Year: 2005

There’s no other way to describe this than sheer lunacy.

Helen Thomas, a syndicated columnist for Hearst Newspapers who has covered the White House since the Kennedy administration, wrote in May that Cheney “certainly could campaign on the theme that he has had experience in running the White House.”

Thomas made the suggestion in a column she wrote about President Bush’s not being notified about a terror scare caused by an off-course Cessna airplane until after it was over, according to Editor & Publisher magazine.

Declaring that the incident “again raises the question of who’s running the show,” Thomas also noted Cheney’s central role on Sept. 11 and the widely held view that he is “probably the most powerful vice president in recent times, perhaps in U.S. history.”

But asked this week if she is promoting a Cheney candidacy, Thomas made it clear she isn’t.

“The day I say Dick Cheney is going to run for president, I’ll kill myself,” she told The Hill. “All we need is one more liar.”

Thomas added, “I think he’d like to run, but it would be a sad day for the country if he does.”

Helen…she’s just a complete wacko. It’s hard to believe she’s held a job for so long. The problem is, she won’t be criticized by her colleagues for making this comment. They all treat her like their old grandmother who’s crazy with senility.  Chastising her will only make her more angry, and then she might write a story about them, or their network, or their newspaper.

I’m so tired of the left threatening to stop voting, or leave the country, or this, kill themselves if they don’t get their way. Besides, they’re liars. None of them follow through on their threats.

Bridesmaids will include Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Madonna and Jessica Simpson.

O.J. Simpson will attend.

Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake will perform.

Al Franken will broadcast live from the event.

The Reverend Al Sharpton will officiate.

Supreme Court nominee Judge John Roberts will preside over the signing of the marriage certificate.

Elton John, Moby and George Michael will be groomsboys.

And Emeril will serve refreshments along with Oprah Winfrey and David Letterman.

OK, so none of this is true. Bring on the Google hits.

Actually, I did this because everyone else in the blogosphere has the news covered today.

Infuriating, simply infuriating.

In a tag-team appearance with Senator Pat Leahy (D. Vt.), ranking minority member of the Judiciary Committee, Schumer confessed to the Nation that neither he, Leahy, nor the Democrat party for whom he spoke, understands a fundamental principle of American constitutionalism: separation of powers.  Indeed, ever since Schumer confessed, his echo has been heard as Democrat functionaries (e.g., Kennedy, Biden, Durbin, Pelosi) have made the same confession that they, too, do not understand one of the three basic pillars upon which our Republic stands.

All of them, and for that matter most of the media, have been demanding that judicial nominee Roberts “answer questions.”  That Roberts explain his position on abortion, that he reveal where he stands on affirmative action, that he disclose how he would rule on capital punishment, that he divulge his stand on eminent domain—that, in effect, he make known the platform on which he is running for a seat on the Supreme Court of the United States.

From the perspective of the Democrats, this is entirely understandable, even defensible—because they do not understand Separation of Powers, and thus the Constitution’s mandated role for a judge in the American system of government, believing instead that the judiciary is simply another political branch.  The Democrats see judges—Warren, Brennan, Douglas, Blackmun, Stevens, Ginsburg—as legislators, promulgating from the bench their own social, economic, and even moral, programs, not interpreting the Constitution and laws passed by the politically accountable actual legislature, i.e., Congress.

Go read the rest of it.

Judging from the tone of this story by Richard Ostling, you’d think the entire court is on their way to Rome.

Roberts Would Be Fourth Catholic on Court

If John Roberts is confirmed, he will be the fourth Roman Catholic on the Supreme Court, an all-time high that is focusing attention on how faith might influence law on the high court.

From abortion to capital punishment to physician-assisted suicide, the upcoming term offers plenty of issues in which the Catholic church has strong interest.

But history shows a justice’s religion does not provide a roadmap for rulings.

If being Catholic AND a Supreme Court Justice has no effect on court rulings why make an issue out of it? Jeff Greenburg had a story on CNN last night about this too, as if there is some “Catholic Card” to play…puhleeze!

Could it be that the MSM has something against the Catholic Church?

They probably think Bush should have nominated an Islamist.

Overreaction or does Houston really have a problem?

NASA says it is grounding future space shuttle flights because foam debris that brought down Columbia is still a risk.

A sizable chunk of foam insulation flew off the shuttle Discovery’s fuel tank during lift off on Tuesday, NASA officials said. They do not believe it hit the orbiter, posing a threat to the seven astronauts when they return to Earth. But they plan a closer inspection of the shuttle to be sure.

They don’t believe it hit the orbiter.

Geez. What about the astronauts that are UP IN THE FREAKING SPACE SHUTTLE RIGHT NOW? They’ve already spent a lot of time examining the shuttle for missing tiles. Can you imagine what they’re feeling? You know they’ve got to be wondering what will happen during their reentry.

What a nightmare.

UPDATE: Yep, just as I thought.

Reminiscent of the state treasurer from Pennsylvania who committed suicide in front of live television cameras in 1987, suspended Miami Commissioner Art Teele shot himself in the Miami Herald building late this afternoon.

Early reports indicate that Teele survived the shooting, and was transported to Ryder Trauma Center. Witnesses said that Teele has one gun shot wound to the head and he had lost a great deal of blood.

The former commissioner has faced a myriad of troubles over the past few years, including federal charges for money laundering and mail and wire fraud.

Teele was convicted in March of threatening a Miami-Dade police officer. He is awaiting trial on other fraud charges in state court.

 

UPDATE: Teele has died.

‘Marriages’ but no sex for gay clergy

The Church of England is to allow gay clergy to enter into civil partnerships but only if they promise to abstain from sex, according to guidance issued yesterday.

Sounds like a Monty Python sketch to me. Just how does the church intend to enforce this policy anyway?

Regardless of your stance on gay marriage, this is completely wacky.

Seems to me that the House of Bishops need to read Revelation 3:16.

Woman Accused of Groping Airport Screener.

A 62-year-old woman who was upset about being searched at an airport shoved a security screener and then grabbed her breasts, federal prosecutors said. The woman said she reacted in self-defense to “an absolute invasion of my body.”

Transportation Security Administration screening supervisor Anita Gostisha testified Monday that she saw Dintenfass activate the metal detectors at the Outagamie County Regional Airport in Appleton in September 2004.

Gostisha said she took the woman to another area, where she screened Dintenfass using a handheld wand. Gostisha, a screening supervisor for three years, said she was following protocol when she performed a “limited pat-down search.”

Gostisha said she was using the back of her hands to search the area underneath Dintenfass’ breasts when the woman lashed out at her.

“She said `How would you like it if I did that to you?’ and slammed me against the wall,” Gostisha testified. “She came at me and grabbed my breasts and squeezed them with firm pressure.”

Dintenfass testified that she felt it was an invasive search, and that she was acting in self-defense.

“I said, ‘What are you doing? No one’s done that to me before,'” Dintenfass said. “And she kept going for what felt like an interminably long time. It seemed to go on and on in my mind.”

Dintenfass denied that she shoved Gostisha, but admitted putting her hands on the agent’s breasts.

The ultimate quid pro quo.

Mrs. Dintenfass might want to consider not wearing an underwire bra the next time she has to fly.

John Edwards visits Maine to highlight problems of poverty.

I love the first paragraph.

Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards met with people living in poverty during a visit to Maine on Tuesday to draw attention to the plight of the poor and to raise money for Democrats. In his first stop in Maine since last year’s presidential campaign, Edwards called poverty the “great moral issue in America today.” Edwards was the Democratic nominee for vice president in John Kerry’s run for president last year.

Yeah, you read that right. John Edwards (a multi-millionaire) is going to go meet with poor people to draw attention to their plight (photo-op) and raise money for (already wealthy) Democrats.

That’s #23 in the liberal playbook – raise money by posing with (exploiting) poor people.

Shameless.