Yesterday four policemen were killed in a Seattle suburb. The alleged killer seemingly was targeting police because no one else in the restaurant was hurt. The person of interest is Maurice Clemmons. “In 1989, Clemmons, then 17, was convicted in Little Rock for aggravated robbery. He was paroled in 2000 after then-Gov. Mike Huckabee commuted Clemmons’ 95-year prison sentence. Huckabee, who was criticized during his run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 for the number of clemencies and commutations he granted, cited Clemmons’ age at the time of the crime was committed.”* Huckabee has released the following statement in reference to Clemmons “Should [Clemmons] be found to be responsible for this horrible tragedy, it will be the result of a series of failures in the criminal justice system in both Arkansas and Washington State. He was recommended for and received a commutation of his original sentence from 1990, making him parole eligible and was paroled by the parole board once they determined he met the conditions at that time. He was arrested later for parole violation and taken back to prison to serve his full term, but prosecutors dropped the charges that would have held him… Our thoughts and prayers are and should be with the families of those honorable, brave, and heroic police officers.”* First let me say the actions of the alleged gunman are his fault and his fault alone, but it will be interesting to see how this handled. This is reminiscent of the Willie Horton incident that the Republican Party used to smear the reputation of the 1988 presidential candidate Mike Dukakis. Horton was serving a life sentence and was granted a weekend furlough. While on the furlough Horton committed armed robbery and rape. This incident was used to establish the premise that Dukakis was soft on crime. The ads developed were ominous and racist and sadly successful. So as a Republican how will Huckabee handle this potential hot potato? It’s not his fault, but the truth never stands in the way of an effective political strategy.  *Huffington Post

Tiger Woods crashed his SUV into a tree. He ended up on the ground unconscious. There are rumors circulating that he had a fight with his wife and that he is having an affair with another woman. Now what part of this is our business? None of it. This is a private matter. We keep hearing he won’t talk to the police, but what they fail to say as a follow up is he does not have to talk to them. The question is will this incident effect Woods endorsement deals? No it won’t Woods is a man, not a perfect man and he like the rest of us has issues. He has a private life that became public when he came out of his home, but it is still not our business.

Keli will appear on MSNBC with Dylan Ratigan, Monday morning between 9:45 and 10:15 AM EST.

www.keligoff.com

My friend and contributor to this Blog, Jim Mahoney, forwarded me Katie Couric’s latest example of what masquerades for journalism.  Ms. Couric recently attended a  White House State Dinner that has become infamous not for its accomplishments, but for the party crashers Tareq and Michaele Salahi.  Ms. Couric’s “reporting” Tweet follows:

• My recap of state dinner: Lots of saris, beautiful orchids, Mrs. O looked amazing! Seemed 2 ft taller than wife of India PM.
• Prez looked tired from China, tablecloths were deep celadon, lots of dresses in sea foam green for whatever reason…
• Jennifer Hudson was spectacular…she sang somewhere – wish I could sing like her, she’s sick!
• They had Indian dancers and the AR Rahman (composer, musician) sang Jai Ho from Slumdog millionaire, which he wrote.
• Kurt Elling from Chicago…NSO performed…my favorite number was the theme from Candide from the national symphony orchestra (bernstein)
• Met and chatted w state dinner crashers who were incredibly friendly and seemed so comfortable… Shld they be charged? what do u think?

Wow; …… that’s heavy!  And Couric wanted to know what journals Sarah Palin reads?   Before commenting further I share Jim Mahoney’s interpretation of Couric’s Tweet.  “Is it just me or does she sound really stupid gushing and using expressions like a nine year old girl.  This is what passes for journalism today.”

No Jim, it isn’t you.  This tweet is certainly worthy of a twit.  If Ms. Couric wasn’t a nationally known reporter and wrote this stuff I’d accuse her of being a bimbo.  However, since she is the anchor CBS Nightly News, I conclude that she’s just one of those Leftist media folks that puts personal desires before professional journalism.

But, girls don’t worry; it’s is not gal only thing.  I the same bimbo question is deserved by Chris Matthews of MSNBC’s Hardball who said of Barrack Obama after listening to a speech during the campaign: “I felt this thrill going up my leg. I mean, I don’t have that too often.”  More heavy panting or reporting?

The Lamestream Media is a disgrace to the country.  Fortunately, Americans see through this as evidenced by the ratings for the major networks’ primetime news shows.  But don’t fret for Couric or Mathews.  There’s always jobs for pros like these at the National Inquirer!

Whiplash inducing quote of the day from The New York Times and MSNBC:

“As White House officials fended off new questions about how a fame-seeking couple finessed their way into the president’s glittering state dinner last week, the aspiring reality-TV stars themselves began trying to sell their story for hundreds of thousands of dollars.  Television industry executives said on Saturday that Michaele and Tareq Salahi had postponed plans for an interview Monday on CNN’s “Larry King Live” and were seeking top-dollar bids for their first television interview.“

Not only should these media whores not get “top-dollar” for their side of the story, but they should have their asses thrown in jail—preferably with Michaele’s sharing a cell with Big Bertha.

But wait—there’s more:

“Meanwhile, several invited guests who had entered the White House through the same entrance as the Salahis said that the Secret Service’s normal security check-in process, familiar to many of them after years in political circles, had been haphazard.

They said Secret Service guards had not directed the visitors through the well-equipped guardhouse with its metal detector and X-ray screeners, located just inside the east entrance to the White House. Instead, after guards glanced at their ID cards in the dark, they had to wait in a chilly mist outside the East Wing portico. Then they were funneled to a portable metal detector but no X-ray scanner for checking purses and other belongings.“

 So, let me get this straight.  People who would have direct access and physical contact with the President of the United States had to undergo less clearance than the average schmo who goes through security at the Podunk airport?  A blonde bimbo is allowed to bypass security clearing because she doesn’t fit the profile of a terrorist? 

And where was the White House social secretary, Ms. Rogers, who was supposed to have staff overseeing all of the checkpoints to prevent just such a “gate crashing”?  Too busy promoting herself?

What is dreadfully wrong with this picture?  I hate to advance conspiracy theories, but something tells me the Secret Service isn’t “all that into” protecting this president. 

 I hope heads roll at that department and with the White House staff.  I hope they bounce all the way to Lower Slobovia where their next job is picking up reindeer dung.

In that vein, I dedicate this ATC to the Salahis and the Secret Service. 

May you get what you deserve.

Just a few noteworthy news stories that have been careening around the stratosphere this week.

BREAKING NEWS:  You have to love MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell. On her television program, Andrea Mitchell Reports last week she had Republican National Committee Chairman, Michael Steele as a guest. The topic was Sarah Palin and whether she has the political acumen to run for national office. When Steele answered in the affirmative and stated that she was a “successful governor”, Mitchell stopped him in his tracks and reminded him that she quit that position halfway through her first term. Good for you, Ms. Mitchell.

THIS JUST IN:  From the “Only In Massachusetts” category we have Charlie Baker, one of two Republican candidates for governor announcing this week that he has selected an openly gay Republican running mate. You see, in the Bay State even the conservatives are liberal.

BREAKING NEWS:  The former ex-quitting CNN talk host Lou Dobbs announced on former senator Fred Thompson’s radio show last Monday that he is strongly considering running for President. Our question to Mr. Dobbs is, “President of what? Maybe the He-Man Immigrant Hating Club?” Seriously though, we really hope that he does run as a third party candidate for no other reason than to further splinter the ever dwindling Republican Party.

THIS JUST IN: Liz Cheney took a big slapdown this week. The daughter of the former Vice President and Face Shooter in Chief, Dick Cheney runs a group known as “Keep America Safe.” She released a short documentary film in which she profiles a few residents of Standish, Michigan that claim that they are against any Guantanamo Bay prisoners being held in the maximum security prison in their town. Problem is, Standish city manager Michael Moran says that the community is strongly in favor of housing the detainees so as to repopulate the prison and bring jobs back to the city. He dismissed Cheney’s efforts as, “fearmongering.” Gee, anyone surprised that a Cheney might be involved in fearmongering?

BREAKING NEWS:  Fox News was once again caught using a little fuzzy math this week. The Fox Chicago television station displayed a graph which shows that 193% of persons polled believe that Huckabee, Romney and Palin should be president. You read that correctly, 193%.

THIS JUST IN: Sherry Johnston, the mother of Levi Johnston (the once and future son-in-law of Sarah Palin) was sentenced to three years in prison as the result of her conviction for dealing Oxy-Contin. The sentence seems a little harsh. Couldn’t they just have arranged for Alaskan state trooper Mike Wooten (estranged brother-in-law of Sarah Palin) to tazer her?

BREAKING NEWS: Fox News‘ Greta Van Sasquatch had Karl Rove as a guest on her show this week. The topic of discussion was Sarah Palin’s book and both of them were gushing over the wonderful writing contained therein. Van Sasquatch then asked Rove how Palin should deal with crazy rumors like the ones surrounding the birth of baby Trigg. They both agreed that Palin handles such rumors in the best way possible which is to ignore them. That statement should lead everyone to doubt that either of them has even read the book that they were praising. Did neither Rove nor Van Sasquatch realize that Palin did not ignore the Trigg story but rather dedicated lengthy passages in her book to just that subject. Van Sasquatch then said that Barack Obama was lucky that he did not have to face such unwarranted rumors. Does Greta live on another planet? Does she not remember the Birthers and those others that claimed the President is a secret Muslim? Fox News and its commentators simply have no credibility.

THIS JUST IN:  It was revealed this week that Republican John Boehner’s (pronounced, “boner”) PAC spent 83 thousand dollars for his golf outings last year. I wonder how the fiscally conservative Republicans’ unemployed constituents feel about that lavish lifestyle of the rich and famous?

BREAKING NEWS:  This week the Anti Defamation League named Fox News‘ Glenn Beck as the nation’s ‘Fearmongerer In Chief.” Were there any other candidates?

Yes indeed, the reich-wing Republican world is a scary place. So scary in fact, that it inspired today’s song parody. Please enjoy.

Remember to click on the song link below to familiarize yourselves with the tune and to have more fun singing along with the parody.

Welcome To My Nightmare song link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OGM4FdpJFc

WELCOME TO MY NIGHTMARE

(sung to the Alice Cooper song “Welcome To My Nightmare”)

Welcome to my nightmare
You ain’t seen nothin’ like it
I think you’re gonna feel
Something’s wrong

A cerebral vacation
Republicans need sedation
Their mouths will be filled with foam
Before too long

Welcome to my nightmare, ohh

Welcome to my breakdown
Does Sarah Palin scare you?
That’s just the way they are
In Red State towns

They sweat and laugh and scream there
Mann Coulter’s their wet dream there
He really makes them feel
Right at home, there

Welcome to my breakdown, ohh
You’re welcome to my nightmare, yeah

(musical interlude)

Welcome to my nightmare
You know I just don’t like it
G.O.P. makes me feel
I don’t belong

They lie and shout and scream there
And Palin is their queen there
They all giggle and squeal
At her throne, there

Welcome to my nightmare, ohh
Welcome to my breakdown
Yeah!

(great instrumental fade out)

“TURN OFF FOX” GROUP FORMS TO ATTACK FOX NEWS

“TURN OFF FOX,” an anti-free speech, Marxist activist group, is forming for the exclusive purpose of stifling dissent against their “Dear Leader”, Barack Obama. Their target? FOX News, the only major media outlet not performing as the propaganda wing of the federal government. Consider the following from the “TURN OFF FOX” website:

 

“Take the pledge! Stop the spread of the FOX cancer by getting it turned off in public places: such as pubs, doctor’s offices, airports and restaurants. Become an ambassador to decrease the influence of FOX’s misinformation and propaganda. This is BuzzFlash’s first advocacy project and we need a national guerilla squad of individuals who will join us in various strategies to stop the spread of FOX into public settings. In the coming months, we’ll be advising you on how to ask nicely to change the news channel, leave flyers warning people about FOX “News” damaging brain cells, and many more strategies to come, including a device that can turn TV sets off from up to 50 feet away!

 

No wonder they’re concerned about “damaging brain cells,” since they have so few left. These “pillars of free speech” are actually going to go around shutting off TV’s that are tuned into FOX News! Why are they doing this? It’s obvious! FOX News has been instrumental in reporting the TRUTH, documenting their Marxist czars. Fortunately, FOX News doesn’t have to invent stories, like the Obama worshiping sycophants in 90% of the media. They can expose them by using their own words! Are they happy with most of the media (CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNBC,) the government-controlled educational system, including major universities who openly and proudly employ Communist professors? Hell no! Their goal, backed by Obama’s White House, is to stifle the only outlet, along with conservative talk radio, not in the tank for Obama and his Marxists rodents, Their view of “objective journalism” and “real news” is 24/7 of Communist Keith Olbermann and Radical Rachel Maddow.

for Full Article: http://www.myfreedompost.com/2009/11/turn-off-fox-group-forms-to-attack-fox.html

Note: While Maddow is no treat, she would at least be pallable if they did away with her mentor, bobblehead Olbermann.

In 2000 CBS launched the reality TV show Survivor. It was a simple premise 8 contestants lived on a desert island and each week one was voted off. The last one standing won a million dollars. Richard Hatch was the winner and he has since spent time in prison for tax evasion. Since that time we have seen literally hundreds of reality shows. There was a show on Fox that asked the question “Who wants to Marry a Millionaire?”   Women vied for the affection of a complete stranger because he had a million dollars. We learned later that he did not have the money. We have seen a woman give birth to 8 children at one time when she already had six. Why would a single mom do this? She wanted a reality show. We saw a cute family show morph into a family tragedy, and that was Jon & Kate Plus 8. In the early years we saw a seemingly loving couple try to raise their kids with the help of supportive family and friends. We saw both Jon and Kate buy into their own hype and ultimately become shadows of their former selves. When TLC (the Learning Channel) saw the marriage start to unravel they decided to change the direction of reality. They wanted to launch Kate and 8 and just drop Jon from the show. This seemed to be a working solution for them, but Jon did the first paternal thing he has done in months. He said enough and decided his children would no longer participate in this perverted reality. We have seen Susan Boyle the brilliant singer plucked from obscurity meltdown under the constant pressure of the spotlight. Her story started out as a Cinderella story. Here was this plain Jane with an incredible set of pipes. We heard people make fun of her looks and marvel as if only beautiful people could sing. We witnessed her external makeover, but we have seen her recently reduced to sucking her thumb for comfort in public. She is a woman on the edge, but because she is hot she will continue to be pushed as long as it is profitable. We are left to ask why are these average people willing to do almost anything for their 15 minutes? In most cases it is not the money, but it is the fame. When you watch these shows you see they tend to select people with extreme personalities. The more extreme you are the more camera time you will get. On the first season of the Real Housewives of Atlanta one of the wives was DuShawn Snow wife of former NBA player Eric Snow. She was dropped from the show because she was too normal and normal does not bring in the big ratings.  On the flip side Nene Leakes is loud, brash and obnoxious and she is recognized as the show’s star. Bravo knows how to sniff out a star, and that’s why it is hard to believe that Bravo is feigning ignorance in the White House Party Crashing Fiasco. Bravo assigned a camera crew to cover the Salahis the day of the State Dinner. Bravo said they were told by the couple that they had been invited and they acted on good faith. This is an inadequate excuse. Most parents do more vetting than this when their child visits a new friend. At any time did the officials at Bravo ask to see the invitation?  Right now the spotlight is on the inadequacies of the Secret Service and the actions of the couple, but Bravo does not have clean hands in this and they need to also be called on the carpet. The reality is reality television is cheap to produce and networks make a lot of money off the misery of people. We are seeing people cheapen themselves for a few minutes in the spotlight. We saw the Heenes lie to police and say their son was missing. What was the motive? To get a reality show. Law enforcement devoted manpower and resources to search for a missing child who was actually at home. The Salahis are the latest to attempt to jump on this speeding train to fame, but finally it hit a glitch that might actually derail the fame train, but fear not maybe they can star as the Real Inmates of DC.

The LA Times’ Scott Collins interviews Jesse Ventura. There’s only one part of the interview that really matters…(via Mediaite)

This is not your first venture into TV hosting since leaving the governorship. What happened to “Jesse Ventura’s America,” which ran briefly on MSNBC in 2003?

It was awful. I was basically silenced. When I came out of office, I was the hottest commodity out there. There was a bidding war between CNN, Fox and MSNBC to get my services. MSNBC ultimately won. I was being groomed for a five day-a-week TV show by them. Then, all of a sudden, weird phone calls started happening: “Is it true Jesse doesn’t support the war in Iraq?”

My contract said I couldn’t do any other cable TV or any news shows, and they honored and paid it for the duration of it. So in essence I had my silence purchased. Why do you think you didn’t hear from me for three years? I was under contract. They wouldn’t even use me as a consultant!

When you live in Mexico, your houses all have names. I almost named my house Casa MSNBC because they bought it. I was paid like a professional athlete, and I got very wealthy. For doing nothing.

]]> http://beapatriot.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/joe-scarborough-cast-of-morning-joe-and-starbucks-do-great-work-helping-a-new-orleans-high-school/ Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:15:06 +0000 dave http://beapatriot.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/joe-scarborough-cast-of-morning-joe-and-starbucks-do-great-work-helping-a-new-orleans-high-school/

I give a tip of the hat to Joe Scarborough, the cast of Morning Joe and their primary sponsor, Starbucks, for their efforts when the show aired in a volunteerism-focused visit to New Orleans on Friday (November 20). “Morning Joe’s” title sponsor and the show’s partner in its drive to spark volunteer efforts around the country presented a $125,000 check which boosted a donation total of more than $200,000 to John McDonogh High School – not counting the overtime donation of a new gym floor sparked by an on-air challenge by guest Digger Phelps!

Additional donations announced during the show came from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Co. (700 textbooks and professional development curriculum for teachers), the NBA and Spalding sporting-goods company (new hoops and backboards for the gym), NBC News (a free one-year subscription for the school to NBC News Archives on Demand and a donation to McDonogh’s college tour for ninth-graders).

The gym-floor donation came after Phelps Googled sports-floor companies and called one out on the air — Robbins Sports Surfaces of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Joe Covington Jr., of the Birmingham, Ala.-based Covington Flooring Co. – the regional distributor-installer for Robbins — happened to be in New Orleans on Friday for a business trip, and immediately began to field e mails and cell phone calls from people in his company and Robbins.

Covington arrived at John McDonogh, measured the space to be resurfaced, quickly consulted with a Robbins decision-maker, and the donation was decided.

Though “Morning Joe” had already left the air, Covington and Robbins meeting Phelps’ “Google and Guts” challenge so quickly prompted an unplanned live follow-up report — featuring Covington surrounded by the “Morning Joe” cast — during “Morning Meeting.”

“It was pretty wild,” said Covington, estimating that the value of the new floor will range from $80,000 to $150,000 depending on the material chosen for the job.

Then Saturday’s volunteerathon was dubbed “Brewing Together Day of Service.” (Starbucks recently rebranded one of its coffee lines to Gold Coast Blend, Morning Joe Edition.)

“I saw (President Obama) go down last month, for the first time, for a couple of hours before flying out to his fundraiser in San Francisco,” Scarborough said. “We had a discussion about it around the table, on the air. You sit there and wonder what else has to be done to draw focus on New Orleans and Mississippi. That wasn’t done over the past four years, and how could we still be – what’s the (Dick) Cheney word on Afghanistan? Dithering? – how could our federal government and state governments still be dithering four years later in reaching out and helping New Orleans and helping out Mississippi and helping everyone who was so dramatically impacted by Hurricane Katrina?

“So many people come on our show and talk about what they talk about in Washington and what they promise to do,” said “Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski, whose family named its Katrina rescue dog Cajun. “This is our way to say, ‘OK, you guys can keep talking, but anyone who actually wants to do something, come join us. Seriously, come out here. What you have to offer, offer. Let’s do it. Let’s help these people.’

I am pleased and surprised to see this group using their position and status to actually do something rather than just complain that the government isn’t doing enough. If more people in Washington, New York and Hollywood would follow the example set by the Morning Joe crew and Starbucks, the country would be much better off.

]]> http://douglawrence.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/tom-roeser-and-the-spirit-of-fr-ernie-respond-to-certain-catholic-commentators-politicians/ Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:05:11 +0000 Doug Lawrence http://douglawrence.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/tom-roeser-and-the-spirit-of-fr-ernie-respond-to-certain-catholic-commentators-politicians/

Catholics bound by the moral law can agreeably participate in the secular political system where civil law may contradict the moral. But in no sense should the civil law intrude upon the conscience of the Catholic and require his compliance… nor frankly can the Catholic inflict the Church’s morals on the state beyond what is understood as the democratic process.

It is important to accept this as Murray’s wise guide-and nothing more. It certainly didn’t mean that Murray recommended that Catholics surrender their consciences and bow to unjust civil law. Far from it. But this is what John F. Kennedy implied when he addressed the Houston ministerial association in a speech written by one John Cogley, who ultimately left the Church. In his speech Kennedy assuaged the Protestant ministers by saying that he would not inflict his Church’s views on the country, that he would serve as president who happened to be Catholic-not as a Catholic president. This sounded dangerously scandalous to one of Catholic formation-except that Kennedy added this which I paraphrase: if an issue ever arises where civil action contradicts my religious conscience, I shall resign. That was enough to close the credibility gap.

Not that the John Kennedy we have come to understand would allow his Catholicism to interfere with his duties. In fact it is commonly known now that he did in fact allow sexual immorality to coincide with his duties and in fact it is still an open question as to whether his immorality… his promiscuous attentions to a young woman also the mistress of a Mafia chieftain… did him in! I shall not digress further! [Laughter].

… “There are two powers by which this world is chiefly ruled: the sacred authority of the Popes and the royal power. Of these the priestly power is much more important because it has to render account for the Kings of men themselves at the Divine Tribunal. For you know that although you have the highest place in dignity over the human race, yet you must submit yourself faithfully to those who have charge of divine things and look to them for the means of your salvation… For if in matters pertaining to the administration of public discipline, the bishops of the Church, knowing that the Empire has been conferred on you by divine instrumentality, are themselves obedient to your laws, lest in purely material affairs contrary opinions may seem to be voiced, with what willingness I ask you, should you obey those to whom is assigned the administration of divine mysteries?”

Read the article

]]> http://serenalee.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/the-importance-of-letters/ Sat, 28 Nov 2009 05:21:48 +0000 serenalee http://serenalee.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/the-importance-of-letters/

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/34171629#34171629

]]> http://ebonymompolitics.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/the-gate-crashing-salahis-came-face-to-face-with-the-president/ Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:50:25 +0000 musesofamom http://ebonymompolitics.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/the-gate-crashing-salahis-came-face-to-face-with-the-president/

Today the Secret Service says they are embarrassed by the security breech. To think that someone off the street could get this close to the leader of the free world is just frightening. Why were these people passed through? Could it be a case of racial profiling? Would a black couple have been able to move so easily through the gates? I don’t think so we are constantly challenged to prove who we are. It was bad enough to see their pictures with the vice-president, but today we now know they were up close and personal with the president. Some are laughing this off as some kind of humorous prank, but this is serious. These people wanted their 15 minutes and they got it, but hopefully there will be some serious consequences from this incident.

]]> http://kreuzer33.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/injured-tiger-looks-to-be-out-of-the-woods/ Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:29:16 +0000 kreuzer33 http://kreuzer33.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/injured-tiger-looks-to-be-out-of-the-woods/

UPDATE: Were Tiger’s injuries caused by his jealous wife?

Reports continue to circulate this afternoon that Tiger Woods was involved in a serious car accident early this morning near his Florida home.

The Florida State Highway Patrol said the crash is still under investigation, but charges are pending.

The Associated Press reports that CNBC sports business reporter Darren Rovell sent out a Twitter message about noon saying that Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg says Woods “is fine.”

We’ll continue to hope for the best and that the latest Associated Press report, that Tiger is out of the woods, is correct. It’s amazing to watch on Twitter how fast this story has taken off.

UPDATE: CNN also reports that Tiger Woods was released from hospital and treated for facial lacerations.

From USA Today:

The agent for Tiger Woods has told USA TODAY that the golf superstar is fine after crashing his vehicle near outside his Florida home early Friday.

Mark Steinberg, senior vice president of IMG, confirmed Woods was in an accident.

Earlier, Florida Highway Patrol reported Woods was transported to the hospital after hitting a fire hydrant near his residence in Windermere, Fla., outside Orlando.

Health Central Hospital in nearby Ocoee is expected to release a statement on Woods by 4 p.m. ET, according to a hospital operator.

From ESPN:

The highway patrol reported Woods’ injuries as serious, though Woods spokesman, Glenn Greenspan, said Friday afternoon that the golfer was treated at the hospital and released in good condition. Greenspan’s statement termed the accident “minor.”

The police report narrative said the “driver had just pulled out of the driveway at his residence … as [vehicle] began to drive on Deacon Circle, [vehicle] struck a fire hydrant. The front of [vehicle] then struck a tree…”

The airbags in the car did not deploy, according to a report in the Orlando Sentinel. The newspaper said airbags typically do not deploy if a vehicle is traveling less than 33 miles per hour.

]]> http://kreuzer33.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/tiger-woods-hurt-in-car-accident/ Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:44:24 +0000 kreuzer33 http://kreuzer33.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/tiger-woods-hurt-in-car-accident/

UPDATE 2: Were injuries caused by Tiger’s jealous wife?

UPDATE: Injured Tiger Looks to be Out of the Woods.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Tiger Woods was seriously injured in a car accident early this morning.

No confirmation of any specific details that I have seen yet except for brief updates by CNN and ESPN. I saw on RotoWorld.com that Tiger Woods agent told CNBC that Woods was fine. We’ll have to keep watching and hope that Tiger is OK.

If anyone does hear or find any links to more information, please feel free to leave in the comment section.

From the Associated Press:

Authorities say Tiger Woods has been seriously injured in a car wreck in Florida.

The Florida Highway Patrol says the PGA star hit a fire hydrant and a tree as he pulled out of his driveway early Friday in his 2009 Cadillac sport utility vehicle.

Woods was taken to Health Central Hospital. His condition was not immediately known, though the news release said his injuries were serious.

The highway patrol says the crash is still under investigation, and charges are pending. However, the highway patrol said the crash was not alcohol-related.

From CNN:

Golfer Tiger Woods has been taken to a Florida hospital after suffering serious injuries in a car wreck early Friday, officials said.

The one-car accident occurred about 2:25 a.m. near his home in Windermere, a suburb of Orlando, according to an incident report from the Florida Highway Patrol.

Woods, 33, had just pulled out of his driveway and begun to drive down the street when his Cadillac SUV struck a fire hydrant, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

The front of his vehicle then struck a tree. He has been transported to Health Central Hospital, the statement said.

From USA Today:

Tiger Woods was seriously injured in a car accident early this morning, the Florida Highway Patrol reported.

Woods pulled out of his driveway in the Isleworth community about 2:25 a.m. ET when he struck a fire hydrant, and then drove into a tree at his neighbor’s property, the FHP reported, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Woods was transported to Health Central Hospital in Ocoee in serious condition, FHP told the newspaper. However, a hospital employee said at 2:30 p.m. ET that Woods was not a patient. A hospital operator would not say if Woods had been treated and released.

From the Miami Herald:

Famous pro golfer Tiger Woods was seriously injured in a car crash early Friday outside his Orlando home, according to The Orlando Sentinel.

The single-car crash occurred early Friday when Woods, 33, apparently slammed his Escalade into a fire hydrant and a tree at his neighbor’s property, the newspaper said quoting Florida Highway Patrol officials.

The crash occurred as Woods pulled out of his home in his Escalade in the Isleworth community at about 2:25 a.m.

]]> http://newsrealblog.com/2009/11/27/thank-you-president-obama/ Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:39:36 +0000 Joseph Klein http://newsrealblog.com/2009/11/27/thank-you-president-obama/

President Obama pardoned a turkey for Thanksgiving named Courage. That turns out to be the gutsiest decision that Obama has made since taking office.

Courage is not the only recipient of Obama’s generosity who has reason to be thankful. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and his boss Osama bin Laden are grateful for the opportunity provided by the Obama administration to put on a propaganda display during the circus trial that the whole world will be watching. KSM will be the perfect ringmaster, following up on his ringleader performance on 9/11.   And I couldn’t think of a better clown than Attorney General Eric Holder.

But there are many more folks who should be writing thank you notes to Obama this season.  In no particular order, here are just a few:

• Vladimir Putin – Obama handed him a gift of abandoning our anti-missile shield in the Czech Republic and Poland without obtaining a single concession from Russia.
• Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – Obama left the dissidents hanging (some literally) while he decided to engage unconditionally the thugs who stole the Iranian presidency  – which, by the way, has bought them more time to develop their nuclear arms program.
• United Nations – Obama has raised the profile of this dysfunctional organization, telling the General Assembly in September that the UN is  “an indispensable factor in advancing the interests of the people we serve.” He intends to make the UN the moral arbiter of our foreign policy.
• China and climate change - Obama’s decision to move ahead and offer specific carbon emission reduction targets in Copenhagen while China gets a free pass will give China just the boost it needs to surge past us and become the world’s #1 economy.
• ACLU - They have the best friend they have ever had in the White House.  The Obama administration must have exceeded the ACLU’s most optimistic expectations by publicly releasing previously classified memos on enhanced interrogation, re-opening criminal investigations of CIA interrogators and giving al Qaeda leaders the full protections of the Constitution that Americans are entitled to in a criminal trial.
• ACORN - The Justice Department is slow-rolling any investigation, much less prosecution, of ACORN for its alleged criminal wrong-doing while the Obama administration is giving ACORN the opportunity to compete for billions of dollars of new grant money, courtesy of the stimulus windfalls.
• Arizona’s 15th congressional district - According to an Obama administration website, 30 jobs have been saved or created in this district with just $761,420 in stimulus money.   Unfortunately, members of this district will have a hard time writing a thank you note because no such district actually exists.
• The New York Times and MSNBC - They are the Obama administration’s favorite ‘news’ outlets.
• Fox News - The Obama administration’s bashing has boosted their ratings beyond anything that traditional advertising could have accomplished.

Finally, the conservative movement should thank Obama.  His failed economic policies, experiments in wealth redistribution, and weakness abroad have unified conservatives more than anything else could possibly have done.

]]> http://mdinlondon.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/americans-abroad/ Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:05:23 +0000 Marie http://mdinlondon.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/americans-abroad/

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  It was very strange to be living a holiday from another time zone — madre texted me that the bird was in the oven when we would usually start eating in the GMT time zone.  Not going to lie, it was definitely a bittersweet day for me in London…but at least there was definitely some sweet.

I started the day at St. Paul’s Cathedral for the Thanksgiving Service for the American Community in London.  It was very strange heading out into a city that was not on the same festive wavelength as me, but as I headed east across the city the American accents became the majority in an even stranger way.  Inside St. Paul’s, I had a new cultural revelation: Americans–no, WASPs–are definitely an identifiable race.  Thanks to flying solo, I snagged a seat within the first section of seats and enjoyed belting out my favorite Thanksgiving tunes (my neighbor even complimented me at the end of the service) and hearing the President’s Thanksgiving Day proclamation, something I never really heard in full, read by the US Ambassador.

I thought I had a celebrity sighting during the service, and it was confirmed on the steps when leaving: Chris Matthews, host of Hardball on MSNBC!  I wasn’t the only one who noticed (there was a group of Georgetown University students) but I was the only one who interned in the same office as his public relations agent this summer

Chris Matthews

Afterward I headed home to a bustling kitchen where my Vassar flatmates hastily decided to whip up a feast.  I tracked down the full Charlie Brown’s Thanskgiving Special on YouTube but failed to find a live stream of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Finally, it was 6:30pm, and I headed over to the Texas Embassy Cantina where I met Annie Black, her visiting parents, her cousin who is here in graduate school, and Jenna Sterling.  It was so sweet of the Blacks to include us in their holiday celebration and it was great to spend time with some sort of family…especially one actually from Texas at the so themed restaurant!  They served a Thanksgiving dinner, but they also put chips and salsa on the table and our first round of drinks were margaritas.  It was a delicious meal out, and I did have turkey, cranberry sauce, and sweet potatoes, but it just wasn’t quite Thanksgiving…most perfectly embodied in the small sliver of pie that equaled about 1/3 of my usual first-round dessert serving.

I headed home again to stuffed Vassar students and a turkey in the oven for a Marist flatmate and his visiting sister.  And that, my dear readers, is when I became that adult who goes out to dinner for Thanksgiving with one family and joins another group for their post-dinner festivity. So strange…but it was very comforting.  We had a great night listening to holiday music, playing games, and just enjoying each others company.  Isn’t that what the holidays are all about?

]]> http://tipggita32.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/glorifying-the-government/ Thu, 26 Nov 2009 17:36:28 +0000 ajfloyd http://tipggita32.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/glorifying-the-government/ http://ebonymompolitics.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/don%e2%80%99t-call-them-white-house-party-crashers-call-them-criminals/ Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:25:11 +0000 musesofamom http://ebonymompolitics.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/don%e2%80%99t-call-them-white-house-party-crashers-call-them-criminals/

 Today we learned that a couple, Tareq and Michaele Salahi,  breeched security and attended the White House State Dinner. This is the first time something like this has happened. How could this happen? According to NBC Brian Williams they tried to enter one of the entrances and they were turned around. They then entered the pedestrian entrance. How did they get through? They looked like they belonged. They were dressed appropriately and they had the right swagger, but what else? This couple managed to take pictures with Vice-President Joe Biden and they had the nerve to post them on their Facebook page. They are being called party crashers, but that simply seems a little too cute. These people are criminals there is nothing cute about this. Assassination attempts are up 400% since President Obama took office. This is a security breech and some heads need to roll on this one. This is simply unacceptable.

]]> http://migrantblogger.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/msnbc-jumps-on-the-retail-and-social-media-story/ Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:00:53 +0000 migrantblogger http://migrantblogger.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/msnbc-jumps-on-the-retail-and-social-media-story/ http://rightlinks.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/msnbc-exclusive-fort-hood-never-happened-ann-coulter-worldnet-daily/ Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:44:01 +0000 rightbill http://rightlinks.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/msnbc-exclusive-fort-hood-never-happened-ann-coulter-worldnet-daily/

“Is it still too soon to come to the conclusion that the Fort Hood shooting was an act of terrorism?

“Alas, it is still too early to tell at MSNBC. For Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow and Chris Matthews – at least two of whom would be severely punished under Shariah law – the shooting of George Tiller was an act of terrorism, no question. The death of a census taker in Kentucky was also an act of terrorism. (We learned this week that it was a suicide/insurance scam.) But as to Maj. Hasan, the jury is still out – and will be out for many, many years.”

Click here to read the rest of Ann’s column

]]> http://mbreaul1.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/objectivity-does-it-really-exist/ Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:43:43 +0000 mbreaul1 http://mbreaul1.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/objectivity-does-it-really-exist/

In the ever evolving world of journalism, rules seem to change in an instant. With one click, one viewing, someone has rewritten the standards for professional journalism. Blogging, the Internet, online media, new media- they seem to mean the same thing nowadays. So in this new world- a world run by television programs such as FOX News, MSNBC, CNN, a world with newspapers like the New York Times or the Washington Post, or a world accompanied by progressive media outlets like the Huffington Post, The Nation and GRITtv with Laura Flanders- can objectivity really exist? Should objectivity really exist?

Here’s one way to look at it. Media outlets that used to call themselves “fair and balanced” aka FOX News are now admitting to their bias reporting and political commentary. They aren’t fully owning up to it, but no one is denying it and no one is believing them anymore. Then there are outlets on the other end of the political spectrum that are also slanted, acting like cheerleaders for the current administration like MSNBC. These organizations are having a harder time trying to convince the American people that they are not biased. Bloggers and other progressive media organizations are calling them out and asking, where is the objectivity in their reporting? Then these progressive, independent outlets report their news and make no bones about their biases. However, even with these biases, they are allowed critical analysis and commentary to interject their reporting with spaces for comments and ratings. A person can post whatever they want, anyone can read it or watch it or listen to it, and then they are free to say whatever they want about it. They can tell all of their friends to never read it or they can share it with their family if they think it’s important enough.

What is happening here is an overload of endless information, a plethora of sources and links to a number of sites where there is more and more information. With these progressive sites (liberal or conservative slanted), they link to the side they are either criticizing or challenging so their reader can take a look for themselves. This movement of information builds a more informed and intelligent group of individuals making up our society, making up our democratic society. Isn’t that a point of democracy, free-flowing sources of information to make legitimate, informed decisions for our political and governmental systems?

Now does objectivity exist in this system? Technically yes, because the amount of “liberal” outlets to “conservative” ones to “moderate” ones balances out. It may seem like there are more of one over the others, but it all depends on what people are looking for. Objectivity on the small scale does not need to exist because it shouldn’t. As Arianna Huffington once said, “Facts are sacred, but that doesn’t mean there are facts to every side of a story. A good journalist pursues the truth, rather than some phony idea of balance.”

]]> http://usredtory.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/sarah-palin-meet-jean-poutine/ Thu, 26 Nov 2009 01:14:11 +0000 Tiernan O Faolain http://usredtory.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/sarah-palin-meet-jean-poutine/

UPDATE: Found a mostly-usable form of the video from 22 Minutes, not on their site but at YouTube.  I dunno, but did anyone hear what Palin actually said the same way I did?  In fairness, I didn’t hear “dismantle,” only that the government should share the market with the private sector, IOW a single (big) step backwards, not the giant leap.  No difference though.  “Commonsense conservatism”?  Sweetheart, it left the U.S. during/after the Revolution, and remained among Canada’s Red Tories until they lost their party in the Harper/Reform takeover a couple years ago.  And Sarah and Steve ain’t it!

The other thing I noticed is that, while the lovable “Marg Delahunty” (OK, I really can’t take the voice, but admire her “all lies” review of the book!!) was woman-handled out of the library, her camera crew was allowed to stay.  PURE PHOTO-OP!  No questions, just pictures.  I hope Muscle-Melon wasn’t on the public payroll facilitating that ‘un-campaign’ appearance for Palin.

——————————————

ORIGINAL: That’s right, the Canadians who ‘punked’ W. got last week what may be the only policy remarks Alaska’s disgraced, resigned, unqualified, eye-candy governor will allow herself to be drawn on involuntarily, unscripted, during her eternal, fluff book tour/photo-op … and her own country is not the subject (nor is Russia!): ‘Yup, yup,’ like most self-important Republican politicos, she’s now become an expert on Canada’s model single-payer healthcare system — and all she cares about is corporate profiteering instead, and RATIONING on the basis of wealth, Whiteness, suburban residence, non-Indigenous status, etc.

If that’s “going rogue,” then John McCain’s a maverick!  The free ride she’s been getting from the MSM ever since her (losing) nomination is a danger to America and the world, because the hard right wing will back her as their savior just to feel they get back in power, even if she doesn’t know what to do with it in any way that will benefit, apparently, anyone other than CEOs and wealthy stockholders … short-term, anyway….  TALK ABOUT “DEATH PANELS”!!!  ‘Whose plug would Jesus pull?’

]]> http://newsrealblog.com/2009/11/25/msnbc-falsifies-transcripts-again-for-the-ed-show-again/ Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:47:58 +0000 Ben Johnson http://newsrealblog.com/2009/11/25/msnbc-falsifies-transcripts-again-for-the-ed-show-again/

MSNBC is at it again, editing its transcripts to make Ed Schultz sound less crazy. Leftists complained — falsely — for years that Republicans questioned the patriotism of anyone who opposed them.  On Monday’s edition of The Ed Show, Schultz called Joe Liberman a “traitor” yet again — so MSNBC changed this into a jovial reference to a grocer’s chain.

Schultz said Lieberman was one of the senators “cheating on the American public” by opposing a public option. After accusing the senator of economic adultery and playing a video clip of Lieberman saying the bill will not pass, Schultz used one of her favorite terms for Lieberman: “Traitor Joe.” (You can verify the audio/video here.) But according to MSNBC’s transcript, Big Ed said:  “Oh, yes. But Trader Joe is not alone.”

What’s that — with Ed’s Fargo accent, you can’t tell which phrase he used? Schultz took all guess work out of it earlier this month. On November 12th, he and Bill Press had an in-depth discussion about smearing a liberal Democrat who occasionally votes centrist:

Look, you know, what I call Joe Lieberman?  Traitor Joe.  And I’m not talking about the store where you guy [sic.] the good wine and cheese.  I mean “Traitor Joe.”

The following Tuesday, Ed Schultz used the phrase — and MSNBC transcribed it “Trader Joe.”

Not only is Schultz’s rhetoric polarizing and pejorative; it’s plagiarized. For all these reasons, MSNBC lies on.

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