What we were all thinking about ABC's Woodruff

Isn't this what each of us was thinking about the press over coverage of the Robert Woodruff experience .

"In Iraq, and throughout the military, there is sympathy and concern for anchor Bob Woodruff and cameraman Doug Vogt, but there is also this question:

"Why do you think this is such a huge story?" wrote an officer stationed in Baqubah, Iraq, Monday via e-mail. "It's a bit stunning to us over here how absolutely dominant the story is on every network and front page. I mean, you'd think we lost the entire 1st Marine Division or something."

You know, whatever your political stripe, you were thinking this too!

Did anyone else see Williams and Russert Bail on Matthews.

I was watching Matthews at 10:48 Pm 1.31.2006 and he wanted
Brian Williams and Russert to talk to Howard Dean. MSNBC cut the lead..

Look at it. Williams and Russert would not go on TV with Dean.

Live Blog the State of the Union via MSNBC

9:00: Matthews - Can't say anything against Laura

9:01: Supreme court walks in. Alito walks in. A victory for Bush for a long time.

9:02: Matthews says other supreemes won't come because they think they are being used. What's up with that? They are?

9:03: Rumsfeld, according to Matthews is one of the most controversial of the cabinet members. Among who?

9:05: Alito, a Jersey boy, looks good.

9:06: Homeland security should take a back seat.

9:07: Why is Matthews talking about the anti-bellum south?

9:08: President walks in

9:09: Pelosi wants to be seen with Bush.

9:11: Bush looks good and confident
(is this going to be a conservative speech?)

9:13: A civil tone and not let differences harden. (Teddy?)

9:16: Freedom... Blah, blah... Hamas... Blah, Blah... Radical Islam!!!!!!!!!!
Name your enemy. GOOD JOB.

9:20: They guy in Afghanistan (Osamas's second, laughed at him yesterday for missing him in the predator attack in Pakistan.

9:22: Are not all enemies brutal?

9:23: I still don't get the Iraq-Terror war stuff. We have "adjusted our tactics", can we ask the ABC guys'.


9:25: Stand behind my decision to Invade Iraq because we need to stand behind the troops. Repubs stand proud, The line makes no sense. Why are our children being killed? He can not elucidate an argument.... (I love our kids. I hate what he asked them to do.)

9:27: Never forget the sacrifices of military families. Why are we fighting. "Elections are Vital", he said... What about Hamas

9:29: Call for Hamas to reject all and work for peace (Churchill... The best way to control a rebel is to invite him to dinner)

9:30: Iran... Bang on!

9:31: Iran: A call for revolution!

9:32: How'd we get to AIDS? Malaria? Shoot. DDT! Screw Rachel Carson who was wrong anyway.

9:34: NSA Spying: "Connect the Dots"... I hope it was only international. (The NYT claims it was domestic).

9:35: NSA Spying: Good line. I don't want to be hit again.

9:36: NSA Spying: Presidents of both parties? "I love Clinton"?

9:37 But, not as fast as China and India

9:39: He is a one worlder. (I actually agree with him) Intend to shape the future (Don't steal Exxons' profit)

9:40: Tax cuts Perm!!!!!!

9:42: Line item veto.!!!!! We need it for all Presidents, regardless of party.

9:44: Another call for non-partisan politics.

9:45: Any country (with more than a first grade education) could kick our ass.

9:47: Did Senetor Fierst ever go potty?

9:50: First, The Indians and Chinese have kicked our butts. But, we know that Exxon's 10 Billion will pull our ass from the fire in the future.

9:53: Blah, blah, Blah.... Has he been to Camden?

9:55: Good job on the SCOTUS.....

9:57: WOW. Take a shot at stem cell cloning (look at Korea)....

9:58: Be Strong....

10:00: Let's pander with a meaningless wish list.....


With a wonkette I never meet, I need to to go drink now. Kettle one on all!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Matthews is nuts..... Listen now...

Good speach..

What's up with MSNBC?

I was just watching MSNBC. I always do. I know what FOX will say.

Chris Matthews said these strange things. He said the president had a 39% approval rating when ABC has a similar poll with bush at 46%.

Why is MSNBC taking this stand. Does GE want to ride MSNBC into the ground. What are they thinking. My dollars won't go into their stock, not because of their stand (I never invest on emotion) but they are sooooo far left to differentiate themselves from FOX.

Mulshine is the only OP-ED columnist that gets it

Paul Mulshine has a great column in today's Star Ledger . Mulshine took the time to read through all of the transion teams reports that Corzine recieved. He focused on the property tax report and it was enlightning at best. According to the report, Corzines "second prong" in his property tax relief plan, a citizens' convention,

"If a citizens' convention were empowered to also address the level and purposes of spending,... there would be no way to effectively confine it to totally ensure it against becoming a forum for debate of divisive social issues."

Mulshine goes on,

"Among the "divisive social issues" listed are teacher salaries and public employee pensions. If you can't consider such issues, you can't solve the property tax crisis. I could write the needed amendment in 10 minutes; this convention couldn't do it in 10 years."

Read his column. It's enlightening.

Biden on Alito

I was listening to Imus in the Morning today and he had Joe Biden, the Democratic Senator from Delaware, on his show. They were speaking about the Sam Alito confirmation and Biden said that he wouldn't vote for Mr. Alto even though he was a highly qualified person because he disagreed with Alito's stance on Presidential powers. According to Biden, he asked Alito if he thought that the President had the power to invade another country, like an Iraq, without consulting congress. Biden stated Alito said that that was a difficult question. This answer made Biden believe that Alito was for run away Presidential power.

It seems to me that the President can send troops wherever he sees fit. Congress isn't required to fund the troops. As a matter of fact if the Democrats really want to bring home our troops from Iraq all they need to do is muster the votes to stop funding them.

Will the last person left in the state please turn off the lights

One of the recomendations that Corzine has in front of him to help balance the budget is to tax your 401-K contributions. So, in order that our fine upstanding State Employees can retire in the manner they are acustomed to the State is going to raid my retirement plan.

What are these people thinking? There is nothing like the plans I've read about in the paper to drive people and business from this state. Increasing the sales tax, increasing business' contribution to unemployment and taxing people's retirement are the sureest way to make sure no one can live here.

Tax increases urged

Tax increases are always the first thing that a Democrat can think of. link Not once do these politicians worry about the impact of increased taxes on the people they represent. I say no new taxes. Balance the budget by cutting State programs and workers.

Isn't there a better use of law enforcement

"Authorities were searching yesterday in Red Bank for an alleged deadbeat dad who escaped from custody as sheriff's officers were trying to arrest him.

Rasheem Yarbrough, 26, his hands still handcuffed behind his back, was believed to have been hiding somewhere in the area of the Dr. James Parker Boulevard home where Monmouth County sheriff's officers went to arrest him on a warrant for nonpayment of child support, Undersheriff Ted Freeman said. link

Isn't there something better for law enforcement to do. Let's arrest him and put him in jail so he has no chance of making the money that the judge insisted he could pay.

Helen Thomas Snubbed.... No wonder

Drudge is reporting that Bush snubbed Helen Thomas. Look at the questions she was prepared to ask and tell me that it wasn't the right choice.

"BUSH SNUBS HELEN THOMAS [AGAIN]
Thu Jan 26 2006 15:42:32 2006

President Bush today again avoided taking a question from White House doyenne Helen Thomas during his 45-minute press conference, even though he took questions from every reporter around her front-row, center seat.

"He's a coward," Thomas said afterward. "He's supposed to be this macho guy. He'll take on Osama bin Laden, but he won't take me on."

Thomas, who worked as the UPI White House reporter for 57 years and is now a columnist, raised her hand every time the president was concluding an answer to a reporter's question, but he never called on her.

She had a few questions in mind, though. "I wanted to ask about Iraq: 'You said you didn't go in for oil or for Israel or for WMDs. so why did you go in?' "

She also had another question at the ready, just in case, this one about the president's contention that a 28-year-old wiretapping law known as FISA is out of date, which prompted him to order the National Security Agency to conduct a secret electronic surveillance program that Democrats contend is illegal.

"You keep saying it's a 1978 law, but the Constitution 200 years old. Is that out of date, too?"

Afterward, Thomas sat sullenly in her chair in the White House press work area, huddled in her leopard-print winter coat.

But as she left, she made a prediction: "He came on to my turf. I'll bet the next press conference will be in Room 450 of the EEOB," a theater-style room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where she would not be in the front row.

Developing...

Pretty soon only Maureen Dowd will be left to offer such simplistic and idiotic questions.

7:30 Alito Update

Well the Jersey Senators are no shows so far tonight. It is somewhat surprising that Byrd and Johnson have voted in the affirmative for cloture.

It's hard to believe that that idiot Lautenberg and the sniveling Menendez won't vote for a Jersey boy and will follow the Democratic stupidity.

By the way. Alito is more than qualified for SCOTUS. I find it very offensive that Democrates vote on nominees based on some percieved ideological basis. Ginsburg was let on the bench because she was qualified. Alito should get the same treatment.

The New York Times Joins the Wacko Left

The New York Times is losing it. Today they published this editorial begging the Democrates to block Sam Alitos appointment to the Supreme Court by using a filibuster. On what grounds do they claim this is needed? Look at this inflammatory, ridiculous and unsubstantiated claim in their first paragraph.

"Judge Samuel Alito Jr., whose entire history suggests that he holds extreme views about the expansive powers of the presidency and the limited role of Congress, will almost certainly be a Supreme Court justice soon. His elevation will come courtesy of a president whose grandiose vision of his own powers threatens to undermine the nation's basic philosophy of government — and a Senate that seems eager to cooperate by rolling over and playing dead."

Get that! Not just specific decisions, but a hysterical generalization of a good judge's record.

And let's take a look at this gem from the crack editorial staff at the Times

"There was nothing that Judge Alito said in his hearings that gave any comfort to those of us who wonder whether the new Roberts court will follow precedent and continue to affirm, for instance, that a man the president labels an "unlawful enemy combatant" has the basic right to challenge the government's ability to hold him in detention forever without explanation. His much-quoted statement that the president is not above the law is meaningless unless he also believes that the law requires the chief executive to defer to Congress and the courts. "

What precedent are they talking about. The SCOTUS has not ruled on this matter and what law requires the President to defer to the
Congress and Courts. Are they seriously suggestion that the Executive Branch give up it's constitutional powers? What drivel!
Oh and then they complain;

"Judge Alito's refusal to even pretend to sound like a moderate was telling because it would have cost him so little. Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., who was far more skillful at appearing mainstream at the hearings, has already given indications that whatever he said about the limits of executive power when he was questioned by the Senate has little practical impact on how he will rule now that he has a lifetime appointment"

Why should Alito have to "pretend" to be a moderate? To please the Times editorial staff. Liberals are crazy. They lost an election. The President gets to pick who he wants on the court. The Senate is conservative, the President is conservative and the SCOTUS is soon going to be conservative. I'd suggest if the liberal weenies at the Times have an issue with that they should go out and win some elections and stop whining.

Do columnists do any research?

On January 16th I read a column by the Ledger's Bob Braun. He wrote about a woman named Virginia Javras who worked as an office manager at a small engineering firm. Her employer provided medical benefits which were very important to her. Eventually, however, she was laid off and according to Braun,

"So she worked out an arrangement with her employer. She would contribute to a medical benefits plan -- about $400 a month -- and would continue to get her costs covered. Every month, she'd send a check and get her meds and her visits paid.

Then, she remembers, a night in December, 2003, when the white-coated young pharmacist behind the high counter punched the keys of a computer, looked puzzled, then came back to say to Javras: "The carrier is declining payment."

A mistake, Javras thought. But it was more than that. Her employer had subscribed only to a year-long plan and it had expired. "

Small companies in New Jersey, those under 25 people offer what is called State Continuation Insurance. Large companies offer COBRA. Under the State Continuation plan small employers have to offer terminated employees access to their health care as long as the former employee pays the cost of the insurance plus a 2% administration fee. The term of this insurance continuation is, by law, twelve months. Insurance companies won't cover anyone for a longer period of time. COBRA will let a former employee carry insurance for eighteeen months. Small companies can not continue Dental. The rules of your coverage are usually spelled out in a letter that the company will provide when it offers the continuation option. Braun makes it seem like the company was uncaring. They did everything right and he should do his homework.

Newark moving ahead on arena

Well the Devils seem to have committed to moving to Newark. The site is just south and west of Penn Station between 21 and Broad St. I have never been in favor of this deal. Newark receives so much money from suburban taxpayers for failing schools. I think that the $100 million that Newark put towards an arena should have been required to go towards Newark schools in place of SCC money.

Someone should go to jail

I don't understand why their have been no indictments of the people in charge of UMDNJ. $69,000 in limo rides? An apology of I didn't know it cost so much to drive from the Poconos to Newark in a Limo. Give me a break! Lying, stealing garbage is what these people are. link

Peggy Noonan - a real conservative in the Republican party

In the opinion Journal speaking of her wish for the Republican party on the anniversary of Regan's inauguration 25 years ago...

"That it regain a sense of its historic mission. That it stop seeming the friend of the wired and return to being the great friend of Main Street, for Main Street still, in its own way, exists. That it return to basic principles on spending, regulation and state authority. That it question a foreign policy that often seems at once dreamy and aggressive, and question, too, an overreaching on immigration policy that seems composed in equal parts of naivete and cynicism. That its representatives admit that lunching with lobbyists is not the problem; failing to oppose the growth of government--so huge that no one, really no one, knows what is in its budget--is. That they reduce the size and power of government. That they help our country."

Bush's best friend

Yesterday Osama Bin Laden surfaced in a poor quality audio tape released in parts by Al-Jazeera "

"The delay in similar operations happening in America has not been because of failure to break through your security measures. The operations are under preparation and you will see them in your homes the minute they are through (with preparations), with God's permission."

and

"What prompted me to speak are the repeated fallacies of your President Bush in his comment on the outcome of US opinion polls, which indicated that the overwhelming majority of you want the withdrawal of the forces from Iraq, but he objected to this desire and said that the withdrawal of troops would send the wrong message to the enemy.
Bush said: It is better to fight them on their ground than they fighting us on our ground.

In my response to these fallacies, I say: The war in Iraq is raging and operations in Afghanistan are on the rise in our favour, praise be to God. The Pentagon figures indicate the rise in the number of your dead and wounded, let alone the huge material losses.

To go back to where I started, I say that the results of the poll satisfy sane people and that Bush's objection to them is false.

Reality testifies that the war against America and its allies has not remained confined to Iraq, as he claims. In fact, Iraq has become a point of attraction and recruitment of qualified resources.

Based on the above, we see that Bush's argument is false.

However, the argument that he avoided, which is the substance of the results of opinion polls on withdrawing the troops, is that it is better not to fight the Muslims on their land and for them not to fight us on our land."

Last year at election time, when many polls showed Kerry with a strong chance, this guy releases a tape basically telling the American people that if they vote for Bush the states that vote for him will be attacked. Now when Bush is under fire for eavesdropping on citizens with the NSA, Osama surfaces once again to threaten that attacks on America are in the making. Either this guy has the worst political radar ever or...

What happens if...

What would happen if the Governor refused to enforce a decision of the State Supreme Court. What if the legislature and Governor just refused to either create legislation according to the edict of the court or to act to enforce one of its decisions. For example, the NJSC ruled that schools were not funded properly based on the thorough and efficient clause of the constitution in the Abbott. It then overstepped its bounds and ordered:

Rigorous content standards-based education, supported by per-pupil funding equal to spending in successful suburban schools
Universal, well-planned and high quality preschool education for all three- and four-year olds

Supplemental ("at-risk") programs to address student and school needs attributed to high-poverty, including intensive early literacy, small class size and social and health services

New and rehabilitated facilities to adequately house all programs, relieve overcrowding, and eliminate health and safety violations

School and district reforms to improve curriculum and instruction, and for effective and efficient use of funds to enable students to achieve state standards

State accountability for effective and timely implementation, and to ensure progress in improving student achievement link

So why did the other branches of government allow the court to spend taxpayer dollars. I don't know. It seems to me that the Legislator and the Governor should never have let the court dictate legislative issues. I?'d really like to know what would happen if they refused.

Tomorrow

Well Jon Corzine takes control tomorrow. He has quite a bit on his plate. A pension fund that is underfunded by $35 billion, a transportation fund that is bankrupt and a school construction boondogle that is underfunded by $15-$20 billion. I can't wait to see the massive tax increases that come out of Trenton since I haven't seen any indication that there is a plan to significantly cut spending or to challange the state supreme court.

A National ID Card by Another Name

The Real ID act is a law mandating that all states comply with a national drivers licensing standard. The law was passed with little debate as it was attached to the back end of an Iraqi war funding bill. One of the provisions of the bill, which is to go into effect in 2008 is a provision that all states link their record-keeping systems to a single national database. link

This sounds like a national ID card to me and it slipped in by flying below the radar.

Free speech. Hurrah!

It is now illegal to annoy someone via the internet.

"Whoever...utilizes any device or software that can be used to originate telecommunications or other types of communications that are transmitted, in whole or in part, by the Internet... without disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any person...who receives the communications...shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than two years, or both. link "

So don't annoy me. Got it.

Smoking Ban

What's wrong with me! For the first time I find myself turning from my "no government is good government" stance to THANK GOD I CAN HAVE A BEER WITHOUT STINKING LIKE AN ASHTRAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry to all you smokers. I used to smoke 2 to 2-1/2 packs a day and I know that people like me are the worst, the infamous reformed smoker. I also find it amusing that all of my family members who are large government weenies are against the ban and here I sit on the other side. Motivated self interest I assume. Lower dry cleaning bills in my future.

Well, those of you that read this blog can throw this one in my face every time I get on my high horse about expansionist government (enlighten?). However, is there a chance I can get those big government weenies to take the same stance on taxes as they do on smoking?

Europe is always better... Right?

Let's go to IKEA link

Amazing.

No truer words spoken

For the three monkey defenders of Bush

"America was founded on the principle that it is right to sacrifice blood for liberty. It is telling that the Bush defenders make precisely the opposite argument, that it is right to sacrifice liberty in order to avoid the shedding of American blood." link

Dems to Bork and Thomas Judge Alito

Senate Democrats have put into place a plan that includes one last push to take down the nomination of Judge Samuel A. Alito as he heads into his confirmation hearing next week, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

Senate Democrats intend to zero in on Alito’s alleged enthusiastic membership to an organization, they will charge, that was sexist and racist! link

Is there anything more disgusting than the party of KKK member Robert Byrd claiming someone is a racist. Democrates should be ashamed of themselves.

By the way, has a Democrate in Congress had a constructive idea or policy in the past 15 years?

A classic example of spending other peoples money

Rueters is reporting that

"A year after picking a bitter fight with legislators that he ended up losing at the polls, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger unveiled a massive 10-year spending plan on Thursday aimed at winning back Californian support (emphisis mine) ahead of his November re-election effort.

Addressing legislators in his annual "state of the state" address, the Republican governor proposed $222.6 billion in spending on schools and infrastructure over the next decade that would include a record $68 billion of new debt"

This is a Republican.

Does anyone else find the Farris Hassan strange

Am I the only person that finds the Farris Hassan story really weird? First change one letter of his name and it spells Ferris, like Ferris Bueller. But really, the AP wrote a story on this and I found so many aspects of the story just weird.

"Using money his parents had given him at one point, he bought a $900 plane ticket and took off from school a week before Christmas vacation started, skipping classes and leaving the country on Dec. 11."

There was no missing person report filed with the police?

"He again called his father, who told him to come home. But the teen insisted on going to Baghdad. His father advised him to stay with family friends in Beirut, Lebanon, so he flew there, spending 10 days before flying to Baghdad on Christmas."

His father didn't fly to Beirut to get him. What parent wouldn't be on the first flight to kick this kid's butt.

"His ride at Baghdad International Airport, arranged by the family friends in Lebanon, dropped him off at an international hotel where Americans were staying. "

This is family?

Now I know that I'm from New Jersey and as skeptical as anyone on the planet, but someone tell me that this story isn't a setup of some kind.

All I need is the air that I breath to be free

Proposed water tax likely to die in Assembly

"Under the legislation, customers of New Jersey's various public water franchises would be hit with a levy of 4 cents per 1,000 gallons of water used.

Money raised through the levy -- expected to be just over $2.50 per household, or $13 million annually -- would go into the state's general fund.
Sponsors initially said the money would be dedicated to programs aimed at protecting water supplies in South Jersey and the Highlands region of northwestern New Jersey. "

Thankfully, the Assembly hasn't figured out how to tax the air, but if someone ever invents a meter, watch out!

This farm is preserved. Sort of....

The State Legislature is about to pass a bill allowing farmers that have taken taxpayer money to preserve their farms build one non-agricultural building on the land.

So it appears that tax payers paid to preserve farms and now someone can come and build a retail store or cell tower or whatever....

Taxpayers take it again.