Kerry Screws up, and Fights back!

(if this seems a bit disjointed, forgive me, I am home sick and on cold medicine)

John Kerry stuck his foot in his mouth yesterday:

"You know, education -- if you make the most of it, you study hard and you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well.

"If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."

When I first heard this, I thought: "there goes HIS 2008 Presidential campaign!"

Of course Republicans jumped all over him, calling for him to apologize to the troops. McCain said:

"Senator Kerry owes an apology to the many thousands of Americans serving in Iraq, who answered their country's call because they are patriots and not because of any deficiencies in their education"

Kerry and his peeps say that this was a botched joke, an attempt to state that not doing your homework you end up with what we have in Iraq.

I felt that this was a big problem for the Democrats, one that we didn't need this close to the election. BUT, after watching Kerry's press conference just a few minutes ago, I feel even better about our chances.
If you didn't see it, Kerry came out swinging and swinging hard! He attacked the WhiteHouse stating that THEY should apologize to the troops for getting them into the boodogle in Iraq. He called Bush's foreign policy a "Katrina foreign policy"

If Kerry had come out swinging against the Swift Boat ads in '04 like he did today, he would have WON!

more later, when my head is clearer....(NyQuil is a wonderous thing and LEGAL TOO!)

Some Thought For Food

I hadn't seen this article commented on by many, but I think that it reveals a lot about the candidates:

Grilling the candidates
10 running for public office tell what they do and don't eat - and why
C.J. KARAMARGIN
Tucson Citizen

Candidates reveal their human side, often humorously, when they answer this type of kitschy questions. For example:

Kyl didn;t respond, proving that he feels he is above these questions and takes himself far too seriously.

Graf only answered two questions, showing that he is afraid to show his true side (or maybe that he really is, deep down inside just a shallow person!)

Giffords admits that she loves cheeseburgers, revealing that she is honest and doesn't concern herself with appearing too pedestrian. And revelation that her Astronaut Fiancee (a macho profession if there ever was one) makes apple pies reveals that she is more concerned about honesty that protecting a loved one from what is sure to be some pretty harsh ribbing from fellow astronauts at NASA!

Munsil's favorite meal gives off a good ol down to earth, old fashioned feel. (or reveals that he makes his wife work her tail off on Sundays! :) )He turned his disclosure of his love for Krispy Kreme into a shot @ Napolitano reveals one of two things: either he is desperate and ready and willing to blame anything on Janet, OR he really does have a keen sense of humor.

Pederson's admitted preference for Italian food shows that he will buck the trend and give is the right answer, as opposed to giving the answer he thinks we want to hear, ie the stock answer "mexican food".

Janet is proud of her Italian heritage and not afraid to admit it, which I think is good for a non-hispanic to do. She really does need to lay off of the ice cream, however.

Barry Hess, Libertarian candidate for governor clearly had the best answers, particulalry the 'sodium pentathol tablets' comment. It shows creativity, honesty and humor. (the latter being a requirement as a 3rd party candidate, I would assume).

Grijalva claims that his love for green corn tamales shows he loves his mother, but does it really? Come now, Raul, making green corn tamales is a heck of a lot of work! She shows that she loves YOU by making them! (Just kidding about the loving your mother part, but making green corn tamales IS a lot of hard work. But, I would love your mother if she made ME a couple of dozen green corn tamales!)

the most bizarre has to be from CD8 independent candidate Jay Quick:

Independent candidates candidly eat dates while lying under palm trees on deserted islands.
We drink pure icy water from fast running mountain streams and cook papaya leaves over coals while watching the sun extinguish itself into the ocean every evening. For protein we barbecue ship wrecked Republicans and Democrats who've washed upon the shore.
Every night we lay out a place setting on the beach for Isis. She often stops in for dinner. Her tastes are simple - a mug of warm mead is all that she requires as she brings us tales of the deeds of heroic adventurers from other worlds.
At night we sleep independently in deep tents which we've fashioned from the skins of hundreds of frond eating frogs. Clouds fly by at night across the sky carrying politicians to their wars and returning wounded warriors to their countrymen.
Dawn erases images of stars from the blackboard of the night and we rise, as all good men and women must, to chores of maintenance. We wind the clocks to start the world on it's day. We stir the coals to ignite the sun. We rouse the birds and send them aloft as scouts and messengers of good and evil intent.
Such is the steady and true life of the truly independent - no party animals are we!

Clearly he lives in a fantasy world. Is it any wonder he has dropped out of the debates because of what he called the 'animosity between Giffords and Graf' (no more debates, says CD8 candidate)

"Rush" to Judgement: Limbaugh attacks Michael J. Fox

Rush Limbaugh has done it again. In a repeat of his never ending personal attacks on those that disagree with his myopic view of the world, Limbaugh attacked Michael J. Fox's appearance in TV ads for democratic senate candidates in Missouri and Maryland. In the ads, Fox "sways uncontrollably" while looking into the camera. Rush Limbaugh stated that Fox was "exaggerating the effects of the disease... He's moving all around and shaking, and it's purely an act." and that Fox was "allowing his illness to be exploited and in the process is shilling for a Democrat politician." (link)

Limbaugh should be ashamed of himself (and for a whole lot of reason besides this incident). Parkinson's is not a disease that is completely controlled by drugs (and Rush knows about drugs, doesn't he). The person with Parkinson's often have good and bad days, often in spite of the drugs designed to control the tremors. Anyone who remembers Mo Udall, one of my heroes, and his bout with Parkinson's will recall that he would appear fine one day, and be barely able to communicate the next.

Rush Limbaugh was once disabled, he suffered from hearing loss, should have more sympathy and understanding. It is no surprise however that he doesn't, because he chose to hide and deny his disability from his listeners. Fortunately for him, he was able to have surgery to correct his hearing problem. (one that just may have been caused by his own abuse of prescription medications such as OxyContin). Why does he deny Fox and others who have diseases such as Parkinson's a chance at a cure?

Guns in School... a bad idea

Some moronic state legislator in Wisconsin has what he thinks is the solution to the recent slate of school shootings: Arm the teachers, administrators, and custodians:

MADISON, Wisconsin (AP) -- A state lawmaker, worried about a recent string of deadly school shootings, suggested arming teachers, principals and other school personnel as a safety measure and a deterrent.

It might not be politically correct, but it has worked effectively in other countries, Republican Rep. Frank Lasee said Wednesday.

"To make our schools safe for our students to learn, all options should be on the table," he said. "Israel and Thailand have well-trained teachers carrying weapons and keeping their children safe from harm. It can work in Wisconsin."

Read the entire article: CNN.COM

Having taught middle school (grades 6-8) for 16+ years, the last thing I want in a school is and armed teacher, principal, counselor or custodian. talk about tempting fate!!

AZ Congressman backs Hastert

In a letter to his colleages, conservative Republican congressman John Shadegg (AZ) backs Hastert, says calls for his resignation and attacks on him 'unwarranted and unfair'.

How so, John? The man was given evidence that Foley was engaging in inapporiate contact with UNDERAGE pages!! in the letter, Shadegg states:

Before coming to Congress he both taught and coached high school students. In Congress, he has fought vigorously, and at times almost single-handedly to protect America’s youth from the scourge of illegal drugs. His lifelong dedication to America’s youth is unquestionable

Yeah, and Foley wrote key legislation to protect kids from on-line predators and was on the committee on Missing and Eploited Children. Shadegg also goes on to say:

To demand his resignation, based on the current facts and before the full investigation that he has called for is completed, is unwarranted and wrong.

The problem is, Hastert et all blocked an attempt to FULLY investigate who knew of "Foley's Follies" and when they knew it.
If Hastert is as innocent as you say, conduct the full investigation. You went after Clinton over his lying about his extra curricular activities witha consenting adult, you should be ready to do that and more about someone who ignored or covered up information about sexual advances on underage pages.

Shadegg's letter

By the way, it looks like there were warnings about Foley going back to his first term:

Warnings about Rep. Mark Foley (R-Florida) go back more than a decade, the Washington Post reports. "In 1995, male House pages were warned to steer clear of a freshman Republican from Florida, who was already learning the names of the teenagers, dashing off notes, letters and e-mails to them, and asking them to join him for ice cream."

From the CNN Political Ticker
Looks like the cover-up may go back a full decade!

Hastert heading for a fall??

Don't look now, but it seems that some i the GOP are starting to pin some of the blame for the Foley Follies on the speaker:

Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Boehner: Foley scandal is Speaker's "responsibility"
From CNN Ticker Producer Alex Mooney

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Majority Whip John Boehner, R-Ohio, says House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, assured him he had taken care of the matter involving former Rep. Mark Foley's, R-Florida, inappropriate e-mails to a congressional page, when he first learned of the situation last spring.

"I believe I talked to the speaker, and he told me it had been taken care of, and, and, and in my position, it's in his corner, it's his responsibility," Boehner told the Mike McConnell Show on Cincinnati's WLW 700, this morning. "The Clerk of the House who runs the page program, the Page Board, all report to the speaker, and I believe that it had been dealt with."
Source: CNN Political Ticker

Sure reads like Boehner is pinning some blame on Hastert! This incident could very well turn out to be an October surprise that turns the tables and gives the Democrats a majority. I have commented elsewhere that I expect a big late-October surprise from the Whitehouse to try and secure a Republican Majority in both houses. Not sure how you counter Foley's self-destruction and the cover-up by the GOP leadership.

Republican Leadership does a FLIP FLOP on FOLEY

First he said he knows NOTHING about Foley's IM fiascos:

Monday, October 02, 2006
Hastert says he did not know about instant messages
From CNN Ticker Producer Alex Mooney

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, said Monday that he was not aware of former Rep. Mark Foley's, R-Florida, sexually explicit instant messages with a 16 year old page until the conversations were released by ABC News on Friday.

"The instant messages reportedly between Congressman Foley and a former page sent in 2003 were vile and repulsive both to myself and to my colleagues," Hastert told reporters at a Capitol Hill news conference. "No one in the Republican leadership nor Congressman Shimkus saw those messages until last Friday when ABC news released them to the public."

Rep. John Shimkus, R-Illinois, the chairman of the House Page Board, said the instant messages made him "sick" and he was committed to protecting the pages from such behavior. Shimkus said that pages and former pages can call a hotline if they have any concerns about "improper contact."

Neither Hastert nor Shimkus took questions in the seven minute press conference.
http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/2006/10/hastert-says-he-did-not-know-about.html

A few hours later, his tune changes a wee bit:

Hastert doesn't recall learning of Foley's actions last spring
From CNN Ticker Producer Alex Mooney

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Speaker Dennis Hastert told CNN that he does not recall Rep. Tom Reynolds informing him last spring of former Rep. Mark Foley's inappropriate emails and messages to a former page.

"I don't recall Reynolds talking to me about that. If he did he brought it in with a whole stack of things," Hastert told CNN's Andrea Koppel. "I think if he would have had that discussion, he would have said it was also resolved, because my understanding now, that it was resolved at that point."
http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/2006/10/hastert-doesnt-recall-learning-of.html

I have a strong feeling that it is about to come out that there is some proof that he was informed about Foley's IMs and chose to ignore it.

1st Monday in October....

and time for the Supreme Court to get back to work. Sure sounds like we could be in big trouble.

Supreme Court to tackle race, abortion in new term

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Abortion and race: The two most divisive social issues of recent decades will get high-profile hearings this fall before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The justices begin their new term Monday but will postpone hearing arguments for a day in observance of Yom Kippur.

The Supreme Court is proceeding forcefully under new Chief Justice John Roberts. In addition to abortion and affirmative action, the docket includes meaty issues such as immigration, a attempt to limit multimillion dollar jury awards, a criminal defendant's fair trial rights and the government's ability to control smog.

"In the term that's about to start, the Supreme Court has really stepped into the biggest social issues of the day," observed Thomas Goldstein, an attorney who has argued numerous cases before the high court.

Goldstein added that conservatives on the court may be looking to scale back some of the more liberal rulings of the past. "They may cut back on programs that look like affirmative action and expand the power of government to regulate abortion," he said.

Most of the attention will be focused on a federal law banning a controversial procedure that critics call "partial birth" abortion.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/09/26/scotus.main/index.html

This could be a very scary term in regards to abortion, affirmative action, and the environment goes.