Barney Frank must think the American people are stupid. He is the main culprit in the sub prime mortgage crises. Frank, The Congressional Chairman of the Financial Service Committee,  and the democratic party pushed for the easing of mortgage lending so many more people could qualify for home ownership. Well, that happened and now many of those people are defaulting on their loans. Now he and his democratic colleagues, who control congress and have the votes to pass this 700 billion dollar bailout, are blamimg the republicans for not supporting a bill that was put together by President Bush, Sen. Reid & Speaker Pelosi. If Bush, Reid and Pelosi think this is in the interest of the American people, than pass this bill and send it to the president for signing. Since Pelosi became speaker and Frank became chairman, she has shut out the republican minority in the house. Why are they squealing now?

In June 1967, Forrestal departed Norfolk for duty in waters off Vietnam. In the Gulf of Tonkin on 29 July, Forrestal had been launching aircraft from her flight deck. For four days, the planes of Attack Carrier Air Wing 17 flew about 150 missions against targets in North Vietnam from the ship.
    Rupertus (DD-851) maneuvers to within 20 feet of Forrestal so fire hoses could be effectively used on the worst fire aboard a U.S. carrier.
    Due to a shortage of thousand-pound bombs, old Composition B bombs had been loaded from the ammunition ship USS Diamond Head, instead of safer H6, capable of withstanding high heat or exploding with low order. About 10:50 (local time), a Zuni rocket fired from an F-4 Phantom II by an electrical power surge hit an A-4 Skyhawk getting ready to launch, piloted by Lt. Cmdr. John McCain. The missile struck and knocked off the aircraft's fuel tank and started a fire. With his aircraft surrounded by flames, John McCain escaped from his jet by climbing out of the cockpit, walking down the nose, and jumping off the refueling probe. Video tape shot aboard the Forrestal shows McCain narrowly escaping the explosion[1].
    One minute and thirty-four seconds after the impact, the "Comp. B" bomb exploded underneath McCain's plane, starting a major fire which threatened to destroy the ship. The two A-4s ahead of McCain's plane were engulfed in the flaming JP-5 jet fuel spewing from them. A bomb dropped to the deck, rolled about 6 feet (2 m) and came to rest in a pool of burning fuel. Nine major explosions on the flight deck occurred; eight of those were caused by the "Comp. B" bombs and the other occurred between an old and a new bomb. The explosions left large holes in the flight deck, causing the jet fuel to drain into the interior of the ship, causing massive fires in the stern (rear) section. The fire left 132 Forrestal crewmen dead, 62 more injured, and two missing and presumed dead. The ship returned to Norfolk for extensive repairs. During the post-fire refit, the ship's 5" guns were removed.




More on John McCain-The USS Forrestall Fire
Submitted by blaze2453 on Thu, 2008-07-03 19:32.
One day in the Gulf of Tonkin, about 10:50 (local time) on the 29th of July 1967, an F-4 Phantom located on the starboard side of the stern of the USS Forrestal, was being loaded with two Zuni rocket pods each with 4x4 inch diameter rockets designed for air to ground ops. On the left side of the ship on the angle deck was an A-4 Skyhawk, manned by John McCain. Static electricity in the pod loaded aboard the F-4 caused one rocket to go off and strike both McCain's A-4 and Lt White's aircraft next to McCain's. This scene has been shown to millions of sailors since 1967. It is a training film of an actual accident that took the lives of over a hundred men. On the plat recorder, a film recorder that records everything on the flight deck 24 hours a day, it showed the rocket hitting McCain's A-4, dropping his 1000 pound bomb on the flight deck below his aircraft, and catching his two 2000 pound drop tanks on fire. McCain is seen climbing over the nose of the A-4 some 12 feet off the deck and crawling over the nose to the fuel probe and jumping amidst the fire to the deck below to escape. He was assisted away from the fire by flight deck personnel. The ensuing fire and other spilled fuel fed the flames. Some pilots ran through the flames to escape. Others ejected and were picked up by escorting ships. Lt White escaped his aircraft, but the 1000 pound bomb heated over and exploded killing many flight deck personnel, pilots and crewmembers. The USS Forrestall was in trouble. It took the efforts of thousands to overcome this disaster.
McCain was injured badly and returned to duty 6 weeks later with another A-4 Squadron. In his first week, he was shot down over North Vietnam.
For those of you who think Obama is more qualified than McCain, think again. McCain is the gutsiest man I have ever seen.
John MCcain's political opponents are entitled to their own opinions but not their own facts.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chuiyXQKw3I
YouTube - USS Forrestal Mishap July 29, 1967


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6l1rwQJjYg
YouTube - Forrestal Disaster (Aircraft Carrier Explosion) - 1/5

THE CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS CYNICAL ATTEMPTS TO USE THE TROOPS AND VETERANS TO SCORE POLITICAL POINTS IS BOTH DISGUSTING AND NOT SURPRISING.

NO BILL IN WASHINGTON CAN SUCCEED UNLESS IT HAS BIPARTISAN SUPPORT. THE PETER KING / JOHN KERRY PROPOSAL HAS A CHANCE TO BE SUCCESSFUL THIS YEAR DUE TO THE BIPARTISAN SUPPORT AS WELL AS BILL O'REILLY COMMITTMENT TO HIGHLIGHT THOSE OPPOSE TO THE BILL. THIS, IN TRUTH, IS A BIPARTISAN EFFORT AND THE WINNERS WILL BE OUR SERVICE MEMBERS.

Representative Peter King (R) NY and Senator John Kerry (D) MA in conjunction with Fox News Commentator Bill O'reilly are introducing a new GI bill for the 21st century. This legislation will provide much needed additional support for America’s newest war heroes. All American’s should support our troops by supporting this piece of legislation.


FOXNews.com - Push for New GI Bill - Bill O’Reilly | The O’Reilly Factor

Bush derangement syndrome infects the Town of Brattleboro Vt. The people of Vermont would be far better off if they passed Jenna's law and kept sex offenders off the street than show their intolerances of political diversity.



Town of Brattleboro, VT -- Where It Can ALL Happen!





The Associated Press: Vermont Anti-Bush Petition Lambasted

Representative Peter King (R) NY and Senator John Kerry (D) MA in conjunction with Fox News Commentator Bill O'reilly are introducing a new GI bill for the 21st century. This legislation will provide much needed additional support for America’s newest war heroes. All American’s should support our troops by supporting this piece of legislation.

It's ironic to see the Clinton's getting a dose of there own medicine. They have been playing the politics of personal destruction for many years and it's now bitting them in the butt.


The Wages of Sensitivity - Yahoo! News

...with the 2/5/08 Super Tuesday primary results in, it looks like Senator John McCain is on his way to the Republican Presidential nomination. Apparently Governor Mitt Romney thinks so and has suspended his presidential campaign. Their are two candidates left, Governor Mike Huckabee and Congressman Ron Paul. It is unlikely that either Governor Huckabee or Congressman Paul has the breath of support to win the nomination. They certainly do not have anywhere near the delegates to win the nomination. The polls show that  Senator John McCain has the best chance to defeat either Clinton or Obama. John McCain has a remarkable personal storey and has been a Republican with a Conservative record throughout his political career. Although I do not agree with him on all issues, I do agree with him on most issues. I certainly believe that his Judicial appointments will be conservative in the mold of John Roberts and Samual Alito. We know the type of judges Clinton and Obama will appoint. It's now time for all Conservatives, Republicans and Moderates to join together and support John McCain as our 44th President of the United States

Last Marine in First Iwo Jima Photo Dies
AP Posted: 2008-02-04 19:51:13 Filed Under: Nation News REDDING, California (Feb. 4)
   Raymond Jacobs, believed to be the last surviving member of the group of Marines photographed during the original U.S. flag-raising on Iwo Jima during World War II, has died at age 82. The man believed to be the last surviving member of the group of Marines photographed during the original U.S. flag-raising on Iwo Jima during World War II died at 82. Raymond Jacobs' daughter said her father died of natural causes at a Redding, Calif., hospital on Jan. 29. Jacobs died Jan. 29 of natural causes at a Redding hospital, his daughter, Nancy Jacobs, told The Associated Press. Jacobs had spent his later years working to prove that he was the radio operator photographed looking up at an American flag as it was being raised by other Marines on Mount Suribachi on Feb. 23, 1945, on the island about 745 miles south of Tokyo. Newspaper accounts from the time show he was on the mountain during the initial raising of a smaller American flag, though he had returned to his unit by the time the more famous AP photograph was taken of a second flag-raising later the same day. The radioman's face isn't fully visible in the first photograph taken of the first flag-raising by Lou Lowery, a photographer for Leatherneck magazine, leading some veterans to question Jacobs' claim. However, other negatives from the same roll of film show the radioman is Jacobs, said retired Col. Walt Ford, editor of Leatherneck. "It's clearly a front-on face shot of Ray Jacobs," Ford said. Annette Amerman, a historian with the Marine Corps History Division, said in an e-mailed statement "there are many that believe" Jacobs was the radioman. "However, there are no official records produced at the time that can prove or refute Mr. Jacobs' location." Jacobs was honorably discharged in 1946. He was called up during the Korean conflict in 1951 before retiring as a sergeant, his daughter said. Jacobs retired in 1992 from KTVU-TV station in Oakland, where he worked 34 years as a reporter, anchor and news director.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Doing the people's business...

    "Virginia Moves to Make Catnapping a Felony".

Once again our elected officials are looking out for the folks. With state issues such as high taxes, state aid to education, crime, correction and parole, sanctuary cities, catnapping must be up there on any list of priorities. I wonder how these elected officials can draw a paycheck with a straight face.

FOXNews.com - Virginia Moves to Make Catnapping a Felony - Politics | Republican Party | Democratic Party | Political Spectrum    

THE WICKED *ITCH OF THE LEFT AND THE WICKED *ITCH OF THE RIGHT DESERVE EACH OTHER.

Ann Coulter on McCain and Conservatives
Friday, February 01, 2008

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity & Colmes," January 31, 2008. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SEAN HANNITY, CO-HOST: And Senator John McCain is gaining momentum, but not all conservatives are jumping for joy. Senator McCain is a polarizing candidate for many. And critics point to his stance on immigration, his work with Russ Feingold. But with a potential Hillary Clinton candidacy on the Democratic side of the aisle, will true conservatives eventually fall in line and support the Arizona senator?
Joining us now, author of the "New York Times" best seller, "If Democrats Had Any Brains, They'd be Republicans," our friend Ann Coulter. How are you?
ANN COULTER, AUTHOR, "IF DEMOCRATS HAD ANY BRAINS": Fine, thank you.
HANNITY: I'm standing on substance here.
COULTER: Yes.
HANNITY: It's immigration. It's limits on free speech. It's not supporting tax cuts.
COULTER: It's Anwar. It's torture at Guantanamo.
HANNITY: Class warfare rhetoric. It's interrogations. It's Guantanamo. It's Anwar. These are not small issues to conservatives.
COULTER: No, and if you're looking at substance rather than whether it's an R or D after his name, manifestly, if our's candidate than Hillary's going to be our girl, Sean, because she's more conservative than he is. I think she would be stronger on the war on terrorism. I absolutely believe that.
HANNITY: That's the one area I disagree with you.
COULTER: No, yes, we're going to sign up together. Let me explain that point on terrorism.
HANNITY: You'd vote for Hillary —
COULTER: I will campaign for her if it's McCain.
HANNITY: If Hillary is watching tonight, you just got an endorsement —
COLMES: I just heard the word no.
COULTER: I was touched when she cried. That part isn't true. But the rest of it is true. He has led the fight against — well, as you say, interrogations. I say torture at Guantanamo. She hasn't done that. She hasn't taken a position in front.
HANNITY: Without interrupting you, let me give you one distinction — that's what liberals do to you. Let me give you one distinction, he did support the war —
COULTER: So did Hillary.
HANNITY: But he stayed with it. He supported the surge. I didn't like his criticisms of Rumsfeld, but he was right —
COULTER: OK, let's get to him supporting the surge. He keeps going on and on about how he was the only Republican who supported the surge and other Republicans attacked him. It was so awful how he was attacked. It was worse than being held in a tiger cage.
I looked up the record. Republicans all supported the surge. He's not only not the only one who supported the surge, I promise you no Republican attacked him for this. And you know why he's saying that, Sean, because he keeps saying it at every debate, I'm the only one. I was attacked by Republicans. He's confusing Republicans with his liberal friends. They're the ones who attacked him for it, his real friends.
HANNITY: Hillary Clinton, if she gets her way, will nationalize health care. She's going to pull the troops out of Iraq.
COULTER: I don't think she will.
HANNITY: That's what she's saying she's going to do. She says in a hundred days she's immediately going to begin to pull out.
(CROSS TALK)
COULTER: She's running in a Democratic primary. He's running in the Republican primary, and their positions are about that far apart. When George Bush said at the State of the Union Address that the surge is working in Iraq, Obama sat on his hands, Kennedy sat on his hands, Hillary leapt up and applauded that we are winning in the surge and that the surge is working in Iraq.
She gave much better answers in those debates when Democrats like Obama and Biden were saying what do we do? What do we do if three cities are attacked. She said, I will find who did it and I will go after them.
HANNITY: You want to sit back.
(CROSS TALK)
ALAN COLMES, CO-HOST: Can I just say something — Ann -
(CROSS TALK)
COULTER: Hillary is absolutely more conservative.
COLMES: My work is done. My work is done.
COULTER: Moreover, she lies less than John McCain. I'm a Hillary girl now. She lies less than John McCain. She's smarter than John McCain, so that when she's caught shamelessly lying, at least the Clintons know they've been caught lying. McCain is so stupid, he doesn't even know he's been caught.
COLMES: Go. In fact, could you fill in for me next week? Let me get this straight, would you vote for Hillary Clinton?
COULTER: Yes.
COLMES: You would actually go in a voting booth —
COULTER: If it's close and the candidate is John McCain, because John McCain is not only bad for Republicanism, which he definitely is. He is bad for —
(CROSS TALK)
COLMES: Can I tell you the last thing that Hillary Clinton wants? Ann Coulter's endorsement.
COULTER: Even now he's running as a Republican, he won't give up on amnesty. At that debate the other not —
(CROSS TALK)
COULTER: I'm serious.
COLMES: I know, but let me get serious for a second, because so far I haven't. Look, are you telling me — look at all the people endorsing McCain. I'm not talking about Johnny come lately Republicans. Nancy Reagan is wrong? Rick Perry is wrong? Arnold is wrong? Charlie Crist is wrong?
COULTER: Other than Nancy Reagan —
(CROSS TALK)
COULTER: I will explain. It's not that they're wrong. Other than Nancy Reagan, and by the way we loved Nancy Reagan for loving Ron Reagan. We didn't love her for her political persuasion.
(CROSS TALK)
COLMES: All of these people are off the beat.
COULTER: I'm trying to answer the question. Stop talking. I'm moving Nancy Reagan to the side, and I'm saying all the rest of these political endorsements mean one thing; they think he's the front runner. They want a job in his administration. Nothing means less than an endorsement from someone who wants a position.
COLMES: They're all hoes just looking for a job?
COULTER: No, but they all do want jobs.
COLMES: I'm giving her the opportunity —
COULTER: They do all want jobs. It's good to be friends with the king. Some people —
HANNITY: Will you be careful.
COULTER: Some people don't care about being the king.
Watch "Hannity & Colmes" weeknights at 9 p.m. ET!
Copy: Content and Programming Copyright 2008 Fox News Network, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Transcription Copyright 2008 Voxant, Inc. (www.voxant.com), which takes sole responsibility for the accuracy of the transcription. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No license is granted to the user of this material except for the user's personal or internal use and, in such case, only one copy may be printed, nor shall user use any material for commercial purposes or in any fashion that may infringe upon Fox News Network, LLC'S and Voxant, Inc.'s copyrights or other proprietary rights or interests in the material. This is not a legal transcript for purposes of litigation.THE WICKED *ITCH OF THE LEFT AND THE WICKED *ITCH OF THE RIGHT DESERVE EACH OTHER.

Ann Coulter on McCain and Conservatives
Friday, February 01, 2008

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity & Colmes," January 31, 2008. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SEAN HANNITY, CO-HOST: And Senator John McCain is gaining momentum, but not all conservatives are jumping for joy. Senator McCain is a polarizing candidate for many. And critics point to his stance on immigration, his work with Russ Feingold. But with a potential Hillary Clinton candidacy on the Democratic side of the aisle, will true conservatives eventually fall in line and support the Arizona senator?
Joining us now, author of the "New York Times" best seller, "If Democrats Had Any Brains, They'd be Republicans," our friend Ann Coulter. How are you?
ANN COULTER, AUTHOR, "IF DEMOCRATS HAD ANY BRAINS": Fine, thank you.
HANNITY: I'm standing on substance here.
COULTER: Yes.
HANNITY: It's immigration. It's limits on free speech. It's not supporting tax cuts.
COULTER: It's Anwar. It's torture at Guantanamo.
HANNITY: Class warfare rhetoric. It's interrogations. It's Guantanamo. It's Anwar. These are not small issues to conservatives.
COULTER: No, and if you're looking at substance rather than whether it's an R or D after his name, manifestly, if our's candidate than Hillary's going to be our girl, Sean, because she's more conservative than he is. I think she would be stronger on the war on terrorism. I absolutely believe that.
HANNITY: That's the one area I disagree with you.
COULTER: No, yes, we're going to sign up together. Let me explain that point on terrorism.
HANNITY: You'd vote for Hillary —
COULTER: I will campaign for her if it's McCain.
HANNITY: If Hillary is watching tonight, you just got an endorsement —
COLMES: I just heard the word no.
COULTER: I was touched when she cried. That part isn't true. But the rest of it is true. He has led the fight against — well, as you say, interrogations. I say torture at Guantanamo. She hasn't done that. She hasn't taken a position in front.
HANNITY: Without interrupting you, let me give you one distinction — that's what liberals do to you. Let me give you one distinction, he did support the war —
COULTER: So did Hillary.
HANNITY: But he stayed with it. He supported the surge. I didn't like his criticisms of Rumsfeld, but he was right —
COULTER: OK, let's get to him supporting the surge. He keeps going on and on about how he was the only Republican who supported the surge and other Republicans attacked him. It was so awful how he was attacked. It was worse than being held in a tiger cage.
I looked up the record. Republicans all supported the surge. He's not only not the only one who supported the surge, I promise you no Republican attacked him for this. And you know why he's saying that, Sean, because he keeps saying it at every debate, I'm the only one. I was attacked by Republicans. He's confusing Republicans with his liberal friends. They're the ones who attacked him for it, his real friends.
HANNITY: Hillary Clinton, if she gets her way, will nationalize health care. She's going to pull the troops out of Iraq.
COULTER: I don't think she will.
HANNITY: That's what she's saying she's going to do. She says in a hundred days she's immediately going to begin to pull out.
(CROSS TALK)
COULTER: She's running in a Democratic primary. He's running in the Republican primary, and their positions are about that far apart. When George Bush said at the State of the Union Address that the surge is working in Iraq, Obama sat on his hands, Kennedy sat on his hands, Hillary leapt up and applauded that we are winning in the surge and that the surge is working in Iraq.
She gave much better answers in those debates when Democrats like Obama and Biden were saying what do we do? What do we do if three cities are attacked. She said, I will find who did it and I will go after them.
HANNITY: You want to sit back.
(CROSS TALK)
ALAN COLMES, CO-HOST: Can I just say something — Ann -
(CROSS TALK)
COULTER: Hillary is absolutely more conservative.
COLMES: My work is done. My work is done.
COULTER: Moreover, she lies less than John McCain. I'm a Hillary girl now. She lies less than John McCain. She's smarter than John McCain, so that when she's caught shamelessly lying, at least the Clintons know they've been caught lying. McCain is so stupid, he doesn't even know he's been caught.
COLMES: Go. In fact, could you fill in for me next week? Let me get this straight, would you vote for Hillary Clinton?
COULTER: Yes.
COLMES: You would actually go in a voting booth —
COULTER: If it's close and the candidate is John McCain, because John McCain is not only bad for Republicanism, which he definitely is. He is bad for —
(CROSS TALK)
COLMES: Can I tell you the last thing that Hillary Clinton wants? Ann Coulter's endorsement.
COULTER: Even now he's running as a Republican, he won't give up on amnesty. At that debate the other not —
(CROSS TALK)
COULTER: I'm serious.
COLMES: I know, but let me get serious for a second, because so far I haven't. Look, are you telling me — look at all the people endorsing McCain. I'm not talking about Johnny come lately Republicans. Nancy Reagan is wrong? Rick Perry is wrong? Arnold is wrong? Charlie Crist is wrong?
COULTER: Other than Nancy Reagan —
(CROSS TALK)
COULTER: I will explain. It's not that they're wrong. Other than Nancy Reagan, and by the way we loved Nancy Reagan for loving Ron Reagan. We didn't love her for her political persuasion.
(CROSS TALK)
COLMES: All of these people are off the beat.
COULTER: I'm trying to answer the question. Stop talking. I'm moving Nancy Reagan to the side, and I'm saying all the rest of these political endorsements mean one thing; they think he's the front runner. They want a job in his administration. Nothing means less than an endorsement from someone who wants a position.
COLMES: They're all hoes just looking for a job?
COULTER: No, but they all do want jobs.
COLMES: I'm giving her the opportunity —
COULTER: They do all want jobs. It's good to be friends with the king. Some people —
HANNITY: Will you be careful.
COULTER: Some people don't care about being the king.
Watch "Hannity & Colmes" weeknights at 9 p.m. ET!
Copy: Content and Programming Copyright 2008 Fox News Network, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Transcription Copyright 2008 Voxant, Inc. (www.voxant.com), which takes sole responsibility for the accuracy of the transcription. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No license is granted to the user of this material except for the user's personal or internal use and, in such case, only one copy may be printed, nor shall user use any material for commercial purposes or in any fashion that may infringe upon Fox News Network, LLC'S and Voxant, Inc.'s copyrights or other proprietary rights or interests in the material. This is not a legal transcript for purposes of litigation.

Liberal City Takes on the Marine Corps

BERKELEY, Calif. (Feb. 1) — While the City Council here has little — read, no — sway over foreign policy and distant wars, local parking is a different matter. And so it was that a parking space directly in front of the recruiting station here for the Marine Corps was awarded on Tuesday night to an antiwar group in the hope of running the Marines out of town. Having failed in recent years to impeach President Bush and stop the war in Afghanistan, members of the City Council approved a resolution that encourages people to nonviolently “impede, passively or actively,” the work of the recruiters. To that end, the council awarded the group, Code Pink, exclusive use of the parking spot for four hours one afternoon each week, for the next six months, to stage its protests. “If you’re going to join the Marines, you’re going to join the Marines,” said Zanna Joi, an activist with Code Pink, which favors cotton-candy-colored garb and in-your-face tactics. “But you don’t have to join the Marines from our town.” In taking on the Marines, the council also directed the city attorney to investigate legal means of ousting the recruiting station, calling the Marines “uninvited and unwelcome intruders” in this bastion of liberal politics, 1960s free speech and high-minded nonbinding resolutions. Tom Bates, the city’s mayor and a former Army man himself, said the vote represented his constituents’ longstanding — and frequently vocal — distaste for current military activity. “Berkeley has been opposed to the Iraq war since the beginning; it’s overwhelmingly unpopular in this community,” Mr. Bates said. “And people feel this is an opportunity to express their discontent.” One of the nine council members, Gordon Wozniak, opposed the resolution and the parking spot. “I believe in free speech, and I certainly respect the right of Code Pink to protest,” Mr. Wozniak said. “But I’m also concerned we treat all sides fairly, and I think the Marines recruiters are just doing their job. They’re not evil people.” Mr. Wozniak, a retired nuclear scientist who opposes the war in Iraq, added that those advocating the parking spot were engaged in the same type of selective treatment that many war opponents object to. “A lot of the same people who voted for this felt Bush bent the rules,” Mr. Wozniak said, referring to the president’s unfounded claims that Iraq had chemical, nuclear or biological weapons. This is hardly the first attempt by Berkeley’s civic leaders, many of whom fondly remember the city’s antiwar heyday in the 1960s, to express their unhappiness with the whole concept of war. In 2006, the City Council and voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure calling for the impeachment of Mr. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, citing “high crimes and misdemeanors” related to the war in Iraq and the fight against terrorism. In 2001, the City Council also called for an end to the bombing of Afghanistan just weeks after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, something that earned some council members anonymous death threats.
Despite the vote on Tuesday, Mr. Bates said it was not clear if the city could actually force the Marines to move out of town. “They still have a year and a half on their lease,” he said. That said, the resolution also calls for the city attorney to look into possible violations of the Berkeley municipal code regarding sexual discrimination by the Marines, and asks the city manager to write the Marine commandant and tell him that Semper Fi fans are “not welcome in our city.” Maj. Wes Hayes of the Marine Corps Recruiting Command in Quantico, Va., said the corps had not immediately been aware of Berkeley’s actions, but added that they would have no effect on recruiting efforts. “It’s business as usual,” Major Hayes said.“They still have a year and a half on their lease,” he said. Inside the Berkeley office, a small storefront a block from the University of California campus, a pull-up bar sits near the window as does a pile of weights, part of the physical fitness test for any potential leathernecks. A poster on the wall reminds recruiters not “to fear the winds of adversity.” After being open earlier in the day, the front door was locked and the window blinds drawn on Thursday afternoon, at least for a while, as Code Pink protesters chanted happily outside. Brandon Rousseau, an information technology consultant who works across the street and has a cousin in the Marines, said both sides had a right to go about their business.
“Even if that were a Nazi recruiting station,” Mr. Rousseau said, “they have a right to do that in America.”

Copyright © 2007 The New York Times Company

More Democratic Dirty Tricks...

McDermott pays taped call damages

WASHINGTON - Democratic Rep. Jim McDermott has paid more than $64,000 in damages to House Republican leader John Boehner — the first payment in a decade-long dispute over an illegally taped telephone call involving Boehner and other GOP leaders. The payment, which includes $50,000 in court-ordered punitive damages, $10,000 in statutory damages and $4,169 in interest, is the first of what could be more than more than $850,000 in fines and fees owed by McDermott, D-Wash. That's how much Boehner, R-Ohio, says he has paid in legal fees over the course of the 10-year-old case, which stems from a December 1996 telephone call in which Republican leaders discussed an ethics case against then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga. The Supreme Court ruled last month that McDermott acted improperly in giving reporters access to an audio tape given to him by a Florida couple who had recorded the cell phone call on a police radio scanner. McDermott, at the time a senior member of the House ethics committee, leaked the tape to two newspapers, which published articles on the case in January 1997. The exact amount McDermott owes in the case is the subject of a separate legal dispute being heard in federal court. A ruling on the fees is expected in the next few weeks. Kevin Smith, a spokesman for Boehner, called it ironic that the payment from McDermott's legal defense fund will go to Boehner's campaign account. "Mr. McDermott is the biggest contributor" to the account, known as "Friends of John Boehner," Smith said Thursday. The money "will be used to defeat fellow Democrats of Mr. McDermott," he said. Mike DeCesare, a spokesman for McDermott, called the payment a sign of "the process moving along," adding that McDermott hopes to get the matter behind him and move on to other issues. A report filed with the House clerk shows McDermott's legal expense trust fund took in about $56,000 in the final three months of 2007, for a full-year total of just over $100,000.

Making change in Washington...

Democrats' Gourmet Cafeteria Changes Prompt Grumblings From Colleagues.

The processed cheese has been replaced with brie. The Jell-O has made way for raspberry kiwi tarts and mini-lemon blueberry trifles. Meatloaf has moved over for mahi mahi and buns have been shunted aside in favor of baguettes. Is this the two America's John Edwards talks about?

FOXNews.com - Democrats' Gourmet Cafeteria Changes Prompt Grumblings From Colleagues - Politics | Republican Party | Democratic Party | Political Spectrum



Pelosi pushes gourmet menu - Josephine Hearn - Politico.com