Memorial Day: Remember

The National Moment of Remembrance - 3:00 PM.

Taps - 24 notes say so much.

Obama: Rain Cancels Memorial Day Event

The weather didn't cooperate with Obama's decision to skip the Memorial Day wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery and opt for an event that would coincide with his Chicago vacation.

From FOX News:

In Elwood, Ill., Obama's trip to the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery was disrupted by a torrential downpour complete with lightning. The president stood under a large umbrella at the podium to ask guests at the event to return to their cars while the storm passed but the president's car ended up leaving the site midday as the rain continued to fall.

"We don't want to endanger anyone, particularly children in the audience. So I'd ask everybody to very calmly, move back to your cars. I'm going to move back to mine. We will wait to make sure that the thunder has passed. A little bit of rain doesn't hurt anybody but we don't want anybody being struck by lightning. God bless you everybody," the president said as the audience cleared out.

He waited at an administration building for about a half hour, but the crowd, which included Illinois Sens. Dick Durbin and Roland Burris, dispersed after being notified the president left. The president then traveled to the Fisher House in Hines, Ill., to meet with wounded veterans.

...Some had questioned the president's decision to skip Arlington in favor of a local event that would coincide with his family's holiday weekend at their home in Chicago. Obama spoke before at the Lincoln cemetery while a U.S. senator in 2005.

Lincoln is one of the newer cemeteries run by the National Cemetery Administration, which manages the burial plots for honorably discharged troops and their families.

Lincoln cemetery was dedicated in 1999. It has just 17 troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The majority of those interred there are World War II veterans who died in old age.

Video.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I wonder if this rain means Obama won't be able to spend the afternoon golfing, like he did last year on Memorial Day.

Nugent: 'Every Day is Memorial Day'

In the Washington Times, Ted Nugent writes:

I live to remember. I have not forgotten that America is still at war in Iraq and Afghanistan, that our finest citizens have volunteered to put themselves in harm's way in the name of freedom. The media overall have done a grave disservice to our warriors and their families, who have been asked to sacrifice so much. The war is now barely covered by the media.

Maybe so-called journalists have forgotten. The media have moved on.

Not me. I have chosen to dig in and never forget. Not a day goes by that I am not reminded, often painfully, that America is at war. The cards, letters, pictures and e-mails I receive on a daily basis from America's finest and their families embolden me to be a better American, to be even more appreciative of the freedoms, liberties and opportunities provided me and you with the blood of warriors. These brave American warriors and the warriors who have gone before them humble me to my core. There are no words to express my appreciation for their bravery, commitment and sacrifice. The same goes for their families, who are left behind to soldier on while their loved ones go off to war. God bless them all.

We owe it to these brave Americans and their families to win this war with our honor intact, not to telegraph to the enemy when we are packing up and leaving the battlefield. I'm no military tactician, but announcing when we are leaving the battlefield is analogous to putting an ad in your local newspaper to let all local punks and thugs know when you are going on vacation so they can plunder your home.

I stand with most Americans demanding a victory strategy, not an exit strategy.

When we commit our troops to war, we must make a commitment to them and their families that we will achieve total victory through the application of total war.

Of the thousands of brave American warriors I have met since Sept. 11, 2001, not one has expressed a desire to leave the battlefield without victory. They all want to stay and finish the job. The commander in chief should remember how freedom has been achieved throughout history and let these trained warriors do their job. That's how I remember.

As parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, we owe it to America's finest to educate the youth of the United States that many brave Americans have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom. Teach them that freedom isn't free. Teach them that the American military has freed more people from the shackles of tyranny and slavery than any other force in the history of the world. Teach them to remember this not just on Memorial Day, but every day.

America is at war. Thousands of Americans have paid the ultimate sacrifice, and thousands more have been wounded. Pause to remember them this Memorial Day. Say a prayer for the warriors and their families. They are the world's true freedom fighters.

Never forget them. Make every day Memorial Day.

Obama: Honoring the Fallen

Obama devoted his Weekly Address to "honoring our men and women in uniform who have died in service to the country."

Video here.

Transcript.

This weekend, as we celebrate Memorial Day, families across America will gather in backyards and front porches, fire up the barbeque, kick back with friends, and spend time with people they care about. That is as it should be. But I also hope that as you do so, you’ll take some time to reflect on what Memorial Day is all about; on why we set this day aside as a time of national remembrance.

It’s fitting every day to pay tribute to the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States of America. Still, there are certain days that have been set aside for all of us to do so. Veterans Day is one such day – when we are called to honor Americans who’ve fought under our country’s flag.

Our calling on Memorial Day is different. On this day, we honor not just those who’ve worn this country’s uniform, but the men and women who’ve died in its service; who’ve laid down their lives in defense of their fellow citizens; who’ve given their last full measure of devotion to protect the United States of America. These are the men and women I will be honoring this weekend, and I know many of you are doing the same.

There are any number of reasons America emerged from its humble beginnings as a cluster of colonies to become the most prosperous, most powerful nation on earth. There is the hard work, the resilience, and the character of our people. There is the ingenuity and enterprising spirit of our entrepreneurs and innovators. There are the ideals of opportunity, equality, and freedom that have not only inspired our people to perfect our own union, but inspired others to perfect theirs as well.

But from the very start, there was also something more. A steadfast commitment to serve, to fight, and if necessary, to die, to preserve America and advance the ideals we cherish. It’s a commitment witnessed at each defining moment along the journey of this country. It’s what led a rag-tag militia to face British soldiers at Lexington and Concord. It’s what led young men, in a country divided half slave and half free, to take up arms to save our union. It’s what led patriots in each generation to sacrifice their own lives to secure the life of our nation, from the trenches of World War I to the battles of World War II, from Inchon and Khe Sanh, from Mosul to Marjah.

That commitment – that willingness to lay down their lives so we might inherit the blessings of this nation – is what we honor today. But on this Memorial Day, as on every day, we are called to honor their ultimate sacrifice with more than words. We are called to honor them with deeds.

We are called to honor them by doing our part for the loved ones our fallen heroes have left behind and looking after our military families. By making sure the men and women serving this country around the world have the support they need to achieve their missions and come home safely. By making sure veterans have the care and assistance they need. In short, by serving all those who have ever worn the uniform of this country – and their families – as well as they have served us.

On April 25, 1866, about a year after the Civil War ended, a group of women visited a cemetery in Columbus, Mississippi, to place flowers by the graves of Confederate soldiers who had fallen at Shiloh. As they did, they noticed other graves nearby, belonging to Union dead. But no one had come to visit those graves, or place a flower there. So they decided to lay a few stems for those men too, in recognition not of a fallen Confederate or a fallen Union soldier, but a fallen American.

A few years later, an organization of Civil War veterans established what became Memorial Day, selecting a date that coincided with the time when flowers were in bloom. So this weekend, as we commemorate Memorial Day, I ask you to hold all our fallen heroes in your hearts, and if you can, to lay a flower where they have come to rest.

'Top Kill' Fails, Obama Fails

"Daddy, did YOU plug the hole yet?"

No, Malia, DADDY failed.

From Politico:

Hopes for the latest effort to stop the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico were crushed Saturday evening when BP announced that the high-stakes "top kill" operation failed and officials will try another option.

President Barack Obama, who visited the Gulf Coast Friday and is spending the weekend in Chicago with his family, responded to the news by calling the continued leaking of oil into the Gulf “enraging as it is heartbreaking.”

“As I said yesterday, every day that this leak continues is an assault on the people of the Gulf Coast region, their livelihoods, and the natural bounty that belongs to all of us,” Obama said in a statement. With “top kill” declared a failure, Obama said the Coast Guard has now directed BP to cut the riser pipe on the offshore drilling rig and fit a containment structure over the leak a mile beneath the gulf. It’s a risky procedure never attempted at such depth.

“This approach is not without risk,” Obama warned in an apparent attempt to lower expectations. “That is why it was not activated until other methods had been exhausted. It will be difficult and will take several days.”

From the New York Times:

In another serious setback in the effort to stem the flow of oil gushing from a well a mile beneath the Gulf of Mexico, BP engineers said Saturday that the “top kill” technique had failed and, after consultation with government officials, they had decided to move on to another strategy.

Doug Suttles, BP’s chief operating officer for exploration and production, said at a news conference that the engineers would try once again to solve the problem with a containment cap and that it could take four to seven days for the device to be in place.

“After three full days of attempting top kill, we now believe it is time to move on to the next of our options,” Mr. Suttles said.

The abandonment of the top kill technique, the most ambitious effort yet to plug the well, was the latest in a series of failures. First, BP failed in efforts to repair a blowout preventer with submarine robots. Then its initial efforts to cap the well with a containment dome failed when it became clogged with a frothy mix of frigid water and gas. Efforts to use a hose to gather escaping oil have managed to catch only a fraction of the spill.

BP has started work on two relief wells, but officials have said that they will not be completed until August — further contributing to what is already the worst oil spill in United States history.

The latest failure will undoubtedly put more pressure — both politically and from the public — on the Obama administration to take some sort of action, perhaps taking control of the repair effort completely from BP.

President Obama, who is spending the Memorial Day weekend in Chicago, issued a statement Saturday evening on the decision to abandon the top kill.

Read Obama's statement.

Today, I’ve spoken with National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen, as well as Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, and senior White House advisors John Brennan and Carol Browner regarding the ongoing efforts to stop the BP oil spill. From the beginning, our concern has been that the surest way to stop the flow of oil – the drilling of relief wells – would take several months to complete. So engineers and experts have explored a variety of alternatives to stop the leak now. They had hoped that the top kill approach attempted this week would halt the flow of oil and gas currently escaping from the seafloor. But while we initially received optimistic reports about the procedure, it is now clear that it has not worked. Rear Admiral Mary Landry today directed BP to launch a new procedure whereby the riser pipe will be cut and a containment structure fitted over the leak.

This approach is not without risk and has never been attempted before at this depth. That is why it was not activated until other methods had been exhausted. It will be difficult and will take several days. It is also important to note that while we were hopeful that the top kill would succeed, we were also mindful that there was a significant chance it would not. And we will continue to pursue any and all responsible means of stopping this leak until the completion of the two relief wells currently being drilled.

As I said yesterday, every day that this leak continues is an assault on the people of the Gulf Coast region, their livelihoods, and the natural bounty that belongs to all of us. It is as enraging as it is heartbreaking, and we will not relent until this leak is contained, until the waters and shores are cleaned up, and until the people unjustly victimized by this manmade disaster are made whole.

Obama said on Thursday, "[M]y job is to get this fixed. And in case anybody wonders -- in any of your reporting, in case you're wondering who's responsible, I take responsibility. It is my job to make sure that everything is done to shut this down.

"That doesn't mean it's going to be easy. It doesn't mean it's going to happen right away or the way I'd like it to happen. It doesn't mean that we're not going to make mistakes. But there shouldn't be any confusion here. The federal government is fully engaged, and I'm fully engaged."

OK, Obama.

I'll hold you responsible for the "top kill" failure.

One question: Can you be "fully engaged" while golfing?

If not, I don't want to find out that you're golfing until the leak is stopped.


Video.

Sestak, Obama, and Chicago Politics: 'Nothing Improper'

Bill Maher: 'Real Black President, Gun'

Once upon a time, Bill Maher used to be funny.

Now, he's mostly offensive and tasteless.

While he still can be humorous, he's more of a Leftist propagandist than a comedian.

However, on rare occasions, Maher will take some shots at Obama and the Democrats.

From Friday's Real Time with Bill Maher:

Transcript

BILL MAHER: Anymore gushing, I'm going to have to pump mud into your blowhole. Boy, I have a whole new vocabulary now because of this oil sh-t. Right? 'Top kill' and 'junk shot' and 'plug blowhole.' This is the latest thing they're trying. We have our fingers crossed, right? You know, their method is they're shooting tons of mud and cement to try to seal the hole shut. And if it works, they're going to try it on Kate Gosselin.

So, the president finally arrived on the Gulf Coast today to survey the damage. I thought this was telling. While he was there, FEMA arrived for Katrina. So that tells you where we are. And George Bush saw him on TV. He called him up, he said, 'You're doing a heckuva job, Brownie.' He's not right.

No, I mean, people have been waiting for Obama to do something. You know, I love him, but he's a little professorial. You know, he doesn't have that Clinton gene for, you know, the empathy kind of thing. He saw somebody, he said, 'I've been briefed on your pain.'

You know, I thought when we elected a black president, we were gonna get a black president. You know, this is where I want a real black president. I want him in a meeting with the BP CEOs, you know, where he lifts up his shirt so they could see the gun in his pants. 'We got a motherf---ing problem here?' You know, shoot somebody in the foot.

Talk about stereotyping!

Is Maher going to get heat for these comments?

Is Al Sharpton going to stage a boycott of Maher and HBO?

Video.

Dennis Hopper R.I.P.

From the Los Angeles Times:

Dennis Hopper, the maverick director and costar of the landmark 1969 counterculture film classic "Easy Rider" whose drug- and alcohol-fueled reputation as a Hollywood bad boy preceded his return to sobriety and a career resurgence in the films " Hoosiers" and "Blue Velvet," died Saturday. He was 74.

A longtime resident of Venice who also was known as a photographer, artist and collector of modern art, Hopper died at his home of complications from prostate cancer, said Alex Hitz, a friend of the family.

A frail-looking Hopper, whose battle with prostate cancer was revealed in October, was able to attend a ceremony for the unveiling of his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in late March.

In a more than five-decade acting career that was influenced early on by working with James Dean and studying at the Actors Studio, he made his film debut as one of the high school gang members who menace Dean in the 1955 classic "Rebel Without a Cause."

Hopper went on to appear in more than 115 films, including "Giant," "Cool Hand Luke," "Hang 'Em High," "True Grit," "Apocalypse Now," "The American Friend," "Rumble Fish," "Speed," "True Romance" and "Rivers Edge."

But it's his role as the long-haired, pot-smoking biker Billy opposite Peter Fonda's Wyatt (Captain America) in the hit movie "Easy Rider" that gave Hopper his most enduring claim to fame.

The low-budget tale of two bikers on an ultimately tragic cross-country odyssey after scoring a big cocaine sale, "Easy Rider" became a generational touchstone.

Rest in Peace, Dennis Hopper.

Brewers Beat the Mets

It was a beautiful night for baseball. The weather was perfect for my first Brewers game of the season.

The outcome of the game was more perfect than perfect.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

There are those occasional pitching matchups that even people who work in baseball would happily pay to watch.

They are the kind of duels that make throwing a baseball against the best hitters in the world seem like pure art.

Some of these battles are spoiled by one guy missing location by a centimeter in the wrong situation, causing what could have been an epic clash to melt into disaster. But on the days when both men are on, it can become something so pretty that an entire stadium is left gasping in amazement.

Welcome to one such Friday night at Miller Park.

The New York Mets ran out left-handed ace Johan Santana, one of the game's best pitchers since 2003, and the Milwaukee Brewers fired back with their ace in the making, right-hander Yovani Gallardo.

No matter what side of the fence loyalties might have rested, everyone could agree on one thing: If you paid to see this one, it was money well spent.

Four bucks for a bottle of water is not money well spent. $3.75 for a tiny bag of Cracker Jack, filled with mostly air and including a really crappy prize, is not money well spent.

That aside, what a great way to begin to the Memorial Day weekend!

Kevin Eubanks and Jay Leno - Final Episode

From the Charlotte Observer, the Associated Press:

It's a wrap for "Tonight Show" bandleader Kevin Eubanks after 18 years backing up host Jay Leno.

"I don't think we've ever had an argument," Leno said, bidding Eubanks farewell on Friday's show. "We've had a lot of fun."

Eubanks, whose duties included comic sidekick as well as guitarist, had been aboard since Leno took over NBC's "Tonight" in 1992. Eubanks became musical director when Branford Marsalis left in 1995.

Eubanks joined Leno last fall for the short-lived "The Jay Leno Show" in prime time, then came back to "Tonight" when Leno reclaimed the show from Conan O'Brien in March.

Exiting with Eubanks will be the other five members of the Tonight Show Band. They include vocalist and percussionist Vicki Randle, keyboardist Gerry Etkins, bass guitarist Derrick "Dock" Murdock, saxophonist Ralph Moore and drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith.

Eubanks insisted the recent turmoil had played no part in his decision. He said he was seeking a career change of pace.

Kevin Eubanks Show Memories (Video)


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Is Eubanks leaving a sinking ship?

Short answer: No.

[L]eno has been back on top: averaging 4.45 million viewers compared with 3.44 million for “The Late Show with David Letterman,’’ according to Nielsen Co., the ratings service company.

Emanuel, Clinton, and Sestak: Crimes and Criminal Procedure - 18 USC Section 600

Chris Cillizza, of the Washington Post, writes:

Party leaders and campaign operatives -- on nearly a daily basis -- approach challenger candidates seeking to disrupt the established political order with a simple message: Get out or else.

And so, the report this morning that former President Bill Clinton was tasked by White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel to make such an approach to Rep. Joe Sestak -- allegedly offering him an unpaid advisory role on an intelligence board in exchange for getting him to drop his primary bid against Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.) -- would not normally raise much of a stir in official Washington.

That the story has become a major controversy, a regular fixture on cable news chat shows and a momentum-killer for Sestak following his come-from behind victory against Specter in last week's Pennsylvania primary is evidence of how the White House mishandled the controversy, according to conversations with several high-level Democratic strategists.

"How do you make something out of nothing?," asked one such operative who was granted anonymity to speak candidly about the matter. "By acting guilty when you're innocent."

Another senior party official said that the White House "has a lot of egg on their face" and described the events as a "PR nightmare".

Is this just a "PR nightmare"?

Is this a matter of "acting guilty when you're innocent"?

Obviously, that's the Obama administration's spin. But I guarantee you, if this were the Bush administration, the Dems and the lib media would be drooling, smelling blood in the water.

From the Wall Street Journal:

It's possible that all we really have here is a case of the Obama White House playing Washington politics as usual, which the White House refused to admit for three months because this is what Mr. Obama promised he would not do if he became President. However, this is clearly what he hired Mr. Emanuel to do for him, and given his ethical record Mr. Clinton was the perfect political cutout. So much for the most transparent Administration in history.

Then again, George W. Bush merely exercised his right to fire a handful of U.S. Attorneys, and Democrats made that a federal case for years even though it has since gone nowhere legally. The Emanuel to Clinton to Sestak job offer still needs a scrub under oath by the Justice Department and the relevant Congressional committees.

I agree.

The Friday of Memorial Day weekend news dump by the White House shouldn't be adequate to make this mess go away.

The statement from Robert F. Bauer, White House Counsel, is weak.

Review of Discussions Relating to Congressman Sestak Recent press reports have reflected questions and speculation about discussions between White House staff and Congressman Joe Sestak in relation to his plans to run for the United States Senate. Our office has reviewed those discussions and claims made about them, focusing in particular on the suggestion that government positions may have been improperly offered to the Congressman to dissuade him from pursuing a Senate candidacy.

We have concluded that allegations of improper conduct rest on factual errors and lack a basis in the law.

...There have been numerous, reported instances in the past when prior Administrations -- both Democratic and Republican, and motivated by the same goals -- discussed alternative paths to service for qualified individuals also considering campaigns for public office. Such discussions are fully consistent with the relevant law and ethical requirements.

"Lack a basis in the law"?

Really?

Here's the law: Crimes and Criminal Procedure - 18 USC Section 600.

Sec. 600. Promise of employment or other benefit for political activity

Whoever, directly or indirectly, promises any employment, position, compensation, contract, appointment, or other benefit, provided for or made possible in whole or in part by any Act of Congress, or any special consideration in obtaining any such benefit, to any person as consideration, favor, or reward for any political activity or for the support of or opposition to any candidate or any political party in connection with any general or special election to any political office, or in connection with any primary election or political convention or caucus held to select candidates for any political office, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

The White House is spinning, and many are accepting, that the Sestak matter amounts to little more than a simple mishandling by the Obama administration of a trumped-up controversy.

I don't think Bauer's statement and the Memorial Day weekend distraction should be enough to put an end to this issue.

If it is enough, then I guess Crimes and Criminal Procedure - 18 USC Section 600 is a law that was made to be broken.

Once again, Obama falls far short of his promises to have the most ethical, transparent administration in the history of our country. The guy has failed miserably when it comes to rejecting Washington politics as usual.

Is this really supposed to be that Promised Land?
___________________

A related story, about past encounters involving Rahm Emanuel, Bill Clinton, and Joe Sestak:

Emanuel was constantly on the phone to candidates--coaching, reassuring, tormenting. In an August call to candidate Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania, Emanuel promised that Bill Clinton would help him raise money. "Joe Sestak, this is your rabbi, Rahm," he intoned playfully. "Clinton. I'm close to having him do an event for you in Philly. ... Clinton will put his arm around you and say, `He's my man.'"

In a fairly typical sign-off, he concluded another call to Sestak: "Don't [mess] it up or ... I'll kill you. All right, I love you. Bye."

Oh, Rahm!

Oh, Obama!

Krauthammer: Oil Spill Winner and Loser

Who is the big winner and the big loser in the Gulf oil spill disaster?

CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: Here it is -- who are the big poiticial winners and losers thus far of the oil spill. Obviously, the people of Louisiana, etc., are the losers in the real world. But political-- the biggest loser thus far, the correct answer is Ken Salazar, for incompetent and incontinent behvior. He'll be remembered forever for the statement that to keep the boot on the neck of the BP. The winner is Bobby Jindal, who's shown unbelievable energy, running around, even with crazy ideas to build the barrier islands. He wants to do something; and he's shown that as an executive he's got what it takes.

Video.

Gary Coleman R.I.P.

From the Associated Press:

Gary Coleman, the adorable, pint-sized child star of the smash 1970s TV sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes" who spent the rest of his life struggling on Hollywood's D-list, died Friday after suffering a brain hemorrhage. He was 42.

Coleman was taken off life support and died with family and friends at his side, Utah Valley Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Janet Frank said.

He suffered the brain hemorrhage Wednesday at his Santaquin home, 55 miles south of Salt Lake City. Frank said Coleman was hospitalized because of an accident at the home, but she had no further details.

Coleman's family, in a statement read by his brother-in-law Shawn Price, said information would be released shortly about his death.

Best remembered for "Diff'rent Strokes" character Arnold Jackson and his "Whatchu talkin' 'bout?" catchphrase, Coleman chafed at his permanent association with the show but also tried to capitalize on it through reality shows and other TV appearances.

His adult life was marked with legal, financial and health troubles, suicide attempts and even a 2003 run for California governor.

Very, very sad.

National Moment of Remembrance

"The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart. . .should swell into a mighty chorus of remembrance, gratitude and rededication on this solemn occasion."

---Abraham Lincoln

Memorial Day Event

The National Moment of Remembrance, established by Congress, asks Americans wherever they are at 3 p.m., local time, on Memorial Day to pause in an act of national unity (duration: one minute).The time 3 p.m. was chosen because it is the time when most Americans are enjoying their freedoms on the national holiday. The Moment does not replace traditional Memorial Day events; rather it is an act of national unity in which all Americans, alone or with family and friends, honor those who died for our freedom. It will help to reclaim Memorial Day as the sacred and noble holiday it was meant to be. In this shared remembrance, we connect as Americans.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Wherever you are, observe the Moment at 3 p.m., local time, on Memorial Day. Ask others to remember—relatives, friends, church, neighborhood, or co-workers to observe the Moment at places such as your neighborhood, local pool, picnic grounds, etc., for one minute of Remembrance. Participation can be informal as ringing a bell three times to signify the Moment.

WHY

To provide a time of Remembrance for America’s fallen and to make a commitment to give something back to our country in their memory.To have Americans participate in an act of national unity and demonstrate gratitude and respect for those who died for freedom since the founding of our Nation.To provide a sense of history to our citizens and ensure that younger generations understand the sacrifices made to preserve our liberties.

Scott Walker: Memorial Day

Scott Walker writes:

We have the obligation and privilege to thank those who served to protect our freedoms - both during war and peacetime. We are so proud of the brave men and women of the 32nd Infantry Brigade who recently returned home, as well as all of our veterans and those in active duty, for their service to our nation.

They are among the thousands of returning veterans of active and reserve status to our state who need our support as they return to their families, jobs, and communities. We must be ready to meet their needs and provide them access to the programs that our state promised as a result of their service.
I pledge to honor Wisconsin’s veterans and their families, just as I have as Milwaukee County executive. The single best way to honor these heroes is to make veterans’ programs and services a top budget priority for the state. I pledge to make the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs a strong agency that is free from partisan politics.

This will be accomplished by a bipartisan State Task Force on Veterans Issues that will assist my administration to strengthen our state’s commitment to veterans, enhance its efficiency in the delivery of services, and reorganize the current Department of Veterans Affairs so that it will meet the needs of our brave men and women. I will continue to work diligently to make our veterans aware of benefits and services available to them, guarantee the best educational opportunities, training, and health services possible, as well as ensure aging veterans don’t fear for interruptions in their care.

As the Milwaukee County executive, I have worked with the state to move our veterans service office to the VA grounds, which made it easier to connect with our veterans. In turn, more veterans received access to benefits.

We also started Operation Freedom in 2003 to support our military families and to thank our veterans. Last year, we had more than 17,000 people in for a free day at the Milwaukee County Zoo.

We have a moral obligation to meet the needs of each generation of serving veterans and their families, and it’s time for our leaders in Madison on both sides of the aisle to work together to strengthen that commitment.

In the past, Wisconsin was a national leader when it came to thanking those who have sacrificed so much for us. It’s time to lead once again.

Sean Duffy - Wisconsin Right to Life Endorsement

Wisconsin Right to Life has endorsed Sean Duffy.

The Wisconsin Right to Life Political Action Committee (WRTL/PAC) today announced its endorsement of Sean Duffy in the 7th Congressional District race.
WRTL/PAC Chair Bonnie Pfaff noted that the endorsement is based on Duffy's strong commitment to the protection of all human life.

"We are extremely proud to announce our endorsement of Sean Duffy. His opposition to the use of taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions, his firm belief that parents should be informed if their minor daughters are seeking abortions, his opposition to legal abortion on demand and his desire to protect human life at all stages of development are positions shared by the vast majority of Wisconsin citizens," said Pfaff. "We believe the election of Sean Duffy to the U.S. House of Representatives will greatly contribute to the building of a culture of life in our nation where every member of the human family is welcomed and cherished."

It will be great to have another pro-life supporter in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Sean Duffy: Hope and change.

Arizona Law and Wisconsin

Where do Wisconsinites stand on Arizona's new immigration law?

From Rasmussen:

Fifty-seven percent (57%) of Wisconsin voters favor passage of a law like Arizona’s in their state, roughly comparable to voter sentiments nationwide. Twenty-nine percent (29%) are opposed, and 15% are undecided.

Most voters who support such a law favor the Republicans. Barrett earns similar support from those who oppose a law like Arizona’s in the state.

Support is stronger for the chief provision of the Arizona law. Sixty-six percent (66%) think a local police officer should be required to check the immigration status of anyone stopped for a traffic violation or some other kind of violation if the officer suspects the person is an illegal immigrant. Twenty-four percent (24%) oppose that requirement.

Clearly, Obama and his administration's attempts to demonize Gov. Jan Brewer and the people of Arizona for their stance on ILLEGAL immigration have failed.

The best efforts of the lib media haven't managed to sway the nation to accept Obama's position.

The country, including the people of Wisconsin, support Arizona. The overwhelming majority of Americans oppose people coming into our country illegally.

We know where Scott Walker stands on ILLEGAL immigration.

Where does Tom Barrett stand?

If he tows the Democrat party line, Barrett will be dragging around a losing position.

Obama News Conference (Transcript)

Read the full transcript.
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Why didn't Obama hold this long, long-awaited news conference in prime time?

His team knew it would be an oily mess and Obama wouldn't perform well. Good call.

With teleprompters in place, Obama began his news conference by discussing the oil spill in the Gulf, now bigger than the Exxon Valdez.

He blamed BP for the disaster and said that the U.S. government will hold BP accountable for the damage.

Obama then went on to say that his administration has been completely involved and will continue to be involved in cleaning up BP's mess.

He said he wanted to be clear that BP is operating at his administration's direction. The company can't make a move without the government's approval.

Obama spoke of "appalling" corruption in the industry prior to his election. In other words, blame Bush.

He said for years there has been "a scandalously close relationship" between regulators and the oil companies.

Obama's message on responsibility for the spill can be summed up in three words: Cheney, Cheney, Cheney.

About offshore drilling in the U.S. --

Forget it.

The first question was about the Obama government's slow response to the disaster, giving Obama the opportunity to defend himself.

He said his administration was "singularly focused" on stopping the leak from the moment the crisis began.

What a laugh!

Obama said it must be understood that the crisis has been his "top priority."

I don't buy that. Doing political damage control is Obama's top priority.

There's no question that Obama was on defense. He looked more frightened than cool. I think he realized that he actually was facing media that weren't going to coddle him, though I'm sure some in the media will spin his responses as strong and heroic and refreshing.

His answer to the first question was typically long and rambling, eating up a lot of time.

The second question came from Jake Tapper. He brought up all the help that's been offered from experts around the world from 17 countries, Gov. Jindal's plan, and others - help that the federal government has rejected. Yet Obama claimed his administration has done everything possible to stop the leak. Tapper asked how he could claim that everything possible has been done when that clearly isn't the case.

Obama said the response hasn't been perfect. In retrospect, mistakes were made but everything possible has been done.

Yeah, no.

Chuck Todd asked about all the Katrina comparisons.

Obama said that he'll leave that "up to you guys." Obama continued to push the message/lie that the government has been involved and in charge from Day One of the spill.

He said he's confident history will look back and record that his administration was on top of the crisis.

Steve Thomma, McClatchy, wanted to know if the administration really acted from Day One for a worst case scenario.

Obama repeated that since the crisis he's done all that's needed to be done. The problem was the industry was such a mess prior to the time he assumed office, again shifting blame away from his administration, demonizing Bush and Cheney.

Chip Reid asked about Elizabeth Birnbaum's resignation and whether "other heads should roll." He also asked about the "cozy relationship" and the blame Bush-Cheney line.

Obama said that he tried to clean up the industry but it was such mess due to years of being "cozy" that there was still more to do.

He said he didn't have information yet on why Birnbaum resigned. Very strange. He claimed that he's on top of the situation but he had no idea what that was about? That doesn't make sense.

Julianna Goldman asked about being able to trust information from BP since it was revealed that much more oil has been gushing from the leak than initially reported.

Obama said BP wasn't forthcoming and his administration pushed them to tell the truth.

He said to keep in mind that the lower estimates had no impact on his administration's response.

Helen Thomas was the first to raise an issue other than the catastrophe in the Gulf. She asked Obama: "When are you going to get out of Afghanistan?" She said she didn't want to hear the "Bushism" that if we don't fight them over there we'll have to fight them here.

Obama didn't answer. He said it's a "big, messy process." Shamefully, Obama made no mention of the escalating American death toll in Afghanistan.

Back to the oil spill--

About drilling, Obama said he was wrong about the oil companies having their "act together" when it came to dealing with an accident. "Those assumptions proved to be incorrect."

He said, "You never heard me say the phrase, 'Drill, baby, drill.'"

Obama said the fact that it's necessary to go miles down to get to the oil shows that it's too expensive and risky to do. We need other forms of energy.

What is he talking about? Of course, oil is far below the earth's surface.

Macarena Vidal asked about Obama's plan to send the National Guard to the border. She also asked if he would support the boycott of Arizona.

Obama said again he doesn't approve of the Arizona law.

As far as boycotts, Obama said, "I'm president of the United States. I don't endorse boycotts."

But, Obama said that his administration is examining the law and we need a comprehensive approach to immigration reform.

Obama was all over the place in this news conference, contradicting himself and rambling.

Obama said the National Guard plan was in place before the Arizona law, but the solution isn't troops. Reform is the solution. He repeatedly referred to holding employers accountable.

Last question, from Major Garrett, FOX News:

"Is your boot on the neck of BP?"

Garrett wanted to know if Obama was comfortable with that metaphor. He said that Ken Salazar has been emotional and angry and he probably wouldn't use that language.

Garrett asked about the Joe Sestak scandal. Obama blew it off, saying that a statement will be coming shortly.

"I can assure the public that nothing improper took place."

Obama ended with an obviously prepared message. He said the spill is the last thing he thinks about before going to sleep at night and the first thing he thinks about when he wakes up.

When he was shaving this morning, Malia asked him, "Did you plug the hole yet, Daddy?"

That definitely was a planned statement. Did YOU plug the hole yet?

Obama now is prepared to be responsible.

Obama said he takes responsibility for stopping the leak. But don't forget, BP is really responsible and Bush-Cheney are really, really responsible.

"The federal government is fully engaged and I'm fully engaged."

Yes, Obama is fully engaged in political CYA.

Walker 48% - Barrett 41%

According to a Rasmussen poll released today, Scott Walker is widening his lead in the race for governor in Wisconsin.

Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, coming off last weekend’s state Republican Convention endorsement, now holds a slight lead over Democratic opponent Tom Barrett after the two ran virtually even a month ago in the contest for Wisconsin governor.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in the state finds Walker with 48% support to Barrett’s 41%. Three percent (3%) like some other candidate, and eight percent (8%) are undecided.

Former Congressman Mark Neumann, who is battling Walker for the GOP nomination, now runs just ahead of Barrett 44% to 42%. Six percent (6%) favor another candidate, and eight percent (8%) are undecided.

A month ago, Barrett, the mayor of Milwaukee, was running even with Neumann at 46% apiece and just barely behind Walker 46% to 44%.

These are not good numbers for Barrett.

While Neumann is leading Barrett now, Walker enjoys a greater lead, beyond the polls margin of error.

Obviously, Barrett isn't benefiting from running unopposed for the Democrat nomination.

Neumann isn't benefiting from his attacks on Walker. That strategy isn't working at all.

November is far away, but I feel confident that Wisconsin is about to enter a new era of hope and change in our state.

Obama: Memorial Day Vacation, Golf?

Obama is a wartime president.

I tend to forget that. He doesn't act like one.

We are still at war. (Someone alert the lib media.)

Less than two weeks ago, on May 18, the American death toll in Afghanistan passed 1000.

[T]he toll of American dead in Afghanistan passed 1,000, after a suicide bomb in Kabul killed at least five United States service members. Having taken nearly seven years to reach the first 500 dead, the war killed the second 500 in fewer than two. A resurgent Taliban active in almost every province, a weak central government incapable of protecting its people and a larger number of American troops in harm’s way all contributed to the accelerating pace of death.

The mayhem of last August, coming as Afghans were holding national elections, provided a wake-up call to many Americans about the deteriorating conditions in the country. Forty-seven American G.I.’s died that month, more than double the previous August, making it the deadliest month in the deadliest year of the war.

We don't hear much about the number of dead anymore. We certainly don't hear or read full lists of their names. Garry Trudeau doesn't bother to devote his comic strip to the American war dead for Memorial Day. Such a stunt is so last administration.

Remember in 2005, when Nightline's Ted Koppel "honored the fallen" by reading the names and showing photographs of hundreds of service members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan?

What's Nightline doing this year on Memorial Day? A rerun of the Jesse James interview?

And what will Obama be doing on Memorial Day?

Last year, his first Memorial Day as president, Obama managed to participate in ceremonies in the morning and still spend FOUR hours in the afternoon playing golf.

This year, Obama will be vacationing in Chicago with his family over the Memorial Day weekend.

This weekend, President Obama will skip Memorial Day services at Arlington National Cemetery, and instead he will take his family to Chicago for rest and relaxation. The gesture has rankled many on the right and caused the left to swing into full ‘defend Obama’ mode. However, the fact remains that during a time of war, it is extraordinary that the Commander in Chief of our Armed Forces would choose not to be at Arlington on this solemn occasion.

First, it must be said that the president is not skipping out on his official duties entirely. At the start of the weekend, the president will travel to Louisiana to survey the response to oil spill; only his second trip to the region since the disaster over a month ago. And on Monday, the president will deliver remarks at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, IL. In between these duties he will spend a “casual weekend with friends” and then fly home in time to make a White House tribute to Paul McCartney on Wednesday evening.

So what’s the big deal? As leftist columnist David Corn writes: “[D]oes it matter if Obama throws some leaves on a tomb?” Well, apparently to liberals, it does not matter and to Corn, even wondering why the president would miss the occasion in itself dishonors lost soldiers. Seriously. Somehow, wanting the president to appropriately honor the troops who paid the ultimate price is chalked up as “political ammo.”

...To indifferent liberals, this solemn remembrance is merely throwing “leaves on a tomb” and this controversy is the manufactured delusions of “conservative wingnuts.” The Democratic Party’s sister organization ’Media Matters’ has been full throated in trying to turn this controversy around on the president’s detractors. But to veterans, and their families, regardless of political beliefs, this is a symbolic break in tradition that can only be viewed as casual indifference.

So Obama will not be at Arlington to throw "leaves on a tomb," but he will say a few words at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery. Maybe he'll throw a few leaves there to mark the solemn occasion.

I suspect afterwards he'll have plenty of time to hit the links and uphold his Memorial Day tradition -- golf.

Charlie Price and the American Flag

Charlie and Dawn Price have been threatened with eviction from their apartment for displaying an American flag in their window.

From the Oshkosh Northwestern:

While American flags across the country will be proudly displayed this holiday weekend as a tribute to those who gave their lives while serving their country, one Oshkosh couple is being told they must take their flag down.

Dawn and Charlie Price have been told by their apartment's management company that they must take down an American flag they have hanging in the dining room window of their west-side apartment by Saturday or face eviction.

For Charlie Price, a 28-year-old veteran who served tours of duty in Kosovo and Iraq, and his wife Dawn, the flag is a way to honor Charlie Price's military service along with those he served alongside.

"This is the time we will be looking at the flag and Charlie will be looking at the family he lost," Dawn Price, 27, said. "This is his way to remember them and honor the people served and the ones that made the ultimate sacrifice."

On Friday the Prices learned the American flag that has been hanging in their dining room window since November violated a management company rule prohibiting the display of flags, banners and political or religious material.

Midwest Realty Management, the company that manages Brookside Apartments on Westfield Street, said the company has respect for all people who serve in the military. The no flag rule is in place to provide a comfortable and consistent living environment for all apartment residents, the company said in a statement e-mailed to The Northwestern.

"This policy was developed to insure that we are fair to everyone as we have many residents from diverse backgrounds. By having a blanket policy of neutrality we have found that we are less likely to offend anyone and the aesthetic qualities of our apartment communities are maintained," the statement said.

"A blanket policy of neutrality?"

This IS America. We're talking about the American flag.

If apartment residents can't handle seeing the American flag, then they're living in the wrong country.

From FOX News:

An Army veteran in Wisconsin will be allowed to display an American flag until Memorial Day, but the symbol honoring his service in Iraq and Kosovo must come down next Tuesday, his wife told FoxNews.com.

Dawn Price, 27, of Oshkosh, Wis., said she received a call from officials at Midwest Realty Management early Wednesday indicating that she and her husband, Charlie, would be allowed to continue flying the American flag they've had in their window for months through the holiday weekend. The couple had previously been told they had to remove the flag by Saturday or face eviction due to a company policy that bans the display of flags, banners and political or religious materials.

"It's basically an extension so we can fly the flag on Memorial Day," Price told FoxNews.com. "It does need to come down after that."

How gracious of Midwest Realty Management officials to allow Charlie and Dawn Price to display the American flag through Memorial Day!

If the officials think that move will satisfy veterans and supporters of the troops, they are mistaken.

Only in America would displaying the American flag in a respectful, appropriate fashion be deemed an unacceptable political statement.

It boggles the mind.

...Dawn Price said she now works to amend the federal Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005, which states no "condominium association, cooperative association, or residential real estate management association" may stop someone from flying the American flag. The law, however, does not apply to renters.

"This has been eating at us since Friday," she said. 'The best way to fight this isn't getting an eviction and going after these people in court. That's just going to cost us a lot of time, energy and money."

Instead, Dawn Price said she either intends to place a curtain between the flag and the apartment window to block it from onlookers or will move it to a rear balcony come next week.

"We don't want to fight the eviction," she said. "We know we'd lose."

Officials at Midwest Realty Management, which manages Brookside Apartments, where the Prices live, did not return several messages seeking comment.

It's nauseating that some in our country, specifically Midwest Realty Management, see the American flag as a political statement, aesthetically unpleasing, and potentially offensive.

Jerome Listecki and Mike Jacobs

Mike Jacobs' interview with Jerome Listecki aired on Wednesday night on TMJ4.

Video of the report here.

As with Jacobs' report on Tuesday night, an interview with Steven Geier, a clergy abuse victim, I have a problem with what Jacobs implied about the Archbishop.

Transcript

MIKE JACOBS: Now to a Today's TMJ4 exclusive. The Milwaukee Archbishop apologizes!

Last night at 10:00, we shared the story of Steven Geier. He was one of 200 boys abused by a priest at St. John's School for the Deaf. Tonight, the Archbishop apolgizes to the victim and has harsh words for the priest.

(Begin taped report)

Archbishop Jerome Listecki dropped a bombshell. He agreed to watch our entire interview with Steve Geier, a man who was abused by Fr. Lawrence Murphy when Geier was a boy.

WHAT?

Agreeing to watch an interview is not "dropping a bombshell."

A bombshell?

Jacobs is really giving a wrong impression of Listecki.

Is it that Jacobs is so ignorant? Is it that he's intentionally sensationalizing his exclusive?

Either way, it's bad. It's poor journalism.

Scott Walker: 'Taking Our Government Back'

Lee DeWyze - American Idol Winner

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Crystal Bowersox may have dominated Tuesday night, but it wasn’t enough to stop the momentum of Lee DeWyze. If anything, his last three performances changed his status from slam-dunk front-runner to underdog.

And voters love an underdog.

Lee won the title of American Idol on Wednesday, going from Mount Prospect paint sales clerk to national pop-culture hero overnight. Viewers must have gotten attached to the guy as they watched him improve from week to week, growing in confidence and polish – even occasionally breaking into a lopsided grin. His humble suburban beginnings and attitude are What the Show Is All About, after all. And he has Simon Cowell’s support – if not a full-fledged bromance with the departing Svengali.

Does Lee deserve it? Heck yeah, and if we’d seen his emotional rendition of “The Boxer” from Arlington Park instead on Tuesday, there would be no question. The more commercial artist certainly won, thanks to “Idol’s” key demographic of frantically texting female tweens.

I agree. Lee deserves it.

He was so emotional waiting to hear the results. I think he forgot how to breathe.



After he learned he won, I thought he might pass out.



It was very sweet. How can you not love a story like a paint store clerk being picked out of obscurity and becoming the winner of American Idol?

Without question, Crystal would have deserved the title, too. She's incredibly talented and poised.

I thought they were both truly deserving. In this case however, female tweens rule the world.

Mosque at Ground Zero

From the New York Times:

After a raucous hearing, a Manhattan community board backed a proposal on Tuesday evening to build a Muslim community center near the World Trade Center.

The 29-to-1 vote, with 10 abstentions, followed a four-hour back-and-forth between those who said the community center would be a monument to tolerance and those who believed it would be an affront to victims of the 2001 terrorist attacks.

The board’s vote was advisory — it did not have the power to scrap plans for a center — but it was seen as an important barometer of community sentiment.

Middle school students and rabbis were among the more than 100 people who testified at the hearing, which was held a short distance from ground zero. Some carried pictures of family members killed in the attacks; others brandished signs reading “Show respect for 9/11. No mosque!”

C. Lee Hanson, 77, whose son Peter was killed in the attacks, said he opposed the center not because he was intolerant, but because he believed that building a tribute to Islam so close to the World Trade Center would be insensitive.

“The pain never goes away,” Mr. Hanson said. “When I look over there and I see a mosque, it’s going to hurt. Build it someplace else.”

Jean Grillo, 65, a writer from TriBeCa, said shutting out any faith undermined American values. “What better place to teach tolerance than at the very area where hate tried to kill tolerance?” she said.

The proposed center, called the Cordoba House, would rise as many as 15 stories two blocks north of where the twin towers stood. It would include a prayer space, as well as a 500-seat performing arts center, a culinary school, a swimming pool, a restaurant and other amenities.

...City officials, including Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg; the City Council speaker, Christine C. Quinn; and the Manhattan borough president, Scott M. Stringer, have rallied behind the proposal.

The City Council has the power to overturn decisions on landmarks, but Ms. Quinn pledged on Tuesday to help shepherd the center to completion.

“I’m very confident we could find a way for both the landmark concept and the development of the mosque to move forward,” she said.

The center is estimated to cost $100 million, but exactly how the Cordoba Initiative will finance the project remains unclear.

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, who has led services in TriBeCa since 1983, told the board the center would help “bridge and heal a divide” among Muslims and other religious groups.

“We have condemned the actions of 9/11,” he said. “We have condemned terrorism in the most unequivocal terms.”

I understand the emotions of family members who lost loved ones in the 9/11 attacks.

I also understand the point about tolerance for all religions.

I think there needs to be a thorough look into the Cordoba Initiative. Who is Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, Chairman of Cordoba Initiative?

Are there any connections at all between the group and radical Islam, such as financial support of terrorist factions?

Even if the Cordoba Initiative is thoroughly vetted and found to be staunchly opposed to the barbarism of radical Islam, I don't understand why there should be a mosque at the World Trade Center site.

Why is it that if a Muslim is offended or may be offended, we all are warned to back off? No cartoons. No films. No novels. Faisal Shahzad attempts to murder Americans and tourists in Times Square and the twisted NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg lectures people about a backlash against Muslims.

At the very least, shouldn't similar concern about insensitivity be shown to the families of the victims of 9/11?

I think it's inappropriate for "Allahu Akbar" to be shoved in their faces at the place where their loved ones were slaughtered, innocents.

A display of intolerance would be outlawing mosques and Islamic centers in the city of New York or in the United States. That would be against our values as a nation. That would be shredding the Constitution. Objecting to a location for a mosque is not.

The problem is the line between Islam and radical Islam can be thin. Without question, there are Muslims who abhor the terrorism done in the name of their faith. IF those individuals speak out against the radicals and take care not to financially support their violence in any way, they are properly seen as victims of the Islamist movement as well.

However, it's not wrong or intolerant to be critical of the location of the proposed mosque at Ground Zero.

Actually, I think supporting that particular location is being remarkably insensitive to the tremendous loss suffered by so many on 9/11.

I wish Bloomberg and other leaders would consider their pain and show some compassion for them.



"Allahu Akbar!"

Build a mosque? HERE?

I don't think so.
___________

Video.

James Carville and Obama: Oil Spill

James Carville was on Good Morning America today. He's not happy about the way Obama is handling the oil spill in the Gulf, not at all.

The White House is seemingly making an increased show of pressuring BP, but President Obama is facing political heat from within his own party for what some say has been a lackluster response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The "political stupidity is unbelievable," Democratic strategist James Carville said on "Good Morning America" today. "The president doesn't get down here in the middle of this. ... I have no idea of why they didn't seize this thing. I have no idea of why their attitude was so hands off here."

Krauthammer: Valium for Obama

Apparently, Obama gets upset and reveals his temper when facing his GOP adversaries.

Dr. Charles Krauthammer offers his services to Obama.

Video.


Transcript

CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: Sen. [Pat] Roberts also added that the president was so thin-skinned that he should take a valium before he meets with Republicans. I'd be happy to write the prescription. So all they have to do is to call my office. I'll do it for all of them.... I'd do it for my [country], absolutely, as a loyal citizen and a retired doctor.

Krauthammer is a true patriot.

Robert Gibbs: Press Asks Too Many BP Questions

Naked Emperor News highlights the May 24, 2010, "West Wing Report" with Paul Brandus:

PAUL BRANDUS: Good morning. I'm Paul Brandus and this is West Wing Report on Capitol News Connection.

Press Secretary Robert Gibbs disputes the notion that the White House is behind the curve on the BP catastrophe. He appeared yesterday on the CBS program, Face the Nation.

'I don't think anybody could credibly say--even as frustrated as
they are and as frustrated as we are--that the government has stood around, done nothing, and hoped for the best.'

But, in a sign of defensiveness, Gibbs called White House reporters into the West Wing Friday and criticized them for asking too many BP questions.

Obama and his claims of transparency are laughable.

It's completely out of line for Gibbs to be telling the press which questions they should be asking.

I don't think the Obama administration understands that it is accountable to the American people.

Obama and his team were probably spoiled by the inexcusably lax treatment they received from the press for so long. Now that some reporters are beginning to ask tough questions of Obama rather than serve as mouthpieces for the White House, that's considered worthy of criticism.

There's something very wrong with that picture.

Audio.

_______________

On a related note: Liberals are defecting. They're strongly criticizing Obama's response to the disaster in the Gulf.

Video.

Mike Jacobs, Steven Geier, Fr. Murphy, and Jerome Listecki

Mike Jacobs, TMJ4, had an exclusive interview with Steven Geier, one of the victims of the notoriously abusive priest, Fr. Lawrence Murphy.

A victim of a pedophile priest in Milwaukee shared his story with Mike Jacobs.

The victim, Steven Geier, was one of the many boys assaulted by Father Murphy at St. John's School for the Deaf.

Geier was just 9 when he arrived at St. John's. He was first abused when he was about 13.

With the help of a translator, Geier told us what happened that horrible night... and so many nights after.

Father Murphy took him from the boys' dorm on the second floor up to a closet on the third floor.

"He then asked me to take my pajamas off. I was confused and said 'why?'" Geier told us. "But he kept on me and tried over and over again and tried to force me to take my pajamas off and I said no and then he forced me and pulled my pajamas down."

"And I didn't understand," he continued. "This was a man who works for God and he's doing this to me. He's touching my private areas? And so he actually did masturbate me. I was quite shocked. His face and his eyes looked so mean, like he was just. I don't know what."

Father Murphy molested Steven Geier four times. Geier saw other boys molested too, often late at night.

"And I noticed Father Murphy walking through our dorm room and there was another boy in the next bed. And I thought, what's he doing," Geier remembered. "And so he woke up the boy and then he was sexually abusing him right there in that bed."

"Was he a monster?" Mike Jacobs asked Geier.

"More than a monster, definitely more than a monster it was like he was the devil in a priest outfit," Geier responded.

...We asked if Father Murphy ruined his life? The answer-- yes. And Geier said he will never forgive Father Murphy.

Obviously, it's a very disturbing account.

I also found something Jacobs said following his report to be disturbing.

MIKE JACOBS: Fr. Murphy left St. John's in the mid-70s, moved up north. He died in 1998 without being charged or being removed from the priesthood.

Now, after interviewing Steven Geier, I asked Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki if he would like to see a tape of that interview. And, MUCH TO MY SURPRISE, he agreed to watch it.

(Clip, Jacobs speaking to Listecki)

'Does the Catholic Church owe Steven Geier an apology?'

(End clip)

Be sure to watch my candid interview with the Archbishop, what he would say to Steven Geier and also what he would say to Fr. Murphy, tomorrow on Live at Ten.

What is with Jacobs' "much to my surprise"?

Why take that shot at Listecki and the Catholic Church?

Why wouldn't Listecki agree to watch the tape of the interview?

I think it was highly inappropriate of Jacobs to suggest that Listecki is a monster of sorts himself.
_____________

Watch Jacobs' report.

Obama: 'Plug the Damn Hole'

According to the Washington Post, Obama has ruled that the hole be plugged.

Just do it.

I wonder if he snapped his fingers when he said, "Plug the damn hole."

Ultimately, no matter how culpable BP is found to be, there will be questions about the government's responsibility as well.

..."Industry will have to come up with a different answer for that," said Andrew Gowers, a BP spokesman. "This is a game-changing event. It causes you to revise your thinking, including how many layers of redundancies and what if the blowout preventer fails at that depth and what do you have to contain it. All those things are up for debate now. I wouldn't be surprised if they were not issues the president wouldn't be talking about in the not-so-distant future."

Since the oil rig exploded, the White House has tried to project a posture that is unflappable and in command.

But to those tasked with keeping the president apprised of the disaster, Obama's clenched jaw is becoming an increasingly familiar sight. During one of those sessions in the Oval Office the first week after the spill, a president who rarely vents his frustration cut his aides short, according to one who was there.

"Plug the damn hole," Obama told them.

The hole continues to spew, however, in quantities now thought to be three to five times the 5,000 barrels a day originally estimated.

Obama is stressing out over his powerlessness. I don't think he can cope with the inevitability of people learning to no longer consider him to be their savior. I think Obama liked playing the role of the greatest person to walk the face of the earth.

The reality is Obama is just a guy with very little experience who's in over his head.

No wonder Obama has a clenched jaw.

The oil leaking out into the Gulf is like the air gushing out of Obama's inflated ego.

If "plug the damn hole" is an exact quote, I suppose Obama deserves credit for not using the harsher language that we're used to from his administration.

Wouldn't "plug the big f---ing hole" be more dramatic and fitting? It would be more Bidenesque.

Letterman: Sheboygan Festival

DAVID LETTERMAN:

Video.

Fallon: Watch Jimmy with Jimmy Week

Yesterday was the first night of Watch Jimmy with Jimmy Week.

A live stream of Jimmy Fallon in his office with staff members watching the show was on the Internet.

In addition to the video, there were two chats on the page.

It was an interesting interactive venture. However, it was impossible to watch the show and watch the stream of them watching the show. Forget about reading the chat, too. It was sensory overload.

During commercial breaks, they answered a couple of questions; but there really was relatively little communication with the Internet participants due to the time constraints.

Some observations:

---There was a slight delay that was maddening if you tried to watch what was happening on TV and on the stream.

---Team Fallon is a boys club. I think there were two women in the group of about 25.

---What was wrong with Miles? He was so quiet. He looked bored or mad or ill or all of the above.

---It's going to be tough for them to do this for four more nights. I think they'll be completely exhausted by Friday. The final night may be Jimmy alone in his office sleeping on the couch.

You can watch the stream from Monday's viewing party here.

In spite of some problems, I give Late Night with Jimmy Fallon credit for this experiment. They're a really creative, talented group.

BlogNetNews and Viruses

My computer has good security.

During a recent visit to BlogNetNews, my Internet security found two viruses. They were quarantined and I was easily able to delete them. These were viruses, not spyware.

I write this as a warning to visitors of BlogNetNews.

Make sure your computer is protected.

Karl Rove: CODEPINK Handcuffs

On Sunday, Karl Rove was at Next Chapter Bookshop in Mequon, Wisconsin.

He held a book signing event for his best-seller Courage and Consequences: My Life as a Conservative in the Fight.

Here's video from CBS 58.

While in Wisconsin, Rove gave Scott Walker his endorsement. He said, "I've watched, with interest, Scott Walker's political career. He's an able, bright rising star for the Republican Party."

In addition to the many genuinely interested in getting a signed copy of Rove's new book, there were some CODEPINK nuts participating in the group's latest campaign.



From CODEPINK:

When Karl Rove came to Mequon to promote his new book at Next Chapter Bookstore on Sunday, May 23rd, Mequon area activist family Natalia Hacerola, Isaac Hacerola, and Anne Aiello staged a citizens arrest, dangling handcuffs and an arrest warrant in front of Mr. Rove and demanding accountability and justice for the lies Rove told the American people during his time with the Bush Administration. Immediately before throwing the arrest warrant on the ground, Rove asked the activists why the handcuffs were plastic and Natalia replied, "It's safer that way." These activists and many concerned citizens feel they will be safer when Rove is tried for his crimes and behind bars.

The activists were with CODEPINK, and are all related; Natalia and Isaac are married and Anne is Natalia's sister. This midwest American family had enough of the lies and wars waged in their name, and thus took action on Sunday. They were escorted out of the store and proceeded to hold an outside vigil with a large pink banner, alongside Tea Party supporters who were there to support Rove. The two groups engaged in a dialogue in a video posted on the CODEPINK YouTube site. See a video of the arrest at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hS5Nr1_uGeg More videos will be posted soon at the same account. CODEPINK members have staged citizen arrests of Karl Rove and other war criminals across the country, and Rove's tour has been dubbed my many outlets as the "Rove/CODEPINK Tour". Previous actions can be found here: http://www.codepink.org/arrestrove

“We are demanding accountability from Karl Rove who lied to get us into the war and outed C.I.A. agent Valerie Plame,” CODEPINK Co-Founder Jodie Evans, has said. “If law enforcement and Congress won’t do it, we the American people will!”

Here's video of the activists, from Breitbart, via HotAirPundit:



What a bunch of loons!

Are they holding Obama and his administration accountable for their "war crimes"?

Plastic handcuffs. Good grief.

Gulf Oil Disaster - Photos

The Associated Press has assembled "haunting" images from the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

It’s been more than a month since an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig killed 11 people and blew out an undersea well that continues to gush oil into the Gulf of Mexico. In the following weeks, there have been attempts to contain and control the scope of the environmental damage.

But so far none have been successful. Over the weekend, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal announced he intended to proceed with plans to construct sand booms to protect his state's shoreline — without waiting for federal approval. Meanwhile, engineers for BP are working feverishly to prepare for their "top kill" maneuver, hoping an injection of heavy mud will stop the leak.

Dead sharks and dolphins are washing ashore. Crabs, turtles and birds are being found soaked in oil as the slick sloshes into Louisiana’s wetlands. South of New Orleans, chocolate-like globs of oil have shut down the public beach.

Coast Guard officials say the spill’s impact now stretches 150 miles.

What is Obama doing to manage the disaster, other than finger-pointing?

Pressure is mounting for Obama to do more.

The Obama administration's environmental chief dipped a small cup into the oily mess at the mouth of the Mississippi and was surprised by what came out.

"Oh my God — it's so thick!" exclaimed Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson who toured delicate coastal wetlands that have been invaded by the black and orange crude.

She was one of several top administration officials in the Gulf Coast this week as the White House is facing increasing questions about why the government can't assert more control over the handling a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which unfolded after a BP offshore drilling rig blew up April 20.

The administration's point man on the spill rejected the notion of removing BP and taking over the crisis Monday, saying the government has neither the company's expertise nor its deep-sea equipment.

"To push BP out of the way would raise a question, to replace them with what?" Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen, who is heading the federal response to the spill, said at a White House briefing.

...Interior Secretary Ken Salazar suggested over the weekend that the government could intervene aggressively if BP wasn't delivering. "If we find that they're not doing what they're supposed to be doing, we'll push them out of the way appropriately," he said.

But asked about that comment Monday, Allen said: "That's more of a metaphor."

Allen said BP and the government are working together, with the government holding veto power and adopting an "inquisitorial" stand toward the company's ideas.

Environmentalists must feel betrayed by Obama's response. He's playing politics, not wanting to get too involved, fearing that being associated with the disaster will hurt him politically.

It's cowardly.


View the photos.

More photos of the disaster in the Gulf.