests sat in wooden-backed chairs around circular tables tucked neatly across the room.

The meal, keyed to both kosher and Muslim dietary restrictions, included main entrees of either red and yellow beet salad with mango with curried mango dressing or honey-soy glazed sea bass with cabbage, snow peas and mushrooms. Sitting at tables adorned with light-maroon tablecloths, gold flowers and gold napkins, guests also were to dine on carrot timbale, sugar snap peas, iced tea and hazelnut sponge cake.

The State Department did not respond to a request for details on the seating arrangements.

But this much is known: Should Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal encounter Olmert, neither was likely to join in any historic Arab-Israeli handshakes — not beneath the room's Adam-style cut-glass chandeliers, atop a Savonnerie-style carpet with the Great Seal of the United States or anywhere else.

Saud was asked Monday whether he would shake hands with Olmert and gave a curt no.

"We are here for the serious business of making peace," Saud said. "It is not a sporting contest where you shake hands and let the best man win."

Olmert, for his part, declared: "If someone doesn't want to shake my hand, I won't extend mine."

There were no plans for Bush or Rice to run interference.

"That's going to be up to all of the representatives how they decide to interact," McCormack said.

Now do not get me wrong. NO US President has been able to bring peace between the two for decades. I HIGHLY doubt that sharing a dinner will do the trick. But as I have learned, it's a good start. I say, forget all the standard Protocol {Other than the special need of certain foods], and just relax the room. Allow them to be themselves. You know the best person to host this type of thing? Someone that knows NOTHING about either. Someone that is eager to learn. Someone that can offend, and be over looked for their ignorance. You would have all in a attendance wanting to educate that person of their point of view, traditions, history, ETC. They would be more open and more civil.

But the truth is, decades of conflicts will hardly be solved over one dinner. They are having a hard time trying to work out the particulars on the Summit itself. According to CNN -Israeli, Palestinian officials work on joint agreement for summit

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- With a Mideast summit starting Tuesday in Maryland, Israeli and Palestinian officials worked late into the night trying to hammer out a joint agreement on how negotiations would move forward, diplomats from several delegations said.

But the two sides have not agreed on several issues and there was no guarantee that any work plan would be agreed upon, the diplomats said.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was cautious but hopeful the parties could finish an agreement, diplomats said.

Reuters reports, Bush hosts Mideast talks amid skepticism

Joining the talks are Syria, a front-line state formally at war with Israel, and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, both of whose presence is considered a diplomatic coup for the Bush administration. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will shepherd the conference.

The meeting includes a session on the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel since 1967 and which Damascus hopes to regain. "We participate with the understanding that the Golan will be discussed," Syrian diplomat Ahmad Salkini told Reuters.

Break,,

Despite Bush's insistence on a renewed U.S. commitment and a call for stepped-up international support for the peace process, expectations were low for major strides in the three days of meetings that started at the White House on Monday.

Of course they are. No one really expects this to be some kind of break through. No one. But just because expectations are low, does that me we should not try?

I wish all the best for all those that attend this three day summit. I hope that they will walk away with NEW hope, with maybe a new outlook on the future. Peace BEATS War any day of the week. But Like I said, we are talking DECADES of War. I doubt three days will change much.
Peter

Experts Wrong About Travel

Hey folks,

Hope you all had a GREAT Thanksgiving. Happy Monday to you. Now it's back to life, back to reality.

We talked about how the "Experts" were wrong about Black Friday, and the economy. They said, it would be the worse in five years. They said Doom and Gloom awaits retailers. Some reporters, felt it necessary to COMPLETELY change their story AFTER the facts came in that it was actually BETTER than last year.

Some of these SAME experts, predicted that Travel would be the worse in years as well, and nightmares await Holiday Travelers. This was due to everything from inapt Airlines, and even Global Warming itself. Bad storms. ETC. So what ACTUALLY happened?

According to the AP-Thanksgiving travelers face little delay, By DANIEL YEE, Associated Press Writer

Holiday travelers heading home after a long weekend of turkey, leftovers and holiday shopping found heavy crowds but most didn't find the delays they feared most.

Or what they were TOLD to expect.

In Atlanta, home to one of the nation's busiest airports, rainy weather and fog delayed some incoming flights more than two hours, though lines were moving Sunday night.

"In terms of security checkpoints things are moving smoothly, but the issue now is due to low visibility," said Herschel Grangent, spokesman for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

A spokeswoman for the Chicago Department of Aviation said Sunday that few flights were canceled and delays were minimal for the estimated 311,000 passengers traveling through Midway Airport and O'Hare International Airport.

"Certainly, the weather has been kind to everyone — travelers, airports and all transportation agencies and avenues alike," spokeswoman Karen Pride said Sunday. "We're very happy that there have been a minimal number of delays for flights and not a lot of crowds at the airports."

Detroit Metropolitan Airport spokesman Mike Conway said that despite heavier than normal passenger volume due to the conclusion of holiday weekend, "it's a pretty smooth night for us."

In the congested New York area, the Federal Aviation Administration said delays into and out of John F. Kennedy and Newark Liberty airports were 15 minutes, while passengers had delays of about 40 minutes at LaGuardia.

The Federal Aviation Administration reported flights were being delayed at Washington-area airports as long as two hours because of weather and heavy air traffic.

Officials in Los Angeles said arriving planes experienced delays of up to 15 minutes. They expected 1.85 million passengers to travel through the city's main airport over the 10-day Thanksgiving travel period beginning Nov. 16 and ending Sunday.

AAA said its surveys indicated a record 38.7 million U.S. residents were likely to travel 50 miles or more for the holiday period of Wednesday through Sunday, up about 1.5 percent from last year. About 4.7 million were expected to fly, and about 31.2 million travelers were likely to drive in spite of rising gasoline prices, AAA said last week.

That's a RECORD number of people traveling this year? Where did they get the money? The economy is so bad. Right?

Ashley Delseni arrived at Florida's Pensacola Regional Airport several hours early for a flight to Atlanta and a connection to San Diego, but she found no lines or delays by midmorning.

"Everything is going very smoothly," Delseni said. Her husband is a Marine stationed in Iraq, and she spent Thanksgiving with her family in Pensacola.

Virginia O. Van Antwerp and her daughter, Gypsie, returned home to Pensacola on Sunday following an overnight flight from Argentina, where they spent a Thanksgiving vacation, and a connecting flight from Atlanta.

"Everything was on time and there were no problems at all," Gypsie B. Van Antwerp said.

On the ground, extra-long Amtrak trains ferried passengers across Illinois, said Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari. "Today is a very busy day."

WAIT!! Not all was well. After looking HARD into how this all could be, they found, uh, one, that was not happy. {Laughing}

Not all travelers were pleased.

Ben Oni had to wait an extra 12 hours at Atlanta for his flight home to San Jose, Calif., while lugging a 32-inch flat screen television, because he missed the check-in deadline for his original flight by one minute.

"It's awful. I feel very unhappy, extremely unhappy and disappointed," the program manager said.

It was YOUR Fault. YOU were late, not the Airline. {Laughing harder}

Folks, once again the experts were WRONG. Once again, The Economy, DOOM and GLOOM reporting, Global Warming, and Warnings of nightmarish days ahead, produced, uh, RECORD numbers and happy people. Are you seeing a pattern here?

Have a great Monday, see you tomorrow.
Peter

HS For Sunday 112507

Children See, Children Do

Hey folks,

You all know that I love my Son Joshua. He is Two and a half now. He is my shadow. Everything I do, he does. Where ever I go, he goes. He is a little sponge, soaking up EVERYTHING, all the time.

Now this is normal, and most of the time taken for grated. Everyone knows this. That is why we are told to watch what we say and do.

I have already told you that I will be making sure that Joshua learns how to, and never loses his ability to use his imagination. I will , I’m sure, be telling him, go out and play. I do not want him just locked in his room, Online, Watching TV, or playing Video Games. I would much rather have him outside running around, burning energy off, and broadening his mind, then joining the statistic of the most obese and over weight society.

It seems that we NOW have the experts telling us, I’m right. More than I even knew. Apparently, even before they were born, Parents have a profound effect on how active their kids will be, by what they do BEFORE. I think. According to the AFP - Active parents raise active kids, study shows

PARIS (AFP) - Active parents can, by their example, encourage their children to be physically active, but the effect is less than widely thought, according to a study of more than 5,000 10- and 11-year-olds published Friday.

Its findings touch on strategies for reducing diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular conditions and diabetes that are growing at epidemic proportions due mainly to a couch-potato lifestyle.

A team of British and US researchers led by Calum Mattocks of the University of Bristol monitored 4,451 children for at least 10 hours a day over three days, tracking the intensity and frequency of their exercise with accelerometers attached to their ankles.

The children were also asked to record any time they swam or rode bicycles because the devices do not monitor these activities accurately.

The researchers then compared the results against statements provided by the parents on their level of physical activity in several categories.

These included maternal walking or swimming during pregnancy, parental exercise when the child was 21 months old, maternal smoking during pregnancy, and parental smoking at an early age.

Surprisingly, children of smoking parents tended to be slightly more active physically than kids whose parents were non-smokers.

"Few of the early life factors were associated with later physical activity in 10- to 11-year-olds, and for those that were, the association was modest," says the study, published in the British journal The Lancet.

But even the scarcity of links is important, the researchers said.

It can help health officials provide guidelines to parents which emphasise the factors -- however few -- that are known to work, they said.

Well, I'm glad we worked that all out. More wasted money. Now Cigarettes are GOOD and help your kids be more active? Right?

Look, trust me, they do not say in this study, but I guarantee you, if you actually SPEND TIME with your kids, outside, playing, they will grow up to be healthy and active. Let them BE Couch Potatoes, they will not be.

When I said I would be telling Josh to go out and play, I was not implying that I would do so from in front of the TV. Kids see, Kids Do. Would that not have saved a lot of money in research?
Peter

IWA For Suday, 112507

Hey folks,

It's Sunday, time for the IWA. By the day, he is a humble, soft spoken, "HELLO" mild mannered Democratic Candidate, who makes statements like this.

“It's not just at the holiday season that we should be contemplating peace on Earth," he said Friday during a campaign stop at a community center. "If we believe in human unity then we should come to understand the importance of leaders who stand for peace."

According to Ohio.com,-Kucinich: Peace should be more than a holiday theme

Kucinich, a Cleveland congressman, was an early critic of the Iraq war and has proposed establishing a Department of Peace in his administration.

Whatever that means.

But by night, Na, na, na, na, na, na, Rat Man!! The mild mannered Candidate changes into Rat Man. Non-Feared, Semi-aggressive, and slightly delusional Impeachment Crusader. Out to stop President Evil and his second in command Darth Cheney.

According to US newswire - Kucinich Heads Impeachment 'Teach-In' at Dartmouth as Extended New Hampshire Campaign Swing Continues

DOVER, N.H., Nov. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Democratic Presidential
candidate Dennis Kucinich's 10-day campaign trail through well traveled and
seldom traveled portions of New Hampshire makes an important stop in
Hanover Monday evening when he and other pro-Constitution activists,
writers and scholars participate in an "impeachment teach-in" at Dartmouth
College.

The Ohio Congressman, who has introduced Articles of Impeachment
against Vice President Richard B. Cheney (H.R. 333), will lead a
distinguished panel that includes New Hampshire State Representative Betty
Hall and writer and author John Nichols ("The Genius of Impeachment: The
Founders Cure for Royalism"). Nichols and Hall will be joined by John
Kaminski, Chairman of the Maine Lawyers for Democracy; Dan DeWalt,
co-founder of New England Impeachment Coalition (NEIC) and a selectman from
Newfane, VT.; and U.S. Army military intelligence officer Adrienne Kinne.

Hall, who has endorsed Kucinich, announced earlier this week that she
will introduce a "petition to commence impeachment proceedings in the U. S.
Congress" in the upcoming NH legislative session, specifically naming
President Bush and Vice President Cheney.

The site of the forum, which is free and open to the public, is Moore
Hall -- Filene Auditorium, on the campus of Dartmouth College, beginning at
7 p.m. The event is being sponsored by The Nation magazine, NEIC,
Progressive Democrats of America, Women Making a Difference, and Democracy
for New Hampshire.

Tomorrow, Saturday, November 24, Kucinich will be traveling in the
"north country," which is largely ignored by Presidential candidates. He
will be at various events in Berlin, Lancaster, Littleton, Francestown, and
then Keene.

Sunday, he will have town hall meetings in Keene and Westmoreland, a
book- signing in Keene, and several house parties in the area.

Tuesday, he will be in Plymouth, New Hampton, Concord, and Exeter; and
Wednesday, he will be a featured speaker at a college convention and
conduct a town hall meeting that will be broadcast live and streamed on the
Internet. Both those events are in Manchester.

Yes kids, he will stop at nothing to vanquish the Evil doings of the Dark Duo. He will not let anything stand in his way. Nothing! Not logic, truth, or even the dreaded commonsense.

Nor will he even let the fact, he does not stand a chance in getting Votes for impeachment, nor does he stand ANY CHANCE or winning even the nomination. Yes, Kiddies, Rat Man, will stop at nothing, including Political Suicide.

Congratulations Dennis,,Uh,, Rat Man. For continuing your quest for impeachment, without even to smallest support of your OWN side, you ARE the Idiot of The Week.

Now to the Rat Hole with you. Perhaps you will live to fight another day. Same Rat Time, Same Rat Channel.
Peter

How Could This Be? Another Lib Myth Busted

Hey folks,

Here is another Lib Myth busted. Again, the Mass Media Drones are shocked and amazed.

President Bush, as we all know, is a failure on all things. He is a Hatemonger, Warmonger, Big Business Loving, Friend of the rich. His taxes cuts have ruined the economy, and his War loving ways have helped destroyed the economy.

We need the Libs and the New Democratic Party to swoop in and save the day with Universal Health Care, higher taxes, and a redistribution of wealth. The Economy is about to go into a recession and it’s ALL Bush and those evil Republicans fault.

We have heard all kinds of news stories about how this years “Black Friday," was going to be a bust. That the retailers that rely on this, the busiest shopping day of the year, are not going to see the profits they rely so heavily on. This is a nightmare waiting to happen.

So what ACTUALLY happened? Well, according to the AP - Despite economy, malls and stores jammed

The nation's retailers had a robust start to the holiday shopping season, according to results announced Saturday by a national research group that tracks sales at retail outlets across the country.

WAIT STOP!!!! {Laughing} Since I saved this, they have changed the story! It is NOW entitled Retailers post robust start to holidays, lets see what else they have changed, SHALL we? Here is the ORIGINAL.

Malls and stores were jammed for pre-dawn discounts on everything from TVs to toys on the official start of Christmas shopping as consumers shrugged off worries about rising gas prices and falling home values.

The aggressive tactics — bigger discounts and expanded hours like midnight openings — apparently worked Friday. Based on early reports, Macy's Inc., Toys "R" Us, K-B Toys Inc. and others that pushed big price cuts, reported bigger crowds for the early morning bargains than a year ago. Target Corp. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., said they were also pleased with the shopper turnout.

They HAVE to because the economy is so bad. Right?

Electronic gadgets, particularly the hard-to-find Nintendo Wii, topped shoppers' wish lists, though frustrations were high among consumers who couldn't get their hands on the limited bargains.

With the economy relying heavily on the consumer, however, it's crucial that the Black Friday euphoria lasts throughout the season, expected to be the weakest in five years.

DOOM and GLOOM!

"I'm really looking for the bargains this year because I'm losing my job; they're moving our plant to Mexico after the first of the year, so I have to be careful," said Tina Dillow of New Richmond, Ohio, who camped out at a Best Buy store near Cincinnati at 3 a.m. because of a great deal on a laptop.

Louise Jackson of Chesapeake, Va., arrived at the MacArthur Center, a mall in downtown Norfolk, Va., at 7:30 a.m., a half hour before it opened.

"We're just browsing, to see what's out here, to see if there's anything that would be worth it," she said. By 9:30 a.m., she hadn't bought anything, although she did place a pair of pants for herself on hold at Nordstrom. Her only shopping strategy was to keep an eye out for good deals.

"The tougher economic conditions are driving more shoppers to take advantage of early bird specials," said C. Britt Beemer, chairman of America's Research Group.

Marshal Cohen, chief analyst at NPD Group Inc. agreed, but he noted shoppers were buying selectively. Overall, the biggest draws were consumer electronics, including flat-screen TVs, digital cameras, digital frames, and laptops. In toys, which have been battered by recalls of a slew of lead tainted Chinese toys, there were plenty of hits, including video games such as Activision Inc.'s "Guitar Hero III," toys related to Walt Disney Co.'s "Hannah Montana" and Smart Cycle from Mattel Inc.'s Fisher-Price, toy executives said.

It's going to be Horrible!! They do not have money for Christmas shopping. You know, except BIG TICKET ITEMS like electronics and Flat Screen TV. {Laughing}

Janet Hoffman, managing partner of the North American retail division of the consulting firm Accenture, believes that some parents, concerned about toy safety, may shift their purchases away from toys to video games and children's clothing. She added that sales of children's clothing fared unusually well Friday.

And while mainstream department stores such as Macy's and J.C. Penney Co., which hammered shoppers with big discounts Friday, seemed to pull in the crowds, traffic at mall-based apparel stores was disappointing, according to Wachovia Capital Markets LLC analyst John D. Morris. One problem is that there aren't a lot of must-have fashions.

Macy's chief executive, Terry Lundgren, said that 3,000 people started lining up at the Herald Square store at 5 a.m, forcing the store to open at 5:30 a.m., half hour earlier. That was up from about 2,500 people a year ago. Among some of the most popular early morning deals were Martha Stewart faux holiday trees, that were 50 percent off, and outerwear and sweaters, which were marked down by 40 percent to 50 percent.

"We all know that September and October were not great months, so there is some pent-up demand," Lundgren said. "We feel encouraged by the early signs."

Jerry Storch, chairman and CEO of Toys "R" Us Inc., which unveiled 101 early morning bargains, four times the number last year, reported 1,000 people waiting in line for the 5 a.m. opening at the Manhattan store, double the number a year ago.

Macy's, Toys "R" Us and others with locations in big cities also enjoyed increased business from foreign shoppers reveling in exchange rates that made discounts even deeper.

Melissa O'Brien, spokeswoman at Wal-Mart, which offered such specials as a Polaroid 42-inch LCD HDTV for $798 and a $79.87 Sony digital camera, only said "we are excited about today." Among the most popular items were flat-panel TVs, and various toys, particularly from the "Transformers" line. Special offers on GPS units and digital frames were selling "very fast," she said.

Target's spokeswoman Lena Michaud said traffic was strong based on a spot-check of stores. Gail Lavielle, spokeswoman at Sears Holdings Inc., which operates Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart stores, reported traffic increases from a year ago.

Best Buy Co. drew more than a thousand shoppers to West Paterson, N.J. and to its Manhattan store for early morning bargains on Sony laptop computers, cut to $399.99 from $749.99, and GPS devices from TomTom for $119.99, from the normal $249.99, according to store managers.

Now the NEW version, SAME link.

The nation's retailers had a robust start to the holiday shopping season, according to results announced Saturday by a national research group that tracks sales at retail outlets across the country.

Despite all the doom and gloom reporting.

According to ShopperTrak RCT Corp., which tracks sales at more than 50,000 retail outlets, total sales rose 8.3 percent to about $10.3 billion on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, compared with $9.5 billion on the same day a year ago. ShopperTrak had expected an increase of no more than 4 percent to 5 percent.

READ that again. "total sales rose 8.3 percent to about $10.3 billion on Friday"

"This is a really strong number. ... You can't have a good season unless it starts well," said Bill Martin, co-founder of ShopperTrak, citing strength across all regions. "It's very encouraging. When you look at September and October, shoppers weren't in the stores."

In a separate statement released Saturday, J.C. Penney Co. reported "strong performance across all merchandise categories," including fine jewelry, outerwear, and young men's and children's assortments.

But the department store chain cautioned, "while we are encouraged by our strong start, it is still early in the holiday season, and we are mindful of the headwinds consumers are facing."

WAIT, there is STILL hope for doom and gloom.

J.C. Penney, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and other major retailers are expected to report same-store results for November on Dec. 6. Same-store sales are those at stores opened at least a year and are considered a key indicator of a retailer's strength.

The upbeat reports were encouraging since merchants have been struggling with anemic sales in recent months, as shoppers, particularly in the middle and lower-income brackets, were becoming more frugal amid higher gas and food prices and an escalating credit crunch.

So "amid" all the doom and gloom, they INCREASED their spending. How could this be?

In an apparent sign of desperation, the nation's stores ushered in the official start of the holiday shopping season on Friday with expanded hours, including midnight openings, and a blitz of early morning specials that were more generous than a year ago. J.C. Penney and Kohl's Corp. opened at 4 a.m., an hour earlier than a year ago.

They are trying to keep the dream alive for the doom and gloom crowd folks. This is a completely asinine statement. "In an apparent sign of desperation." They open yearly and stay open late and offer GREAT deals EVERY year. This is not new. "Oh yes Pete, but some opened an hour earlier." SO? Maybe they wanted to increase their profits for increased profit sake. Who cares if SOME opened an hour earlier.

The strategy appears to have worked, as shoppers jammed stores in record numbers for early morning deals on Friday. Martin noted that judging by the strong figures on Friday, stores were able to sustain strong sales throughout the day. He said he's counting on strong traffic throughout the weekend as many stores, including Macy's Inc., are continuing with special deals.

While Black Friday — so named because it was traditionally when the surge of shopping made stores profitable — starts holiday shopping, it is not considered a bellwether for the season. However, merchants see Black Friday as setting an important tone to the overall season: What consumers see that day influences where they will shop for the rest of the year.

This really is too much folks. They just said to you, and want you to believe. "Yeah, the numbers are good, but they don't mean anything. It's just one day, the Economy sucks and we are still heading to a recession." {sigh}

Last year, retailers had a good start during the Thanksgiving weekend, but many stores struggled in December, and a shopping surge just before and after Christmas wasn't enough to make up for lost sales.

This year, the Washington-based National Retail Federation predicted that total holiday sales would be up 4 percent for the combined November and December period, the slowest growth since a 1.3 percent rise in 2002. Holiday sales rose 4.6 percent in 2006 and growth has averaged 4.8 percent over the last decade.

They also predicted a complete bust this year. Let's just say that they are RIGHT. It rises 4 percent. Growth does NOT rise during recessions.

So this was interesting. Same link, same reporter, ANNE D'INNOCENZIO, two COMPLETELY different stories. Can you say CYA.
Peter

This SHOULD Tell You Something

Hey folks,

All we keep hearing from the LWL, the new Democratic Party, is how the Republicans do not care about the poor, and how they do not care about Health care for kids. All we keep hearing, more and more, as the elections grow closer, is that THEY, The Democrats and the LWL are FOR the poor, and poor kids. OK, then can someone answer THIS one. Get this. From USA TODAY - Neediest kids live in rich states

All you REALLY have to do is read the first paragraph.

Low-income children who fare the worst in health care, education and family structure live in some of the nation's wealthiest states, including Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware, a study to be released next week reveals.

All Liberal States. Hello? These are states that are run by Libs. And yet, they want us to believe THEY care? They want us to trust them with Universal Health care?

The report is the first to look at the well-being of low-income children by state, says co-author William O'Hare, demographer and senior fellow at the Kids Count program of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which advocates for needy children and families. The report is based on newly available federal data.

"Many states that looked as if they're doing quite well when all children were assessed don't look so good when you assess only low-income children," O'Hare says.

Those states have big cities with pockets of poverty and more households headed by single women, says Ron Haskins, co-director of the Brookings Institution's Center on Children and Families.

The report found:

•States where low-income kids fared best are clustered in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain regions. The top five: Utah, North Dakota, Idaho, Wyoming and South Dakota.

O'Hare says those states have a greater sense of community and take care of each other.

Imagine that. A more CONSERVATIVE approach WORKS.

Haskins says they have more families led by married parents. He says poverty, a major factor in poor people's well-being, is five times greater in female-headed households than in those with two parents.

Morals and the Traditional family? This is better?

•The states that have ranked the lowest for overall child well-being in past surveys — Mississippi and Louisiana — are not at the very bottom for low-income children. They ranked 41 and 44, respectively, because of how their low-income kids fared.

•Children in low-income families — those below 200% of the poverty level, about $41,000 last year for a family of four — scored lower on 27 of 29 well-being indicators than did higher-income kids. The only poor children who did as well or better are those who attend religious services weekly and have dinner with their families at least six days a week.

HOW COULD THIS BE?? Haven't we been told that those religious, redneck hicks, are too stupid to know what they need? That they need the Government to take care of them? Isn't this what we have been told? Now we learn that Faith, Morals, and Family WORKS. This is absolutely AMAZING.

Kids Count has ranked the 50 states on overall child well-being every year since 1990, based on government data that measure a child's physical and mental health, education, team membership, family involvement, family structure, neighborhood and income.

O'Hare says those rankings masked how low-income children fare because states have widely varying percentages of poor children.

He says the new report, based on Census Bureau data, tells their story better.

How low-income children fare

According to a study released by the Annie V. Casey Foundation, low-income children fared the best in Utah. The study, taken over two years, involved interviews with more than 102,000 households. The rankings are based on six categories such as children's health, social and emotional well-being and family activities. Shown with the rankings are the percentage of children in each state who are from low-income households.

So now with this new information and the FACTS found out in this study, can someone tell me how the Democrats running for office in 08, will serve these kids better? How a Liberal Controlled Government will do a better job with a Government controlled Health care?
Peter

Presidential Radio Address for Saturday 112407

President Bush: “Good morning.

This week our Nation celebrated Thanksgiving. American families and friends gathered together to express gratitude for all that we have been given. We give thanks for the freedoms we enjoy. We give thanks for the loved ones who enrich our lives. And we give thanks for the many gifts that come from this prosperous land. Thanksgiving is a time when we acknowledge that all of these things, and life itself, come not from the hand of man, but from Almighty God.

Earlier this week, I visited Berkeley Plantation in Virginia. The story of this historic setting goes back nearly four centuries to another day of thanks. In 1619, a band of 38 settlers departed Bristol, England for Berkeley. At the end of their long voyage, the men reviewed their orders from home. The orders said, quote, "The day of our ship's arrival ... shall be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of Thanksgiving to Almighty God." In response, the men fell to their knees in prayer. And with this humble act of faith, the settlers celebrated their first Thanksgiving in the New World.

Berkeley's settlers remind us that giving thanks has been an American tradition from the beginning. At this time of year, we also remember the Pilgrims at Plymouth, who gave thanks after their first harvest in New England. We remember George Washington, who led his men in thanksgiving during the American Revolution. We remember Abraham Lincoln, who revived the Thanksgiving tradition in the midst of a terrible civil war.

Throughout our history, Americans have always taken time to give thanks for all those whose sacrifices protect and strengthen our Nation. We continue that tradition today -- and we give thanks for a new generation of patriots who are defending our liberty around the world. We are grateful to all our men and women in uniform who are spending this holiday weekend far from their families. We keep them in our thoughts and prayers. And we especially remember those who have given their lives in our Nation's defense.

One of these brave Americans was Lieutenant Michael Murphy. In June 2005, this officer gave his life in defense of his fellow Navy SEALs. Michael was conducting surveillance on a mountain ridge in Afghanistan, when his four-man SEAL team was surrounded by a much larger enemy force. Their only escape was down the side of the mountain. The SEALs launched a valiant counterattack while cascading from cliff to cliff. But as the enemy closed in, Michael recognized that the survival of his men depended on calling back to base for reinforcements.

With complete disregard for his own life, Michael Murphy moved into a clearing where he could get a signal. As he made the call, Michael fell under heavy fire. Though severely wounded, he said "thank you" before signing off, and returned to the fight. His heroism cost him his life -- and earned him our Nation's highest decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor. This weekend, we give thanks for the blessings of young Americans like Lieutenant Michael Murphy, who risk their own lives to keep us safe.

We're also blessed by the many other Americans who serve a cause larger than themselves. Each day our Nation's police and firefighters and emergency responders and faith-based and community volunteers dedicate their time to serving others. While we were enjoying our Thanksgiving turkeys, tens of thousands of these men and women were on the job -- keeping their fellow citizens safe and bringing hope and compassion to our brothers and sisters in need. And their sacrifice reminds us that the true strength of our Nation is the goodness and decency of our people.

Since America's first Thanksgiving, we have changed in many ways. Our population has grown. Our people have prospered. And we have become a great beacon of hope and freedom for millions around the world. Despite these changes, the source of all our blessings remains the same. We are grateful to the Author of Life who blessed our Nation's first days, who strengthened America in times of trial and war, and who watches over us today.

Thank you for listening.”

From The Emails 112307

"No More Nickelodeon For Joshua"

Hey folks,

Welcome to the first official "From The Emails" segment. This was sent to me, I'm VERY glad it was, from one of you out there. After reading this, and doing some research on it, I now KNOW that Joshua will NEVER be watching Nickelodeon again.

Get THIS.

"Better watch out, who\'s checking you out, little guys and gals because the boogey man is not under your bed but in the good ol\' TV that wee ones watch for ?entertainment?"

Nickelodeon’s Slime for Kids
by Katie O'Malley

Many parents have, at some point, watched various celebrities coated in a layer of Nickelodeon Television’s famous green slime. How innocent and amusing to watch Mike Meyers or Justin Timberlake covered in ooze.

But it was another type of slime that hit the Nickelodeon screen during a segment of Nick News, hosted by Linda Ellerbee. Presented as a news program for kids, the recent episode “Rebels with a Cause”, featured, among others, two anti-war teens.

In pitch-perfect leftist speak, Ellerbee introduces the show with talk of "taking on the establishment." It takes only a nanosecond to recognize that Ellerbee does not mean just any establishment, certainly not her own leftist establishment of Hollywood and the Mainstream Media. No, Linda and her rebels mean “the man”. And by man, they mean George W. Bush.

Meet rebel Mikka, a 14-year-old member of the political organization The World Can’t Wait. We join this little moppet as he prepares to attend a rally just as he is donning a fetching orange jumpsuit and a black hood he has sewn for the occasion. The camera pans to a close-up of his dramatic dress-up as he pulls the black hood over his face.

“I am going to a protest so that people are forced to confront the fact that people are being tortured by American soldiers” he tells us with genuine earnestness. He is joined at a rally outside the local mall by other teens and tweeners. While parading in matching costumes, they chant through a bullhorn, "We are not ok with people being tortured by American troops!"

Soon the group enters the mall, that evil bastion of capitalism, and security tells the little darlings to move along. Mikka shouts, “Are these corporations more important than human lives?”

Linda coos over the video in her soothing Kathleen Turner voice, “And so Mikka believes, as is his right, a change in government is needed.” Gee Linda, is that reporting or prayer?

Remember back in the good old days when the scary images you had to soothe out of your little one’s head came as the result of Bambi’s mother on the wrong end of a shotgun?

What is a young person to believe of American Troops when they hear Mikka’s words and Linda’s lack of context? A child left to his or her own devices might think that American Troops troll our streets looking for people to torture…and that next torture victim might be YOU Timmy! Yes, you….eating your Fruit Loops in your Spiderman pajamas!

Mikka goes on, “You may ask why it is so important that the people unite to impeach Bush. Torture is just one concern of The World Can’t Wait. Our overall goal is to drive Bush out of power. Our democracy is at stake because a lot of the things the things Bush administration is doing are violating the constitution.”

Linda provides no balance or context for her young audience to weigh the information. She tells us, in a relieved and comforting tone, that Bush, a Republican, only has two more years in office and that the Congress was recently won by Democrats. Phew kids! Help is on the way! The Democrats will save us from those evil, torturing, Constitution trampling Republicans!

Ellerbee offers so little in the way of investigative journalism, it is staggering. The World Can’t Wait is presented as little more than a happy sign carrying club that gives kids a voice. Neither she, nor Mikka, mentions the origins of the organization in 2005 leading to Charles Clark Kissinger, a longtime leader of the Revolutionary Communist Party.

A peek at the WCW website, certainly something internet savvy kids did after watching Ellerbee’s breathless and glowing piece, is astonishing in its shear ugliness and propaganda. WCW promises "to send Bush, Cheney and the rest of those fascists packing.... After that, there are people in 'World Can't Wait' who are working for everything from reforming the Democratic party, to building a 3rd party, to revolution.”

An easily searchable speech from a November 2, 2005 WCW rally can also be found. A speaker tells the crowd, "Revolution is in the air! We need to commit to a revolution now!

And we stand for revolution…..We have the understanding, we have the strategy and we have the leadership, the chairman of the Revolutionary Communist Party, Bob Avakian, to get us there, and we invite everyone to engage with us on this. As our paper, Revolution, so aptly puts it: Conservative, my ass! These people are Nazis!”

Thank goodness he threw Conservatives are Nazis out there! It isn’t really a lefty rally without throwing the word N-word around.

Ellerbee gets through the entire piece, with the soft tone of a concerned adult, without once addressing the War on Terror or the discomforting positions that the WCW holds in the red shadow of the RCP.

The program closes with another rebel who runs an anti-war website. Posting more than 90 videos on her site, none comes close to the photo montage of dead Iraqis with the song “Jesus Love Me” in the background. Again, no context from Ellerbee or the propagandist with training wheels. There is no mention of how these people actually died. We are left to assume that, once again, it is exclusively at the hands of our troops and President.

Does Ellerbee suggest that, perhaps, some of the deaths came at the hands of terrorist IEDs and homicide bombers? Nope. Instead, children eating their Wheaties in the early morning or surfing the Nick website, where the segment can be viewed 24/7, are fed images of dead people and the evil American soldiers who killed them.

I imagine young viewers take from these two stories exactly what Ellerbee and her rebels want them too….America is a big, mean killing machine fronted by evil Bush and his torturing troops.

And the green slime of Nickelodeon oozes forth and claims more victims.

This could also fall under that category of "He who controls the youth, controls the future" series. These are KIDS. The TV Network is for KIDS. They are trying to brainwash them with this moronic Anti-American garbage.

This is not new for Ellerbee, look at her guests. Bill Clinton, Rosie, you can not get an more ANTI American and Loony than Rosie. Bush and Cheney evil, need to be impeached. They blew up the WTC on 9-11. Blah, blah, blah. Is this REALLY appropriate TV for kids? I think not.

Introducing them to organizations like WCW? By the way, WCW is an old Wrestling Organization. Think about it. When some newer Wrestling Fans search for WCW, guess what they find? You got it.

No these are not harmless anti-war people. They ARE Anti American and are trying to indoctrinate YOUR children. “I am going to a protest so that people are forced to confront the fact that people are being tortured by American soldiers”

A kid said this. A kid to other kids. Then this 14 year old, that truly has no clue, said THIS.“You may ask why it is so important that the people unite to impeach Bush. Torture is just one concern of The World Can’t Wait. Our overall goal is to drive Bush out of power. Our democracy is at stake because a lot of the things the things Bush administration is doing are violating the constitution.”

Uh, sorry, but little Mikka has not been alive long enough to understand the Constitution, or what this war is about. Simply repeating what he has been told to say. Another case of the LWL {Left Wing Loonies} using kids to further THEIR agenda.

Thanks to this story, my son Joshua will NEVER watch Nick again. Now that YOU know that they are doing this, I HIGHLY recommend that your kids do not watch it either. Whatever happened to good old Bugs, Daffy, Tweety, the Road Runner, and Woody? Now Kid TV is trying to brainwash your kids and turn them into anarchist? Recruiting them to fight "The Man?"

The Sixties are gone friends. Last I checked, it's 2007. Time for the hippies to retire. Time for logic, sanity, and intelligence to prevail. Let kids be kids, fight your battles with adults. Oh yeah, no SANE, logical or intelligent ADULT would agree with you, so I guess you feel it necessary to USE brains full of mush to further your agenda. Sad really.

Peter

Note: "From The Emails" is a weekly segment in the Friday edition of the OPNtalk Blog. If you care to send in News Articles, Comments, Stories, or anything else you may wish to share, please feel free to send it to opntalk@netscape.net and as always, you never know what you are going to see here.