Blogging-Mcdonalds Stand

I should of added this long ago, but the ole mind here is still foggy.

Mcdonalds Stand is a Virginia blog by Flora Mcdonald.

Her son is serving in Iraq and her blog is tops. Check it out and be sure to leave a comment.

News-Blogging- More on Mark Warner granting Robin Lovitt Clemency

I said here that it was a good move on Warner's part to grant clemency for Robin Lovitt. I do not think it will hurt him politically. Myself, I think Lovitt is guilty. I believe in the death penalty, but I also believe in the law. Evidence was destroyed and that made the DNA testing impossible. Rules were broken by the state denying Lovitt his proper appeal rights. I feel Warner did the right thing. As heartbreaking as this is for the victims family, life with out parole was the right punishment. Thats my opinion, but I am not a lawyer and I dont know all the facts.

Chad has a post up about it here(read the comments). He also promises to have his opinion as a prosecutor posted soon. I am really looking forward to reading his take on the case. He may change my mind.

Bearing Drift has a good take on it here. JR points out that "former Governors Wilder, Allen and Gilmore have all also commuted at least one sentence during their terms."

The RTD has this article that quotes Larry Sabato saying "He's already permitted 11 executions," Sabato said. "You talk about cover? Mark Earley plus Ken Starr. . . . That takes care of it."
The article also has this: Michael Paranzino, president of Throw Away The Key, an anti-crime group based in Kensington, Md., was critical.

"Warner today sided with an unrepentant and cold-blooded killer, and turned his back on working-class folks and crime victims across America," he wrote in an e-mail message.

But Jack Payden-Travers, director of Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, said he spoke with Lovitt's wife, Jane, shortly after the commutation was announced.

"We're very thankful that the governor has moved to take this stand, because, unfortunately, the death penalty is such a political issue that it does take courage to take a stand even when it's an issue of justice as it was in this case," he said.

Virginia Attorney General Judith W. Jagdmann said in a statement that the governor has the authority to grant clemency where in his view the circumstances so warrant.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim's family," she said.

Another view in the RTD- in the 3 pages of comments is this one from Matthew "Reading these comments from both sides..everyone seems to agree that he was guilty. So those agreeing with Warner's decision are basing it strictly on the actions of the clerk? Those asking about the feelings of the family of the criminal..have you ever been the family of the victim? Well said, Ryan. If you stab someone and throw away the weapon, you still stabbed someone. Check out CNN and MSNBC...Warner did this for political capital, regardless of his true belief. First Wilder, now this.

I told you this would be interesting.

News- Mark Warner grants Clemency for Robin Lovitt

Va. Gov. Grants Clemency for Condemned Man

By KRISTEN GELINEAU

• RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia's governor on Tuesday spared the life of a convicted killer who would have been the 1,000th person executed in the United States since the Supreme Court allowed capital punishment to resume in 1976.
• Robin Lovitt's death sentence was commuted to life in prison without parole a little more than 24 hours before he was to be executed by injection Wednesday night for stabbing a man to death with a pair of scissors during a 1998 pool-hall robbery.
• In granting clemency, Gov. Mark R. Warner noted that evidence from the trial had been improperly destroyed, depriving the defense of the opportunity to subject the material to the latest in DNA testing.
• "The commonwealth must ensure that every time this ultimate sanction is carried out, it is done fairly," Warner said in a statement.
• Warner, a Democrat, had never before granted clemency to a death row inmate during his four years in office. During that time, 11 men have been executed. Virginia is one of the most active death-penalty states, having executed 94 people since 1976.
• The 1,000th execution is now scheduled for Friday in North Carolina, where Kenneth Lee Boyd is slated to die for killing his estranged wife and her father.

This was a smart move by Warner.
Brian Patton has this.

News-Robin Lovitt

I had a post about Robin Lovitt and Mark Warner before the holiday. It addressed the so called dilemma facing Warner on the fate of Robin Lovitt. It is not a dilemma, but I will leave that alone for now. Todays RTD has this article about Robin Lovitt victims mother and her wishes. It also touches on planned protests if the execution is carried out tomorrow.

• From the RTD
• But Mary Dicks, an 84-year-old Washington resident, thinks the execution should be carried out.
• Lovitt was sentenced to die for stabbing Clayton Dicks to death during a robbery at an Arlington County pool hall in 1998. A clemency petition asking that Lovitt's life be spared is before Gov. Mark R. Warner.
• "I don't want to see [anybody] getting killed," Mary Dicks said. But, she added, the death penalty is appropriate for Lovitt. "That's what Clayton got, didn't he? He was at his job and he got executed."

I agree with the victims mother and my heart is breaking for her. But there are many problems with the case as all the evidence was destroyed.

• Kenneth W. Starr, one of Lovitt's lawyers, and Mark L. Earley, a former Republican Virginia attorney general, oppose Lovitt's execution because the evidence destruction eliminated any chance Lovitt had to cast doubt on his guilt with new DNA testing.

What will Warner do? The pressure is on and time is running out. Warner mouthpiece Kevin Hall said

• "the governor's office has received roughly 1,500 calls, letters and e-mails, mostly from out of state and almost all urging clemency."

Warners call on this case could follow him for years. I still see it as a win-win for Warner if handled correctly. With the destruction of evidence he has an out to appeal to the pro death penalty side. If he lets the execution take place will he loose some anti death penalty support? As I said in the post last week, it will be very interesting to see how he handles this. Waner is also gaining a little praise from some conservatives with his recent remarks on the war in Iraq. Chad has the info here.

Virginia Politics-Blogging-

Norman has a good post up reviewing the article by Peter Ferrara posted in Bacons Rebellions e-zine.

Both are good reads. Norman offers some hope and a challenge to Virginia's conservative bloggers.

•  But as I told Peter when he made this argument at the last Tuesday Morning Group meeting, he is ignoring the one medium where conservatives have an existing infrastructure: the Internet and blogs.

Then issues this challenge

•  If we are even moderately successful, more and more conservatives will start reading blogs, and perhaps even creating their own. While blogs are not yet an adequate replacement for broadcast and print media, they are an essential messaging platform. Stop wringing your hands because the local paper won't print your letter to the editor. Stop arguing with the television set. Get a blog and get busy.

I agree. The Conservative blogs have a bright future. Norman points out that many conservatives are not reading blogs. I feel we need the MSM ( local newspapers ) to plug them. The WAPO did and that was great! Myself, every time I go to the college or library, I create a short cut on the desktop to Chads site and others. Who knows if it helps, but at least I am trying.

Blogging-Virginia Blog Carnival XIII

The Virginia Blog Carnival XIII is up at Brandon Meyer's.

Click on over and check it out.

Blogging- Wordpress reaches out

Wordpress is offering a free blog service like Blogger. Sign up here. So all you tight wads like me can check it out. I have a feeling Blogger will lose some traffic.

I am learning wordpress.....slowly. I have started a new blog there.

I dont know where it will go, but I am trying to learn. I have one meaningless post up, just as practice. The goal for the blog is to cover all election and campaign news, with links to all bloggers left or right with something to say. I will link it when I am ready for traffic. 

News- Say it aint so Ronald

Wizbang has this: Ronald MacDonald Charged With Robbing Wendy's.....Great photo with the story!

Blogging-Blogger needs prayer

My blog sis at Cathouse Chat has this post asking for prayer for a fellow blogger.

His blog is Kenders Musings. Go over and leave a comment and keep him in your prayers.

I know what the prayers did for me in my time of need.

News- Da Bears

Da Bears are my team. Remember 1985?

Best defense in football. Heh!

My hopes are high!!! Go Bears!!!

News-Ramsey Clark

From Aljazeera.net

•  Former US attorney-general Ramsey Clark is to join Saddam Hussein's defence team, a spokesman for the ousted Iraqi president's lawyers says.

What????

Now get this

•  Clark also said the US itself must be tried for the November assault on Falluja, destruction of houses, torture in prisons and its role in the deaths of thousands of Iraqis in the war.

Geeesh.......

Blogging- Thanksgiving was different

This Thanksgiving was different for me. I spent the day with friends, no family. This was a big change from the past couple of years that I spent with my family or at the farm with Shannon's family.

This year my friends and I celebrated together. We ate good thanks to the ladies in our lives. We watched football, we played PS2, we laughed and we cried. We missed those who were not there with us. My uncle Hennon. My friends Nathan (Big Al) Maggard (Nathan Lee (Big Al) Maggard, 25, passed away Monday (Aug. 15, 2005)., and Mike Stinson. They are missed by all of us. We sang songs and we remembered....how lucky we are to have known them.

Happy Thanksgiving

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

For flowers that bloom about our feet;
For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet;
For song of bird, and hum of bee;
For all things fair we hear or see,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee!
~Ralph Waldo Emerson


Heres a quick video worth watching.

Virginia Politics-Get Ready

While reading about Tim Kaines stop in Richmond to discuss transportation, this came through clearly

From The RTD

"Looking comfortable in front of a crowd of about 300 people as he stood in front of a bright red 1936 Curtiss-Wright Speedwing biplane, Kaine was careful not to commit himself to any specific transportation plan."

"But in opening remarks, he said the last time the state addressed its transportation needs was in 1986. Then-Gov. Gerald L. Baliles pushed through the General Assembly a major transportation building program, backed by increases in gas, titling and sales taxes."

Get ready for a trifecta increase in taxes. I can hear it now....

I have been across the state talking to real people. We have a problem and the only solution is reform. This means a large tax increase in the following areas.........Doooh!!!!!

Southwest Virginia- Santa Train

Brian Patton has this about a great tradition here in SWVA. If you know me and my love of trains, you know I don't miss the Santa Train.

•  "The really good part about it was getting to see a lot of kids who would have not otherwise got anything get a few gifts."

Brian is right about this. Everyone should see the joy this brings to kids in my area. I always have wondered why there is not a big show at the end of the line. That would be a great charity act.

News- Bestiality Bill in Massachusetts supported by 4 democrats........

I heard Jay Leno talk about this last week and I thought it was a joke. It turns out it was not.

Via Too Conservative and the GOPHokie comes this story of a bill introduced by 4 democrats- Cynthia S. Creem, Robert A. O'Leary, Michael E. Festa, David P. Linsky that would reduce the penalty of those convicted of bestiality

• First Comes Gay Marriage then Comes Bestiality in Massachusetts
• By calling the bill, “An Act Relative to Archaic Crimes,” its sponsors have revealed their bias which assumes that traditional sexual morality is “archaic” and no longer relevant to modern society, an allegation that many family groups and legislators oppose. The bill would also amend the penal code to de-criminalize adultery, fornication and the advertisement of abortion.

Geesh....What can they be thinking.....Wait! I really don't want to know what they are thinking.

News-Virginia Politics-Mark Warner and Robin Lovitt

The RTD has this article about Warner's dilemma in the case of Robin Lovitt who was convicted on capital murder and robbery and faces death on Nov 30.

• Warner facing tough decision

BY FRANK GREEN Singular circumstances and future political aspirations may make a condemned man's clemency plea to Gov. Mark R. Warner the toughest to have crossed his desk. The lame-duck governor has let the execution of 11 men proceed since taking office in 2002. But Robin Lovitt's case stands apart. State officials deliberately destroyed evidence that Lovitt's lawyers claim might save his life. Warner must decide what, if anything, should be done about it. He could grant a full pardon, an outcome viewed unlikely even by Lovitt supporters. Or he could commute the death sentence to life with or without the possibility of parole. Or, if past is prologue, Lovitt will die by injection Nov. 30. The state lost some evidence so there are some good questions to be asked in this case. Therefore it is now in the lap of Warner, who is widely touted as a possible Democratic candidate for president in 2008. The Lovitt case has drawn national attention because of the peculiar development and because of a dubious distinction: Lovitt could be the 1,000th person executed in the U.S. since the death penalty was allowed to resume in 1976. Lovitt's lawyers contend that new DNA testing techniques not available when Lovitt was prosecuted... Sabato gives his two cents about the politics that are in play. Larry J. Sabato, a University of Virginia political analyst, said: "Naturally, we'd all like to think a governor would make this decision purely on the facts, not with political considerations in mind. "He added: "I have no evidence at all that Warner would do anything other than that. "But, he said, having permitted other executions to proceed, Warner could probably escape political harm with one commutation, should he grant it. He would be criticized by some who would argue that Lovitt is guilty and is simply getting off on a technicality. However, Sabato said, "Democrats, unlike the general population, are tilted against the death penalty, especially the liberal activists who will show up in droves in Iowa and New Hampshire in 2008. "Warner, said Sabato, "could earn points with them by issuing a pardon or commutation." Earn points indeed. This is not a dilemma. It seems Mark L. Earley,who was Virginia's Republican attorney general from 1998 to 2001 is on record with this "I think it's just morally unfair to this guy when the evidence was by all accounts clearly destroyed contrary to [state law], and it has clearly prejudiced him," said Earley. The destruction of the evidence, he said, " just presents a highly prejudicial cloud over the case." Earley warned that, "if you impose the death penalty in this case, quite frankly, you undermine the credibility of the death penalty." This sounds like a win-win for Warner. The question is what base he wants to appeal to. It should be interesting for the next few days.

Blogging- Volume 1, Issue 12 Virginia Blog Carnival

The  Volume 1, Issue 12 Virginia Blog Carnival is up over at Imnotemeril. Alton has done a great job this week and there are some good posts up.

News-Tony Stewart wins 2nd NASCAR Title

Victory lap
Tony Stewart celebrates winning the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Blogging- Jarhead

Old Dominion Blog Alliance member Brandon Meyer posted about the movie Jarhead on Nov.11. Somehow I discovered it today. Brandon is a Marine and his view is to be admired.

News-Today in History

NUREMBERG TRIALS BEGIN:November 20, 1945

• Twenty-four high-ranking Nazis go on trial in Nuremberg, Germany, for atrocities committed during World War II.

  The Nuremberg Trials were conducted by an international tribunal made up of representatives from the United States, the Soviet Union, France, and Great Britain. It was the first trial of its kind in history, and the defendants faced charges ranging from crimes against peace, to crimes of war, to crimes against humanity. Lord Justice Geoffrey Lawrence, the British member, presided over the proceedings, which lasted 10 months and consisted of 216 court sessions. On October 1, 1946, 12 architects of Nazi policy were sentenced to death. Seven others were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 10 years to life, and three were acquitted. Of the original 24 defendants, one, Robert Ley, committed suicide while in prison, and another, Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach, was deemed mentally and physically incompetent to stand trial. Among those condemned to death by hanging were Joachim von Ribbentrop, Nazi minister of foreign affairs; Hermann Goering, leader of the Gestapo and the Luftwaffe; Alfred Jodl, head of the German armed forces staff; and Wilhelm Frick, minister of the interior. On October 16, 10 of the architects of Nazi policy were hanged. Goering, who at sentencing was called the "leading war aggressor and creator of the oppressive program against the Jews," committed suicide by poison on the eve of his scheduled execution. Nazi Party leader Martin Bormann was condemned to death in absentia (but is now believed to have died in May 1945). Trials of lesser German and Axis war criminals continued in Germany into the 1950s and resulted in the conviction of 5,025 other defendants and the execution of 806.

Would the same result happen today? I doubt it.

News- Bristol Motor Speedway sparks it up

The lights are on.

• Speedway in Lights is annually the largest fundraiser for Speedway Children’s Charities. The attraction features more than 100 separate light displays that use 1.5 million individual lights.

  The displays eat up six million watts of electricity over the month-and-a-half they’re lit. Electricity is provided free of charge by the Tennessee Valley Authority.

  More than 1.75 million people have passed through the display in its eight seasons.

  The light show is open seven days a week from 6-10 p.m. The cost is $7 per car Sunday-Thursday and $10 per car Friday and Saturday.

If you have been to the BMS show, you know what cool thing it is. If you have not, please go check it out.

• Read the article here

Blogging- Man in Black

• "Well, we're doin' mighty fine, I do suppose,
  In our streak of lightnin' cars and fancy clothes,
  But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back,
  Up front there ought 'a be a Man In Black." ( Man in Black, Johnny Cash,1971)

With the release of Walk the LineNov 18th we get to capture a glimpse of the life of Johnny Cash. Cash was born sharecroppers son in 1932. He died in 2003 at 71 years of age. He was an original outlaw. His career milestones include 11 grammy's, over 1500 songs and 500 albums. He was the youngest living inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock n Roll hall of fame also.
This movie tells the love story between Johnny and June Carter. June's family is not far from here in Hiltons, Va. The Carter Fold is still open today with shows most every weekend. You can learn more about that here.
Johnny's big change came in the 60's

• "his grueling tour schedule (which was now up to 300 shows a year) had taken its toll. Cash became dependent on narcotics to keep up the hectic pace. By the mid-1960s, Cash was a wreck and it began to impact his career. By 1967, though, Cash managed to overcome his addiction with the help of his singing partner June Carter and her family. In 1968 he and Carter were married and his career experienced a renaissance. Throughout the remainder of the decade and into the 1970s Cash was at the top of his game. A pair of live recordings made at Folsom Prison and San Quentin both went gold and a passel of awards followed including the CMA's Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist awards in 1969. The final payoff though, was a network television spot. Premiering in 1969, The Johnny Cash Show aired over ABC. Taped at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium, the show featured an eclectic mix of guests ranging from Bob Dylan and Neil Young to Louis Armstrong and Merle Haggard. Through his selection of guests, Cash helped to bridge the generation gap and break down musical barriers. He also used the show as a forum to discuss and raise the country's collective consciousness about social issues of the day such as the plight of the Native Americans, prison reform, and the conflict in Vietnam." The show ceased production in 1971 but Cash continued to host numerous specials for several years.

The movie is good. It shows how love saved a man from self destruction. June died a few months before Johnny and that seems fitting to me. We lost a true American original. We will always have Johnny's words though. His lyrics will live forever. For sucess in a relationship, follow Johnny's advice

• I keep a close watch on this heart of mine
  I keep my eyes wide open all the time.
  I keep the ends out for the tie that binds
  Because you're mine,
  I walk the line

  I find it very, very easy to be true
  I find myself alone when each day is through
  Yes, I'll admit I'm a fool for you
  Because you're mine,
  I walk the line

  As sure as night is dark and day is light
  I keep you on my mind both day and night
  And happiness I've known proves that it's right
  Because you're mine,
  I walk the line

  You've got a way to keep me on your side
  You give me cause for love that I can't hide
  For you I know I'd even try to turn the tide
  Because you're mine,
  I walk the line

By John R. Cash
Recorded 4/2/56
Learn more about Johnny Cash here.

Blogging- Virginia Blog Carnival Vol.1 Issue 12

This week the carnival is hosted by ImNotEmeril. Alton has a post up about it here. Get those submissions in!

News- Name it after me!

I found this very funny.

 U.S. House rejects naming building after Harkin.

•  Under an amendment approved in the Senate, the centers' communications building would become the "Thomas R. Harkin Global Communications Center."
  The proposal was ridiculed immediately after the House vote on the conservative Drudge Report Web site as an example of lawmakers' "egos completely out of control."
  The amendment was offered by Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii.

Egos out of control indeed! Check this out

•  Buildings and other items in the past have been named for members of the House and Senate.
  For example, Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., has had numerous items named for him in his home state and elsewhere, including a dam, a telescope and a cancer research center, according to Citizens Against Government Waste.

Dont forget about the Robert Byrd Center for Racial Harmony.

News-War- Local losses

•  Two local soldiers dead in Iraq
• BY MATTHEW LAKIN BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
•  A roadside bomb killed Staff Sgt. James Earl Estep, 26, of Damascus early Tuesday as he and other soldiers of the Army’s 101st Airborne Division drove through the streets of Taji, a suburb of Baghdad, Army officials said.

  Halfway across the country the next day, gunfire killed 2nd Lt. Donald Ryan McGlothlin, 26, of Lebanon as he and other Marines fought in Ubaydi near the Syrian border, according to the Department of Defense.

I am praying for these proud mens families.

War-A new daily read

I am a little foggy today, as I had a procedure to relieve some pressure in my head. Please excuse any errors...lol

Via the fair lady at Cathouse Chat, I have found a great blog that will become a daily read. I also am adding it to my blogroll and you should too. Michael Yon has some good stuff on his blog. His bio reads:

• Michael Yon, author of "Danger Close," is an independent, informed observer chronicling the monumentally important events in the efforts to stabilize Iraq. His dispatches have the benefit of his life experiences without drawbacks based on deadlines or demands of marketplace. The cost of these dispatches is borne solely by Michael. Readers who enjoy these dispatches and want to support Michael's mission in Iraq, can make a contribution using the PayPal links which are activated when the "support the next dispatch" button is clicked.
  Contributions can also be sent to:
  Michael Yon P O Box 416 Westport Pt MA 02791

His latest post is the Punishers' Ball.

• After a hard year of fighting and nation-building in northern Iraq, the Deuce Four has finally and completely returned home to the United States, where they threw a party to mark the occasion. Distinguished guests flew in to attend what was officially called the Redeployment Ball.

It is a great post full of pictures. Take the time to check it out and be sure to go through the archives. Thanks to Mr.Yon for some honest reporting.

Blogging- Good posts

The Red Queen Affair has a haunting picture here, and a touching story here. Powerful...

Blogging- Bearing Drift releases podcast

Bearing Drift has a pod cast up-with more to come in the future. Is this the future of blogging? It could be. I am looking forward to hearing more!

Blogging- Pandora update

I posted this a few days back. I got a couple emails saying it would not work. I received this

•  Dear Pandora listener,
  
  We want to apologise to those of you who've experienced performance issues with Pandora over the past week.  We have now fixed them - we're sorry it took so long.  We were simply caught off guard by the huge surge in listenership we experienced after the launch of Pandora version 2 - it was far beyond anything we had anticipated.
  
  Yesterday we dramatically increased our capacity.  We hope you have noticed the improvement today.
  
  We apologize again.  Thanks for your support and your patience.
  
  Tim
  
  Tim Westergren
  Founder
  Pandora

This is one of my fav music channels. Check it out!

News-A low-cost laptop for every child

The CSM has this

• Effort to link the world's rural poor to the Internet with a $100 computer gets a boost from the United Nations.
  By Christa Case | Staff writer of The Christian Science Mon
• In Cambridge, Mass., Nicholas Negroponte and his team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have been chipping away at a long-held dream: producing a laptop so cheap that governments could afford to link every child in the world to the Internet...... Five corporate sponsors, including Google and Advanced Micro Devices, have chipped in $2 million apiece to form a nonprofit group, One Laptop Per Child, to oversee the project. Nearly a half-dozen developing countries have expressed serious interest in ordering 1 million or more units, says Alexandra Kahn, spokeswoman for the MIT Media Lab.

They have the cost down to 130 bucks per machine now. The article has a picture of a prototype. As I read the article I thought this is a good idea, but why not make sure all American kids have one too. There is hope, as it adds

• American students could benefit, too. Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has proposed a $54 million program to equip each of his state's 500,000 middle- and high-schoolers with the laptops, which the students would be allowed to keep. Other states may follow suit. OLPC officials estimate they'll need another six months to complete development of the machine. Production will begin in the third quarter of 2006, with distribution late next year or early in 2007, says Ms. Kahn.

I hope other states jump on this also. You would think Bill Gates would jump onboard to help. That does not sound like it is going to happen as the article says the computers will run free Linux software. Heh. 100 dollar puters that are " full-color, capable of wireless connection to the Internet, and rugged enough to survive getting dropped in the mud."

Very Cool

Blogging- Virginia Blog Carnival, Volume I, Issue 11

The Virginia Blog Carnival, Volume I, Issue 11 is up at Bearing Drift.

JR has done a great job and the are a lot of good posts up. Check them out!

Politics-Howard The Duck

I saw this on Drudge last night. Bearing Drift read it too. Well it has been updated.

Via Drudge

•  HOWARD THE DUCK: DEAN DODGES NBC APPEARANCE WITH REPUBLICAN
  Sun Nov 13 2005 09:17:22 ET
  
  Dem Chair Dean Ducks Last Second Joint MEET THE PRESS Appearance With GOP Chair Mehlman
  
  The DRUDGE REPORT has learned from exclusive sources that Democrat Party Chair Howard Dean turned down Republican Party Chair Ken Mehlman’s last minute offer to appear together on NBC’s MEET THE PRESS this morning.
  Moments before taping was to begin with host Tim Russert, Mehlman asked Dean outside the NBC studio’s green room: “There’s still time for us to go on together Governor.” Dean declined with a shrug of his shoulders and an uncomfortable cackle and then proceeded to walk away into the green room.
  DRUDGE has learned MEET THE PRESS producers have been working to get a head to head Dean/Mehlman appearance on the program since Dean was named chair back in February. Dean and his handlers have repeatedly turned down the request. The former Vermont governor only agreed to do this week’s program if they appeared in back-to-back interviews....

I find this hilarious after all the hoopla the people raised over Jerry Kilgores refusal to debate Tim Kaine on a weekly basis.

If the Democrats are so proud of their recent accomplishments why would Howard duck the show?

Virginia Politics-Chad Dotson in 2009?

Commonwealth Watch is making predictions for 2009. Poli Amateur throws out some names. What is very interesting is the predictions for the AG. Steve Baril, Paul Harris, etc. At the end Poli has

• "we can't leave off fellow blogger Chad Dotson, Commonwealth's Attorney in Wise County and better known as Commonwealth Conservative in the Internet world."

Dotson in 2009?

I can support that. If he ran a AG race like he did his CA race, Chad will be a force for sure. Chad has the perfect ad. The ad contains "all the right stuff"...Bio, record, goals, and at the end he touches home...Grand Slam. Many campaigns should of used his example.

Update: Chad reminds us in the comments that he has a re-election campaign to run in 2007. I think the 2007 campaign will make a great primer for 2009. I believe Chad, like our sheriff Ronnie Oakes, has the job as long as he runs. This makes Wise county politics interesting for the next few years. Thanks to Chad Dotson, it is very interesting indeed.

Virginia Politics- Governor Elect Kaine- Updated

The Blog From on High is cranking out the truth this week. Jerry has this post: The Governor Has a Plan. It looks like we in SWVA will get plenty of bones(MY post about it) and weenies tossed at us. LOL

Updated....
It looks like Jerry has a fan. Jerry lays out some facts in this great post. This is must read material!!!

War-Veterans Day

 

This will be my only post today. This day is about one thing and we should all respect that.

 

What Is a Vet?

 

Some veterans bear visible signs of their service: a missing limb, a jagged scar, a certain look in the eyes.  Others may carry the evidence inside them: a pin holding a bone together, a piece of shrapnel -- or perhaps another sort of inner steel: the soul's alloy forged in the refinery of adversity.  Except in parades, however, the men and women who have kept America safe wear no badge or emblem.

You can't tell a vet just by looking.  What is a vet?

The Vet is the cop on the beat who spent six months in Saudi Arabia sweating two gallons a day making sure the armored personnel carriers didn't run out of fuel.

The Vet may be the bar room loudmouth, dumber than five wooden planks, whose overgrown frat-boy behavior is outweighed a hundred times in the cosmic scales by four hours of exquisite bravery near
the 38th parallel in Korea.

The Vet is the nurse who fought against futility and went to sleep sobbing every night in Da Nang.

The Vet is the former POW who went away one person and came back another - or didn't come back AT ALL.

The Vet is the Quantico drill instructor who maybe never experienced combat -- but saved countless lives by turning slouchy, no-account rednecks and gang members into Marines by teaching them to watch and protect each other's backs.

The Vet is the wheel chair-riding Legionnaire who pins on his ribbons and medals with a prosthetic hand.

The Vet is the career quartermaster who watched the ribbons and medals pass him by but made certain every needed bullet found it way to the front line.

The Vet is one of the three anonymous heroes in The Tomb Of The Unknowns, whose presence at the Arlington National Cemetery must forever preserve the memory of all the anonymous heroes whose
uncommon valor lies unrecognized with them on the battlefield or in the ocean's sunless deep.

The Vet is the old guy bagging groceries at the supermarket -- palsied now and aggravatingly slow --who helped liberate a Nazi death camp and who wishes all day long that his wife was still alive to hold him when the nightmares come.

The Vet is an ordinary and yet an extraordinary human being -- a person who offered some of his life's most vital years in the service of his country, and who sacrificed his ambitions so others would not have to sacrifice theirs.
 

by Marine Corp chaplain, Father Denis Edward O'Brian

I am thankful for the men and woman who have served and are serving now. I suggest everyone give a little back to them as they give so much to us. A good place to start would be here. Come on bloggers! Look at the time we spend on politics...Give some back to those who deserve it.

The Cathouse has a couple great posts up!!! The first one is here..then also this one.You know the Lady over there is the best.

 

Blogging-

Found a few cool things to share.

Pandora is now free.

• Ever since we started the Music Genome Project, our friends would ask: Can you help me discover more music that I'll like? Those questions often evolved into great conversations. Each friend told us their favorite artists and songs, explored the music we suggested, gave us feedback, and we in turn made new suggestions. Everybody started joking that we were now their personal DJs.

  We created Pandora so that we can have that same kind of conversation with you.

I love Pandora.My own personal DJ. The quality is great and the price is right! Check it out.

Via Appalachian Gun Trash we have Today's Community Service Link. Very funny! See how you score on this short test.

Virginia Politics- Election results

Chad directs us to a map from Redstate. The Red and the Blue. Lets look at that map long and hard. We in SWVA had a chance to get one of our own in Richmond. We only lost in Buchanan Co. We needed a greater turnout to get past the city folk supporting Kaine. Before the left brags, they need to realize that the majority of counties supported Kilgore. Even Dickenson County and the city of Norton turned out for Kilgore. Most of these counties are Democratic strongholds that knew Kilgore was the best choice for SWVA. Bristol City had a 37% turn out...Pitiful! Terry Long had a great article in the paper that in sum said: "This is not a Republican thing or a Democratic thing..this is a SWVA thing." We had the chance and we let it pass. Would a 70% turn out of helped? We will never know.

Virginia Politics- Tim Kaine

The numbers ad up and Tim Kaine is the man. Congratulations to him and his family. I hope he makes us proud. He won the race and I will not be mad or loose sleep.
My feelings are that it will not take long for the people of Virginia to see he is not Mark Warner. I see stays of executions, more gun laws, and raising taxes in our future. I hope I am wrong about that. Jerry Kilgore and his whole family have been on the hot seat this whole campaign. Come Jan Tim Kaine will take over that spot and be accountable for every action made. Sounds like a bunch of fun for the bloggers.

Congratulations Gov elect Kaine! Good luck and dont forget we are watching.

Blogging- Comments

This exchange happened today.

With all this talk of Southwest Virginia pride, I am kind of shocked that no one on here finds Kilgore's campaigning tactics morally reprehensible, or disturbing, to say the least. SW Virginian's pride themselves on autonomy, self-sufficiency, and moral character. There is a fine line between good political strategy and cowardice. Not debating a third-party candidate whom most Republicans have deemed harmless in this election is good seemingly good strategy. But if Potts is so harmless, why not debate him? The mailings that Kilgore paid for and distributed last night endorsing Potts in heavily Democratic areas is underhanded. I know its good strategy, but take a look at one of these things if you can. It's cowardly. I'm not that keen on Kaine, either. But Kilgore in no way shape or form lives up to the tradition and character that gives the people of the Fightin' Ninth their reputation.
SWVA | 11.08.05 - 10:00 am | #

---

Thats your opinion. We all have them.
The mailer issue means nothing to me. Tim kaine saying
"I am a conservative" does.
F rating from the NRA does
Taxes
Death penalty
Abortion

And just to add, The Kaine campaign dragged Jerry's mom into it. Not one charge has stuck, not one indictment issued. Dont talk to me about SWVA morals, dirty campaign..blah blah.
Kilo | Homepage | 11.08.05 - 10:20 am | #

---

I love your scripted response. Blah, blah, huh? You're probably as skilled a driver as you are a critical thinker.
SWVA | 11.08.05 - 12:42 pm | #

---

my apologies. That was uncalled for. forgive that remark.
SWVA | 11.08.05 - 12:48 pm | #

 

Apologies are not called for. That is between you and God, He forgives. I guess you really proved your critical thinking point huh SWVA? I gave several points you could of argued, but no...You and your critical thinking made you say what? "You're probably as skilled a driver as you are a critical thinker."

Just another Tim Kaine supporter that uses critical thinking to insult, or should I say make fun of someone. I will have an epic post on the difference in the left and right blogoshere in a few days......and I will try to use critical thinking....

Virginia Politics- Election Day pt.2

I voted at Wise Middle School and there was a good turn out this morning. I was the 222 voter at my table(last names A-F). That is good news. We used touch screen machines that are so easy and fast. I really like the last screen that shows you who you have picked, so if you are wrong you can go back and change the error.

I want to add that the Redstater is live blogging, so is Alton, and of course we all know Will is over at CC for Chad.

This endorsement means the world to me. Sis is never wrong and you should listen to what she has to say.

I had a bad night last night. I am on my lap top(new I will add) using a hospital connection to blog(They dont know it yet). Cat scan in a few min. The Nazi nurses are taking care of me. I passed out last night and went to the ER....so today I am here, it should not take long and I hope to be home by 1 or 2pm. There is this one nurse.....easy Kilo...Easy/

Virginia Politics- Election Day

WoW...Did Jerry Kilgore have a great rally last night or what. You can see a video here of President Bush at the rally. As I said here, Hans would be there and he has some good things over at his site.

•   The rally opened with prayer.

Thanks Hans!

 

Virginia Politics- The one prediction I was waiting for...

It is up!

Chad has his thoughts about tomorrow. With all the late polls showing a Kaine surge and saying it will be a long night...Chad offers this

•  I’m here to tell you that you will know the name of the next Governor before you go to bed (unless you are my one-year-old son, in which case you will barely be awake when the polls close). And that name will be ........

Click on over for the rest of the story.

Blogging- Virginia Blog Carnival X

Virginia Blog Carnival X is up.

Hans Mast has great site so check it out!!!

He also is attending the Kilgore - Bush event tonight. Look for his posts on that too!

Virginia Politics-Door to door "This holler supports Jerry Kilgore"

I took a walk around my holler today.

• Variant of hollow.

  REGIONAL NOTE   One feature of Upper Southern English and specifically of Appalachian English is its pronunciation of the final unstressed syllable in words such as hollow, window, and potato as (ər). Holler, winder, and tater are merely variant pronunciations reflected in spelling. As a noun, holler has the specific meaning in the Appalachians of “a small valley between mountains”: They live up in the holler underneath Big Bald Mountain.

I have no fear that Kilgore will carry SWVA. My holler supports him. Going door to door today I found that my nieghbers all support Jerry and all of them will vote. I talked to 18 people here and everyone supports Jerry. This makes you wonder about the recent polls huh. Everyone knows Spark It Up supports him, but it was great to see that the whole holler supports him also. I would do more, but I am not feeling well the past couple days. I have great friends taking care of me, and a couple of sisters who keep me in line. I will vote early tomorrow and I hope you will too.

And Remember

This holler supports Jerry Kilgore and you should too.

Virginia Politics-Tim Kaine and the press

The Washington Times has a article titled A free pass for Tim Kaine? It desribes how the media bias has shown Kaine in different light than Kilgore. That should be expected right? We all know how the press has treated Kilgore.

• Although Tuesday's gubernatorial election is a tossup when it comes to Virginia voters, Democratic nominee Tim Kaine would surely win a historic landslide if journalists covering the election were polled.
  When the nonpartisan Center for Media and Public Affairs analyzed the content of news and opinion pieces in The Washington Post and the three largest papers in Virginia during a two-week period last month, they found that a majority of evaluations of Mr. Kaine (51 percent) were positive, while more than two-thirds of Republican nominee Jerry Kilgore were negative. The differences became even more pronounced when op-ed pieces and unsigned editorials were examined: Sixty-five percent of the signed columns and unsigned editorials were pro-Kaine, while 80 percent of those on Mr. Kilgore were negative.

80%....wow! It is a wonder that Kilgore is still in the race. That amount of bias should kill any campaign. On the hot button issue of say the death penalty, it was portrayed this way

• When Mr. Kilgore emphasizes his support for capital punishment or his strong stance against providing taxpayer benefits for illegal aliens, he is routinely caricatured as mean-spirited or bigoted. Mr. Kaine, by contrast, tends to get softball treatment. On the death penalty, for example, one of Mr. Kaine's first death-row clients after coming to Richmond 21 years ago was Richard Whitley, who had raped and murdered an elderly neighbor in Fairfax County. Mr. Kaine, who did not dispute Mr. Whitley's guilt, said following his 1987 execution that Virginia's death penalty was analogous to practices in the Soviet Gulag. Mr. Kaine says that despite all he has done to stop the death penalty, he can now be trusted to enforce the law.

So who was really surprised about newspaper endorsements? Heck, they endorsed Kaine long ago by printing up all that bias against Kilgore. The WT op-ed ends with this line

• If Mr. Kilgore is victorious on Tuesday, he can rightly claim to have defeated two adversaries: Mr. Kaine and the local media.

I agree with that 100%. This has been a battle and it ends tomorrow. Vote for Jerry Kilgore!

I got to play a game of fetch with Boobie Doo not long ago. I really miss him.  

Virginia Politics- From on High

Jerry is in good form this morning. Check out this post.

Come Election Day

After reading Jerry's post, ImNotEmeril has his own story.

These two posts are very good! Jerry hits the nail on the head and Alton drives it home.

Virginia Politics-VIRGINIA STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SANCTIONS KAINE CAMPAIGN

Via the RGA:

• Refers to Commonwealth's Attorney for Potential Prosecution
  
  

  WASHINGTON, DC - This morning the Virginia State Board of Elections, in an emergency meeting called to examine Tim Kaine's deceptive campaign mailer, issued the strongest possible penalty against the Kaine campaign for violation of Virginia Law, as well as referred the matter to the Commonwealth's Attorney to further investigate whether the illegal mailer was intentional, and therefore subject to criminal penalties.
  The Board of Elections, in response to a complaint filed by the Republican Governors Association ("RGA") against the Kaine campaign, unanimously ruled that the disclaimer on the Kaine campaign's deceptive mailer did not meet the requirement of Virginia law to be "conspicuous." The Board of Elections then unanimously voted to issue the maximum allowable fine ($100) against the Kaine campaign. Next, the Board discussed whether the Kaine violation was intentional or "knowing" under VA law, and because of the seriousness of the violation unanimously referred it to the Commonwealth's Attorney to further investigate and potentially prosecute.
  Charles Spies, the RGA's General Counsel who testified at the emergency meeting, commended the Board "for taking the strongest possible action to sanction the Kaine campaign's dishonest and deceptive campaign tactics."
  RGA Executive Director Mike Pieper stated: "Virginia voters need to evaluate whether they can trust Tim Kaine and his consistently dishonest campaign. It must be especially disheartening for Kaine's supporters to see his campaign referred to the Commonwealth's Attorney on the eve of Election Day for potential prosecution."

Very interesting indeed....Lets see what is said in the next day or two....A new Kilgore ad perhaps.

Virginia Politics-Tim Kaine

From The RTD.

• Democratic gubernatorial candidate Timothy M. Kaine said yesterday he hired eight buses to take people to the "Million Mom March" rally in Washington in 2000 out of compassion for the families of murder victims in Richmond.

My question: Where was this compassion for victims as you fought to get convicted killers off death row?

The irony of Kaine.
More Kaine Irony Here

Happy Birthday

It is Birthday time for the lady of the house over at CHC.

This lady and her blog are a blessing to me. I hope she has a wonderful day filled with love, laughs, and lotsa hugs!

A big hug from me Sis!!!!   Happy Birthday!

News-Christ or christ

This via The Red Stater.

•  It must be getting a little too close for Christmas for the chi-chi crystal palace of the pretentious European Union. Pooh-bahs in Brussels have come up with a new grammar rule for themselves and the Netherlands--making it official that the name "Christ" will soon be written with a lower-case "c". That was the stipulation in an orthography reform published earlier this month in Brussels.
• According to the Kath.net agency, the new spelling legislation will also stipulate that the Dutch word for "jews" (joden) be spelled with a capital "J" when referring to nationality and with a lower-case "j" when referring to the religion. The changes will be mandatory in August of 2006. There is no description of the fines offenders will face if they keep right on spelling "Christ" with a capital "C".
• The new spelling regulations are coming from the same folk, who include as one of their seat numbers in the august and austere chamber in which they gather to prevaricate on all things politically correct, the number 666.
• The European Union hierarchy may have numbered the seat 666, but at last count no one has had the courage to actually claim the seat as their own.
• Read the whole article

This really bothers me. Anyone who believes there is not a war on Christianity is blind.

•  At the European Union, the name of the humble carpenter from Nazareth may be diminished by lower-case spelling, but Javier Solana, The Great will continue to have his name spelled in capital letters.

  Solana, a sort of Kofi Annan, European style, is High Representative of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the Secretary General of both the European Union and the Western European Union. Note to the media, all of his titles are to be spelled in capital letters.

Very sad....

Virginia Politics- Jerry Kilgore

The RTD has this article by Tyler Whitley:

Kilgore: Taxes take front seat in race-Republican pumps anti-tax message in visits to gas stations.

It is a good article that highlights Kilgores anti tax message, and hammers Kaine on the gas tax issue.

• Republican gubernatorial candidate Jerry W. Kilgore took his anti-tax message to Chesterfield County yesterday, telling motorists that Democrat Timothy M. Kaine would be more likely to raise gasoline taxes than he would be.
• "We can't trust Tim Kaine to keep down taxes because he's not going to," Kilgore said, before pumping gas for motorists at JR's Auto Care, a Shell station at the northeast corner of Midlothian Turnpike and Huguenot Road.

The post also has this

• Also yesterday, the Kilgore campaign appeared to endorse a letter by Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., in which he asked the U.S. attorney's office to investigate a day-laborer center being built in Herndon.
• While the letter was written by Tancredo, a link to it was sent to reporters by the Kilgore campaign, which opposes the center as a boon to illegal immigrants.

Immigration is still a hot topic, as it should be. But the best for last!!

• As luck would have it, the Chesterfield service station lowered its gas prices by 6 cents a gallon while Kilgore was trying to help motorists pump gas at the self-service pumps.
• "I show up, and great things happen," Kilgore joked.

Good stuff.

Virginia Politics

The Blue Dog Is Barking!!!

Blogging-This is a Damn Shame

There is no other way to put it-This is a Damn Shame.

I am a long time reader and fan of the Commonwealth Conservative. I think this sucks. Chad has always allowed people to disagree and debate in the comments. Now we see personal attacks and hate e-mail.

•  Because of multiple violations of the comment policy, and a few people who continue to make personal attacks on me, all comments at Commonwealth Conservative will be moderated for at least the next week.
•  I didn’t want to do this (mainly because I don’t have time to moderate every comment), but I’m sick of the attacks (I’m sick of the hate e-mail, too, but that’s another story for another time).

This makes me think who would send hate e-mail to a conservative blogger? I guess this may be normal for the popular blogs, and CC is popular. I am sure it is not a bunch of young conservatives sending this hate mail. It makes think huh...Is it just a basic difference only I have noticed? I think not. There is a difference in the sides of the blogoshpere. Big difference.

 

Coming home from the war...

This is very cool. From Tri Cities dot com.

•  Nobody cheered when Bob Murray came home from Vietnam. "I’ve been spit on, I’ve been cursed, I’ve been called a baby-killer," the Marine Corps veteran said. "All I was doing was what my country asked me to do." He and the other members of Rolling Thunder plan to make sure the soldiers of Troop F, 2nd Squadron, of the 278th Regimental Combat Team get a different welcome today.

A Rolling Thunder welcome home! With all the Cindy bullshit and anti war junk going on, I am glad to see this group take some action in this homecoming.

•  "We’ve been there," Murray said. "We know how it feels. We don’t want to see these guys coming back get treated the way we were. This is a way for us to show our appreciation. They deserve a lot more."

We all owe the troops a huge thank you and look who comes through....THE BIKERS. Learn more about Rolling Thunder here.

Virginia Politics- Two big stories

First over at Bacons Rebellion (who does not link Spark It Up!!!) we have this post:

• If a Virginia newspaper editor works for one candidate in a campaign, shouldn't that newspaper publish the fact in their paper? Isn't it unethical to not have full disclosure? Especially if the editor is one of their editorial page editors? posted by James Atticus Bowden

Then in the comments he names Gordon Morse and the Daily press. Mr. Bacon comments:

• At 7:14 AM, Jim Bacon said... Jim, If what you imply is true, then I would consider it to be a very serious ethical charge -- and a legitimate topic for Bacon's Rebellion. Now that you've put Gordon Morse's name into the public domain, I think you need to either back up your proposition with hard facts or retract it with an apology.

We await the results. Next we have Chad's post called Tim Kaine and campaign finance law. Chad has an interesting take on Kaines fundraising.

• "Aaaah, Kaine’s leftist buddies with MoveOn.org have been down this road before (and aren’t Clark and Dean big Kaine supporters?). Since MoveOn endorsed Kaine’s candidacy recently, perhaps they can advise him of their experience with accepting international donations."

These two articles are hot! I would wager we hear more about them in the near future.

Politics-'Party trumps race' for Steele foes - Metropolitan - The Washington Times, America's Newspaper

'Party trumps race' for Steele foes - Metropolitan - The Washington Times, America's Newspaper

• Black Democratic leaders in Maryland say that racially tinged attacks against Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele in his bid for the U.S. Senate are fair because he is a conservative Republican.

• Such attacks against the first black man to win a statewide election in Maryland include pelting him with Oreo cookies during a campaign appearance, calling him an "Uncle Tom" and depicting him as a black-faced minstrel on a liberal Web log.

This shows us all again that you can be racist if your liberal. I posted about this before. This is the stuff Kaine dollars went to support before he got caught and removed his ad's.

The Commonwealth of Virginia's Ultimate Blog talks about The Alito-Virginia Connection

A good post is up at Sic Semper Tyrannis. It seems Alito has ties to Virginia. From SST:

•  Turns out, Judge Alito has a connection to the Commonwealth as his son is a student at the University of Virginia.
  
  I just knew a man of such impeccable qualificiations had to have some tie to our great Commonwealth. Confirm this man, quickly! Read the post here.

The more I read about Alito, the more I admire him. Lets all push to get this man a Up or Down vote.

Virginia Politics-More on Endorsements

I posted my rant about this here. That was followed by this post from Emeril, who also thought the endorsements carry little weight but are fun to analyze.

Today Chad posted this, linking to a article in The Washingtonian. The article by Harry Jaffe is here.

• In this tight race, every newspaper endorsement counts. A good case can be made that the Virginia governor’s race is a referendum on the clout of newspaper coverage and editorial endorsements.

Jaffe contends they carry some weight, but I still think they are over rated just like union endorsements. When you read this article you will notice it is not the endorsement that matters it is the positive or negative bview the paper has put on each candidate.

• According to a report by the Center for Media and Public Affairs, a Washington think tank, Virginia’s three major dailies have published more “positive” opinion pieces about Kaine than about Kilgore.

  For example, the Washington Post has written 58-percent positive takes on Kaine compared with 9 percent for Kilgore. The Roanoke Times’s comparison is 46 percent for Kaine, 7 percent for Kilgore

The bias this election is clear. What about good ole Larry Sabato?

• University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato is not surprised at the editorial leanings of the state’s major papers. “If the newspaper editorial writers were voting,” says Sabato, “Kaine would win in a landslide.” But “I don’t think they have much clout. If it’s an extremely close race, they might.” Sabato says newspaper opinion columns show their true impact on television.“They are great fodder for Kaine’s spots,” he says. “That’s their usefulness.” Kaine’s campaign has filled the airwaves with quotes from newspaper articles that make him look good and criticize his opponent. Meanwhile, Kaine makes sure to stop into every newspaper, large or small, as he tours the state, hoping to get editorial backing. “Who reads editorials?” asks Diana Owen, associate professor of political science at Georgetown University. “The campaigns have been so nasty; the effect of the media is to turn off voters.”

Interesting indeed! I still believe people read the endoesments, but do not carry them to the polls. Newspapers carry bad news...not good news, and most people see that clearly.

More on Alito

I was watching CNN yesterday and they spot lighted a blog from the west coast called Pattericos Pontifications. This blog is a great source for info on Alito. Yesterday they adressed this:

• There is a lot of buzz [UPDATE: now confirmed!] saying that Judge Samuel Alito may be President Bush’s nominee for the Supreme Court. If Judge Alito is nominated, the primary Democrat talking point is going to be his dissent in the case of Planned Parenthood v. Casey, 947 F.2d 682 (3d Cir. 1991). In that case, Judge Alito wrote a cogent dissent which argued for the validity of a law requiring spousal notification before an abortion. We need to be ready to counter this talking point if Judge Alito is nominated. Luckily, we are armed with the truth.

Armed with the truth indeed. The post is here and it is a must read!!! Well since you are there, read this post of how

L.A. Times Subtly Alters Quote to Make Alito Look Bad

I love these big lawyer blogs that have the resourses to catch the MSM peeing on our legs. I like this blog, but my knowledge of the law is limited.

Maybe Chad or Steve can help us out.

Emeril on The Roanoke Times

My friend Alton at Im Not Emeril is on the Roanoke Times like a dog on a bone. In back to back post's, Alton takes a bite out of the RT. Check it out!

Democrats disturbed over Alito

This is disgusting indeed. J.R. over at Bearing Drift has a good post up about what the democrats are complaining about. According to the post which cites MSNBC host Chris Mathews:

•  In Case You Missed It: MSNBC's Chris Matthews On "Disgusting" Democrat Attacks On Judge Alito
• MSNBC's Chris Matthews: "[I]'m Sitting Here Holding In My Hands, A Pretty Disgusting Document, This Is Put Out Not For Attribution. But It Comes From The Democrats, They're Circulating It. I Can Say That." (MSNBC's "MSNBC Live," 10/31/05)
• Matthews: "[T]hen Their Complaint Sheet Against Judge Alito's Nomination. The First Thing They Nail About This Italian American Is He Failed To Win A Mob Conviction In A Trial 20 Years Ago, Or Something Way Back In '88." (MSNBC's "MSNBC Live," 10/31/05) 
• Matthews: "In Other Words, They Nail Him On Not Putting Some Italian Mobsters In Jail From The [Lucchese] Family. Why Would They Bring Up This Ethnically Charged Issue As The First Item They Raise Against Judge Alito?" (MSNBC's "MSNBC Live," 10/31/05) 
• Matthews: "This Is Either A Very Bad Coincidence Or Very Bad Politics. Either Way Its Gonna Hurt Them. This Document: Not Abortion Rights, Not Civil Rights But That He Failed To Nail Some Mobsters In 1988. This Is The Top Of Their List Of What They've Got Against This Guy. Amazingly Bad Politics." (MSNBC's "MSNBC Live," 10/31/05)  
• Matthews: "[The Democrats Are] Trying Not To Put A Signature On It, But I Just Did." (MSNBC's "MSNBC Live," 10/31/05)
• Read All

Racist? WOW. This is unreal, even to Mathews. Read all of JR's post here. This story is even more racist than that. The Squeaky Wheel has this. The Italians are mad at the racist remarks about Alito. I am mad too! The post by TSW has this:

• This brings up a good point. Can you imagine how crazy people would be if the nominee was Black and they referred to him as Judge Uncle Tom, or Justice Shaft, or some other racist name? Oh wait, never mind. They did do that to Clarence Thomas and I do recall certain liberals calling Secretary Rice as Aunt Jemima.
  
  Lesson here is if you are liberal, you can make racist jokes because of course you don’t mean it. I mean liberals care more than you… For Pete’s sake, they have ribbons and plastic bracelets to prove it!

I agree 100% with Bearing Drift and it is about time people see the bias.