Who asked for this guy's opinion?

Why do former Presidents feel the need to comment?

Is it because, Mr. Carter, you were not selected by President Bush to help with Katrina or Tsunami aid as his father and former President Clinton were? Is it that you were not asked for your opinion on the Iraq war and how we will treat prisoners that makes you feel the need to offer it up?

The Nobel Peace Prize image sure appears tarnished when statements like these arise. I would think after one has experienced decades of criticism for actions in the same seat, one would decline to throw stones and offer support where one could. It is immature and simply irresponsible to use a position of perceived clout -such as the Former President of the United States- to insult members of the current administration as a scorned bully with an adolescent vocabulary. If you want to call someone a disaster, you better have the bullet points to back it up.

Finally, it is even more apparent here that while Mr. Carter elects to childishly slander, others will take the high road:

In an interview that aired Wednesday on BBC, Carter ripped Vice President Dick Cheney as "a militant who avoided any service of his own in the military."

Carter went on to say Cheney has been "a disaster for our country. I think he's been overly persuasive on President George Bush."

Cheney spokeswoman Megan Mitchell declined to speak to Carter 's allegations.

"We're not going to engage in this kind of rhetoric," she said.

You're missing the point, city folks

Alexandria, VA is rolling out the welcome mat. They better learn to say "Welcome" in a few more languages than English. A message to the Alexandria City Council: YOU ARE NOT HELPING!

Evidently, the City of Alexandria, Virginia wants to shell out taxpayer dollars to illegals. I understand that our first settlers came to Virginia and the founding fathers made their homes there and promoted an escape from unfriendly regimes in favor of religious freedom, the pursuit of happiness, etc., but I highly doubt this is what they meant.

The city of Alexandria, Va., is expected to pass a resolution tonight renewing its commitment to extend public services to illegal aliens.

"We are reaffirming and recommitting our services and outreach to international citizens," Mayor William D. Euille, a Democrat, said yesterday.

The seven-member City Council will vote on a two-page resolution that outlines Alexandria's intent to comply with state and federal immigration laws but not question the immigration status of people seeking public services.

The catch is they won't really be complying with the immigration laws, they'll be avoiding the discussion of what to do about illegal immigrants abusing the system. They'll be handing out freebies to those that have lied, cheated, and stolen their way into this country.

"Mr. Euille said that the resolution should pass unanimously but that Alexandria has no figures on the cost of providing services to illegal aliens.

"We haven't calculated that, and we probably won't calculate that," he said. "We have money designated for human services, but it's not broken down by race."

It truly never fails that someone likens the discussion of illegal immigration to racial politics. If you're an illegal from Asia, Europe, Mexico -wherever- we need to send a consistent message. City Councils that are afraid to "Say No" to illegal immigrants are only fostering an attitude that breaking the law is acceptible.

Oh yeah - lucky for all you Northern Virginia illegals, the resolution passed...

A follow up to my first post on First Lady Laura Bush

Her thought-provoking piece today in the WSJ Opinion Journal.

She's so bad ass

I can not see any of the current panelists' wives taking the stage and calling for Democracy the way Mrs. Bush has.

"Gen. Than Shwe and his deputies are a friendless regime," Bush said. "They should step aside to make way for a unified Burma [Myanmar] governed by legitimate leaders.

"The rest of the armed forces should not fear this transition -- there is room for a professional military in a democratic Burma," Bush said, in keeping with the U.S. policy of still using Myanmar's former name.

In Wednesday's commentary, Bush called on Myanmar's military leaders to release Suu Kyi and other opposition leaders so they can meet with and plan for a transition to democracy.

"Meanwhile, the world watches -- and waits," Bush warns.

"We know that Gen. Than Shwe and his deputies have the advantage of violent force. But Ms. Suu Kyi and other opposition leaders have moral legitimacy, the support of the Burmese people and the support of the world.

"The regime's position grows weaker by the day. The generals' choice is clear: The time for a free Burma is now."

Despite all the nasty comments on this article, there are some pleasing ones. (If you answer the poll, I think you'll be surprised about what some Americans really think.)

He's back!

"Sandy Berger, who stole highly classified terrorism documents from the National Archives, destroyed them and lied to investigators, is now an adviser to presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton. Berger, who was fired from John Kerry’s presidential campaign when the scandal broke in 2004, has assumed a similar role in Clinton’s campaign, even though his security clearance has been suspended until September 2008. This is raising eyebrows even among Clinton’s admirers.

“It shows poor judgment and a lack of regard for Berger’s serious misdeeds,” said law professor Jonathan Adler of Case Western Reserve University, who nonetheless called Clinton “by far the most impressive candidate in the Democratic field.”

"Adler told The Examiner that it is “simply incomprehensible to me that a serious contender for the presidency would rely upon him as a key foreign policy advisor.”

"He added: “If Senator Clinton becomes the Democratic nominee, at some point she will begin to receive national security briefings that will include sensitive information. At such a point, continuing to keep Berger on board as a key advisor, where he might have access to sensitive material, would be beyond incomprehensible.”

At that point...but why not NOW?! Clinton should be under extreme scrutiny from the public; Democrats and Republicans alike who should be denouncing scandal and angry that one of their own is rewarding such bad behavior.

"Berger has admitted stealing documents from the National Archives in advance of the 9/11 Commission hearings in 2003. The documents, written by White House counterterrorism czar Richard Clarke, were a “tough review” of the Clinton administration’s shortcomings in dealing with terrorism, Clarke’s lawyer told the Washington Post.

"On several occasions, Berger stuffed highly classified documents into his pants and socks before spiriting them out of the Archives building in Washington, according to investigators. On one occasion, upon reaching the street, he hid documents under a construction trailer after checking the windows of the Archives and Justice Department buildings to make sure he was not being watched."

Are you kidding? This is like watching a movie! It's like a child stealing cookies and then hiding his dirty fingers behind his back when his mother questions his chocolate-covered face!

Berger also lied to the public, telling reporters he made an “honest mistake” by “inadvertently” taking the documents, which he blamed on his own “sloppiness.” Bill Clinton vouched for the explanation for Berger, who served as his national security adviser.

At his sentencing in September 2005, Berger was fined $50,000, placed on probation for two years and stripped of his security clearance for three years.

Well, he sure seems like a guy I'd want on my campaign!

Did we not learn anything from Clinton's administration, or from Congressional office holders rocked by financial and personal scandals in the past few years? Where are the political wolves crying out in opposition?

RELEASE THE HOUNDS!

An open letter to Coach McCarthy

Dear Coach McCarthy~

I am highly disappointed in our team's performance this week against Chicago. As most Packer fans surely are, I am questioning some key mistakes from Sunday night's game.

Would you please explain to me:
1. Why are we challenging plays we know we're going to lose and forfeiting time-outs?
2. Are 11 penalties acceptable to you?
3. Grrrr....fumbles....grrrr

That is all for now. Frankly I'm too upset to say anything more at this time.

Sincerely,
LMS

Nickelodeon plays parent

Way to go, Nick TV. It appears that in an effort to promote healthy attitudes among children, a television network has taken the initiative and actually turned kids away from tv programming.

It's interesting to see Nickelodeon encouraging kids to turn it off. It's something parents should do more of- and not just for their kids. If you don't like what you're seeing on TV, or it's having adverse affects on your health...

Turn It Off. Even if the kids aren't playing outside, maybe they'll read, play an instrument, play a game with the family. The possibilities are endless!!

The plight of a Barbie Doll, I mean "trophy wife"...

Jeri Thompson had to know this was coming:

"It's hard not to be defensive," she told People magazine in her first solo interview. "To think back on how hard you've worked, and all anybody thinks about is that you're a trophy wife."

In a story for Monday's issue, Thompson said: "I almost think they had to fabricate that trophy-wife stuff because there's nothing interesting to say."

.... she tells People: "I was never an older-man-dater kind of girl before."

Uh huh. If you don't want to be the trophy wife, start by knocking down the level of highlights in your hair or something.

In all honesty, that's the label and you've got to combat it with something more than a reputation for being a catty bitch to your husband's campaign staff. Or take your own advice and say something interesting.

I find it hard to cock my head and say "oh poor thing, so rich and beautiful, she has it so rough, poor little trophy wife."

Oh woe is she.

Who doesn't love the Onion?

2 funny:
Cheney in Love
How Black is D. McNabb?

Now, if only I could my political commentary into sarcasm....

Rosie, tuck it back in

Is anyone actually going to read this disaster of a "book"?

Rosie's Memoir Lets It All Hang Out:

Reading Celebrity Detox is like having a patient on the couch without the necessary medical degree to sort through what's insightful and what's just nutty.

This is a train wreck of a book — part self-help psychobabble, part searing memoir — by a grown woman who lost her mother as a child. (Oh Boo hoo-we all have issues.)

Score one for Rosie: She's the rare star willing to reveal her own insecurities and hubris. She writes openly about her ambivalence toward fame and money. She says she felt like an outsider on The View ("I was hugely threatening"), which she left after an on-air spat with Elisabeth Hasselbeck.

Like her or not, O'Donnell in Detox provides a big blast of fresh air in an industry that enshrines shallowness.

I'm sorry but Rosie epitomizes shallow. This is no score for anyone but her and the publishers' bank accounts. Her children will suffer the consequences of her actions, believe you me. The woman is a nut job and it's disappointing that consumers will actually read this garbage when there is so much quality literature out there worth experiencing.

Hey, wait a minute, I'm loud and obnoxious- can I get a book deal?

WOO HOO

U.S. Military Casualties in Iraq Fall to Lowest Since July '06

It's about time they reported some good news for a change.

Children as political pawns

When you see a few dozen children holding signs and marching holding their teachers' hands outside the White House, you expect them to be on a fun-filled educational field trip to the great city of Washington, D.C.

You would not expect the Service Employees International Union to be using them as political pawns, filling their vocabulary with chants they don't understand but robotically repeat, and dumping petitions on the drive of the White House in symbolic statement for SCHIP, a program they likely have no idea about. I can only assume they expected a juice box and some cookies after their excursion.

This is by no means a cutesy story- and the images on Fox News tonight were sad. Kudos to Senator Kennedy for pointing out these children were not in school, when they should have been learning their ABCs and 123s- not "protesting" something they don't yet understood.

It is disgusting to see such young impressional minds under the wrong impression.