FREEDOM EDEN

Vincent High School: Violence, Injuries, Arrests

2009-11-21T00:53:00.001-06:00

Vincent High School has erupted in violence again.

On October 12, 2009, the school was the scene of a series of fights, utter pandemonium.

The following day, there was more trouble at Vincent. A student was tased by police.

Clearly, it was a rough October. The violence has spilled into November.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Three Milwaukee police officers and a school safety assistant were assaulted Friday afternoon during a fight at Vincent High School.

Seven juveniles and one adult were arrested during the melee, which broke out about 4 p.m. in the north parking lot of the school, 7501 N. Granville Road, police said.

One officer was struck in the face by a student, another was kicked in the leg by a student and another was punched in the head by an adult friend of a student, police said.

The two students and the adult were arrested and will be referred to the Milwaukee County district attorney's office for possible charges of battery to a police officer, police said.

The five other juveniles arrested are students and will be referred to the district attorney's office for possible charges of disorderly conduct, police said.

Milwaukee Public Schools spokeswoman Roseann St. Aubin said she could not confirm that the juveniles arrested are Vincent students but said the fight was started by a group of outsiders who came to the school and attacked a Vincent student.

...Last month MPS officials announced that students entering Vincent would be subjected to a scan by a metal detector daily because of widespread fighting at the school.

The announcement coincided with a shake-up at the school that saw the principal and three of four assistant principals replaced and two support staff members added to aid the school's new administration.

Unlike the other outbreaks of violence at Vincent, this fight took place after school. According to Roseann St. Aubin, it was started by a group of "outsiders." An adult friend of a student was involved.

Five of the juveniles arrested are students, though St. Aubin wouldn't confirm whether they are students at Vincent.

What a mess!

I don't understand the mindset of the juveniles, and the adult for that matter. When police arrive on the scene and intervene, isn't that a sign that it's time to stop fighting rather than attack the police?

These students displayed no self-control whatsoever and absolutely no respect for authority or the law.

Just over a month ago, major staff changes were made at Vincent. Replacing the principal and three assistant principals was a dramatic move.

Now what?

Another shake-up? What's the answer?

Could it be the problem is some of the students? Could it be they're thugs?

I doubt that a teen who fights with the police is very interested in getting an education. One has to want to learn. It's a choice, just as hitting or kicking a police officer is a choice.

Actions have consequences. I think an important part of the problem is some people genuinely don't care about consequences.
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Video, TMJ 4.

Gallup: Obama at 49 Percent Approval

2009-11-20T13:07:00.000-06:00

Obama, Obama administration, and Democrats,

ARE YOU LISTENING TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE?

Gallup has some less than encouraging news for Obama and the Dems.

PRINCETON, NJ -- The latest Gallup Daily tracking results show 49% of Americans approving of the job Barack Obama is doing as president, putting him below the majority approval level for the first time in his presidency.

Although the current decline below 50% has symbolic significance, most of the recent decline in support for Obama occurred in July and August. He began July at 60% approval. The ongoing, contentious debate over national healthcare reform has likely served as a drag on his public support, as have continuing economic problems. Americans are also concerned about the Obama administration's reliance on government spending to solve the nation's problems and the growing federal budget deficit. Since September, Obama's approval rating had been holding in the low 50s and, although it has reached 50% numerous times, it had never dropped below 50% until now.

Lavelle Stewart, LA ACORN and Breitbart's Message to Eric Holder

2009-11-20T12:50:00.001-06:00

After James O'Keefe dubbed Felix Harris, an ACORN worker in Los Angeles, employee of the year, the rest of the story of ACORN in LA veers dramatically from that high point.

Lavelle Stewart, a fair-housing coordinator for ACORN, is the polar opposite of Felix Harris.

From the New York Post:

Posing once again as pimp and prostitute, James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles busted another ACORN office in Los Angeles, where they taped a worker offering advice in setting up a hooker ring with underage girls smuggled from abroad.

"I could do research for you. I could find out what we can do, how to get you in that door, you know, get that started," said a woman identifying herself as Lavelle Stewart, listed as a "fair housing coordinator" for the ACORN offices of LA.

Several telephone calls to ACORN and Stewart went unreturned.

James O'Keefe writes:

Lavelle Stewart, of ACORN in South Central Los Angeles, tells us she thinks we have to hook up with “someone who’s on that international sex business level,” that “14 and 15 year olds been traveling overseas for years,” that she can do independent research for us, and that she has had meetings with Porn magnate Larry Flynt. As for laundering the sex money into my faux political campaign, Lavelle says, “there are ways, people do it all the time. Yeah there are ways, especially out here in California.”

ACORN: LA Story Program for Torture Victims Part I

ACORN: LA Story Program for Torture Victims Part 2

These videos were unveiled on Hannity last night.

Andrew Breitbart was on the program, and he had a suggestion for Obama's Attorney General, Eric "Welcome to New York, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed" Holder:

Breitbart to AG Holder: Investigate ACORN or We'll Release More Tapes Just Before 2010 Election

Video here.

Transcript

BREITBART: There’s a lot of hypocrisy and the dust has settled for ACORN and at the end of the day they’ve recognized that Eric Holder, the Attorney General, has not initiated an investigation into ACORN after we now have seven tapes. There were five initially that came out, ACORN was defunded by the Senate, was defunded by the House, lost it’s link to the Census; while all that damage occurred, Congress didn’t come in to investigate them, obviously not the Attorney General’s office, and they’ve now realized let’s get back into business because they realized that the dust settled and they were not being investigated, it was Hannah, James, and me who were being investigated, that’s why we’ve been forced to offer this latest tape.

HANNITY: Are you saying, Andrew, that there are more tapes?

BREITBART: Oh my goodness there are! Not only are there more tapes, it’s not just ACORN. And this message is to Attorney General Holder: I want you to know that we have more tapes, it’s not just ACORN, and we’re going to hold out until the next election cycle, or else if you want to do a clean investigation, we will give you the rest of what we have, we will comply with you, we will give you the documentation we have from countless ACORN whistleblowers who want to come forward but are fearful of this organization and the retribution that they fear that this is a dangerous organization. So if you get into an investigation, we will give you the tapes; if you don’t give us the tapes, we will revisit these tapes come election time.

HANNITY: This is a blockbuster, what you’re saying here. You guys have more tapes, you’ll release them before the election, that could have a big impact on the election, obviously...

____________________

Here's a rush transcript from Hannity, November 19, 2009.

Sarah Palin: George Lopez and Joy Behar

2009-11-20T12:37:00.003-06:00

The trashing of Sarah Palin continues.

George Lopez and Joy Behar enjoy a Palin bash fest.

Video, from Big Hollywood.

Leno: Obama Bows to Burger King

2009-11-20T07:29:00.001-06:00

There is a disturbing pattern here.

It's about Obama and his penchant for bowing to leaders.

JAY LENO: President Obama is taking heat from conservatives for bowing to the Japanese emperor the other day. Here he is. Show that picture. There he is bowing. OK, OK.

And earlier in the year, he was slammed for bowing to the Saudi King. Show that picture. There he is bowing.

And you know, I think he's taunting the Republicans now. Did you see the king he bowed to yesterday? Show that picture.

He's playing with them.

Hasan: 18 E-Mails to Anwar al-Awlaki

2009-11-20T07:13:00.000-06:00

In the case of Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan, alleged murderer of 13 people at Fort Hood, there were 18 red flags from December 2008 through June 2009.

From FOX News:

The Army psychiatrist accused of killing 13 people in the Fort Hood massacre told a radical Muslim imam, "I can't wait to join you" in the afterlife, in one of several e-mails exchanged between the two men, ABC News reported on Thursday.

An unnamed official "with top secret access" told the network 18 e-mails were exchanged between Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan and Anwar al-Awlaki, who encouraged Muslims to kill U.S. troops in Iraq, from Dec. 2008 until June of this year.

Other e-mails, the official said, included discussion of when jihad is considered "appropriate," and if it is acceptable for innocent people to die in suicide attacks.

"Hasan told Awlaki he couldn't wait to join him in the discussions they would having over non-alcoholic wine in the afterlife," ABC quoted the official as saying.

Hasan — with an annual salary around $92,000 — also wrote, "My strength is my financial capabilities," the source said. Investigators have found the Army major donated as much as $30,000 per year to Islamic "charities." American authorities have found several such charities to be conduits to terrorist networks.

A military analyst told ABC: "It sounds like code words ... That he's actually either offering himself up or that he's already crossed that line in his own mind."

A joint terrorism task force overseen by the FBI learned late last year of Hasan's repeated contact with al-Awlaki. The FBI said the task force did not refer early information about Hasan to superiors because it concluded he wasn't linked to terrorism.

...Investigators have said e-mails between Hasan and the imam did not advocate or threaten violence. After the shootings, al-Awlaki's Web site praised Hasan as a hero.

This is nuts!

"The FBI said the task force did not refer early information about Hasan to superiors because it concluded he wasn't linked to terrorism."

Hasan was talking to this radical Muslim imam on a regular basis. Anwar al-Awlaki "encouraged Muslims to kill U.S. troops in Iraq."

Hasan contributed to charities supporting terrorist organizations.

It was ridiculous for the FBI to conclude that Hasan wasn't linked to terrorism.

When Hasan killed 13 people and gunned down dozens at Fort Hood, he carried out a terrorist attack against the U.S. He was acting as a soldier in a war.

This U.S. Army major wasn't fighting on our side.

Hasan is the enemy.

Marriage Penalty, 17 New Taxes - Health Care Bill

2009-11-20T06:49:00.003-06:00

On September 12, 2008, Barack Obama was in Dover, New Hampshire, on the campaign trail.

He was talking taxes and he made a promise, a "firm pledge."

BARACK OBAMA: And I can make a firm pledge: under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase - not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes.

NO FAMILY MAKING LESS THAN $250,000 A YEAR WILL SEE ANY FORM OF TAX INCREASE.

Yeah, right.

Tell that to union members with "Cadillac" health care benefits.

The Washington Times notes that there are 17 new taxes imposed by Harry Reid's health care bill.

Senate Democrats' health care bill would create a new marriage penalty by imposing a tax on individuals who make $200,000 annually but hitting married couples making just $50,000 more.

That's one of 17 new taxes imposed by the bill, which also creates a levy on elective plastic surgery - some call it "botax" - and places a 40 percent excise tax on those who have generous health care plans.

"If you have insurance, you get taxed. If you don't have insurance, you get taxed. If you need a life-saving medical device, you get taxed. If you need prescription medicines, you get taxed," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, who is leading the fight against the bill.

The new taxes would be used to fund an expansion of government medical programs and to fund subsidies for lower-income individuals to buy insurance, extending health care coverage to 94 percent of eligible non-elderly Americans.

Democrats said the bill will offer lower health care costs for small businesses and families, and said the new taxes are aimed at upper-income earners, so costs would not go up for the middle class. They said that makes good on President Obama's campaign pledge not to increase taxes on families making less than $250,000 a year, which explains the reason for the new marriage penalty.

"We wanted to make this provision consistent with the president's pledge not to increase taxes on singles making under $200,000 and married couples making under $250,000," said Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who wrote the Senate bill.

"Yes, this structure can create a 'marriage penalty' for some couples. It also creates a 'marriage bonus' for others," he said. "A married couple with one wage earner can earn up to $250,000 without facing this higher tax, whereas a single person in the same job with the same pay would be hit by it."

But a married couple in which each earner makes $150,000 would be hit with the tax, whereas an unmarried couple living together with the same incomes would not.

Ryan Ellis, tax policy director at Americans for Tax Reform, said the new marriage penalty comes on top of an existing one that's always been part of the payroll tax, which funds Social Security and Medicare.

...Mr. Ellis said another problem with Democrats' plan is that the new payroll tax is not indexed for inflation, even though wage growth is about 5 percent a year. That means the tax will capture an ever-larger share of taxpayers.

"Fifteen years from now, someone who today is earning $100,000, if their wage growth just grows on average, 15 years from now they're going to be paying this tax," Mr. Ellis said.

The plastic surgery tax could increase the cost of nips and tucks by imposing a 5 percent tax on the cost of such surgeries. The tax is slated to go into effect Jan. 1 and is expected to raise $5.8 billion over 10 years.

...The Teamsters union on Thursday blasted the proposal to impose a 40 percent excise tax on "Cadillac" high-value health insurance plans, saying it would threaten the benefit-rich coverage unions have fought hard to win for their workers.

"Any claim that it affects only 'Cadillac' plans and thus the wealthy is misleading," said Teamsters President James P. Hoffa Jr. "This tax will fall on one-third of Americans in 10 years. ... The idea that this tax will curtail rising premiums is just dead wrong."

...Several relatively small tax increases will be aimed at health savings accounts and medical savings accounts. One will change the definitions for medical expenses that qualify as itemized deductions. Another will raise the penalties for withdrawing funds from these vehicles. A third would limit health-related flexible spending arrangements.

"All of these changes are designed to make health savings accounts less attractive and cripple consumer-directed health care plans," said Michael Cannon, director of Health Policy Studies at the Cato Institute. Altogether, they would raise about $20 billion through 2019.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell sums it up very well: "If you have insurance, you get taxed. If you don't have insurance, you get taxed. If you need a life-saving medical device, you get taxed. If you need prescription medicines, you get taxed."

Paul Bucher, Jessica McBride, and Ed Flynn

2009-11-20T00:43:00.001-06:00

I knew the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's tabloid reporter Dan Bice eventually would be on the story of Paul Bucher filing for divorce from Jessica McBride.

In spring, Bice revealed the affair between Jessica McBride and Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn. He wallowed in the story. His reporting lacked professionalism, seeming bent on doing as much personal damage to the parties involved as possible. It was a pathetic display.

It's no surprise that Bice has produced a rather lengthy column on Bucher's latest divorce filing and Bucher's accusations. Of course, Bice includes material from his past articles on the affair, engaging in an unnecessary rehashing of details.

I think it's telling that the Journal Sentinel is so thorough when it comes to this story but it fails to adequately report on issues that are of far greater importance to the people of southeastern Wisconsin.

Bice writes:

Under attack from the guy who once ran for attorney general, Police Chief Edward Flynn denied charges Thursday that he has continued his much-publicized extramarital affair with local journalist Jessica McBride.

"MUCH-PUBLICIZED extramarital affair"?

Bice is the guy who publicized it. He appeared on TV, TMJ 4, to discuss the "big" news.

Bice, the JS, TMJ 4, and the other local media are all part of this story. They gave it life.

The difference this time is that Paul Bucher has decided to use the media himself, as tools to further his agenda -- taking down Ed Flynn.

McBride's husband, ex-Waukesha County District Attorney Paul Bucher, made the allegation on the same day he filed for divorce from McBride. This is the second time in recent months that he has filed for divorce from her.

"I regret that Mr. Bucher genuinely believes that I continued an extramarital affair with his wife," Flynn said in a statement. "I did not."

The first-term chief issued the statement after assuring his boss, Mayor Tom Barrett, that he had remained faithful to his wife in recent months. Barrett announced over the weekend that he is running for governor.

But like everything else in this soap opera, Flynn's statement then takes an odd turn.

Bice really loves a good soap opera!

Flynn, 61, acknowledges that he did not break all ties with McBride, 39, in the five months since he apologized to the city for the extramarital affair. Flynn and his wife, Susan, have been seen frequently together around town in recent months. She remained in Virginia when Flynn came to Milwaukee in January 2008.

"I cannot deny that (McBride) and I have communicated and that we met once," Flynn wrote. "Since my statement in June, there has not been, nor is there, an ongoing affair. I will not be drawn further into a public discussion about a pending divorce proceeding."

That's not so odd, not on the face of it. There are no details as to the reasons for the communication or meeting.

Compare those comments with the recent remarks from a friend of McBride's.

The friend, who asked not to be identified, said McBride acknowledged last month that she was still in love with Flynn and spoke glowingly of their sex life. She also said, according to the friend, that Flynn continued to call and e-mail her and that the two "were together" once in September.

If the public knew about the get-together, McBride told the buddy, Flynn certainly would lose his job. She didn't clarify the point.

This is crap.

"The friend"?

This person certainly isn't a friend of McBride's. Poor word choice, Bice.

Bice writes like a New York Times reporter, with the anonymous source. There's no way the reader can judge the reliability of "the friend." It's all rumor.

...On Thursday, Bucher told Channel 4 that he recently confronted Flynn after discovering that he had continued his extramarital affair with McBride.

"He was somewhat taken aback," Bucher said. "I asked him if he thought having sexual contact and intercourse with my wife in September on the 14th was conducive to trying to solve my marriage problems and his marriage problems. He indicated it was not."

Bucher then called for Flynn to resign: "Because he is a public official, I believe he needs to be held accountable." He added, "He has crushed our family."

The former prosecutor, who lost his 2006 bid for attorney general, put the blame for his divorce on Flynn in an interview with The Waukesha Freeman.

"All of this falls on him, and not my wife," Bucher said. "He continued to pursue her, and I hold him responsible for that, notwithstanding his public apology."

...Bucher's divorce filing comes less than a month after the executive committee of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's department of journalism and mass communication voted 3-2 to recommend that McBride be given indefinite status - the equivalent of tenure for academic staff.

McBride, a lecturer in the journalism department and a columnist for The Freeman, was represented by Bucher during the process. The recommendation for indefinite status still must be approved by the dean and provost.

...Bucher initially filed for divorce in late September and withdrew it less than a week later. His attorney, James Gatzke, said the pair had reconciled.

As in the earlier filing, Bucher, 54, is asking for primary placement of their 4-year-old daughter, child support and maintenance.

I think Bucher may regret going to the media.

He's not thinking of his children. The upset within the family has to be hard enough on them without having to deal with the public circus of the airing of these very personal matters.

Mayor Tom Barrett is right to support Flynn.

He has been tremendously successful as the police chief. I see no reason for him to resign.

If Bucher does in fact have proof that McBride and Flynn are still having an affair, I think the responsible thing to do would be to handle the situation as privately as possible. No one wins by having the matter play out in a public battle.
_____________________

TMJ 4 video.

WISN video.

With Bucher being willing to feed the media beast, I expect this to get uglier.

That's unfortunate for all concerned.

Top Ten: Obama's Interview with FOX

2009-11-20T00:30:00.000-06:00

From The Late Show with David Letterman:

TOP TEN HIGHLIGHTS OF BARACK OBAMA'S INTERVIEW WITH FOX NEWS

10. First question: "Sup?"

9. Showed up wearing one of Michelle's halter tops

8. Interview split into domestic issues, foreign affairs and one round of bare-knuckle boxing

7. Promoted Obama's new book about his life as a sassy Alaska hockey mom

6. Mostly about Shakira's awesome new "She Wolf" video

5. Interviewer kept referring to "alleged President Obama"

4. Began new feud over which "Twilight" star is hunkier, Robert Pattinson or Taylor Lautner

3. When Titans owner Bud Adams gave everyone the finger

2. A laughing George W. Bush called to ask, "How you liking it, sucker?"

1. Only thing they could agree on is that Glenn Beck is a load

Letterman isn't funny anymore. He just spews hate. He absolutely hates conservatives. He hates FOX News.

Letterman ia such a hack.

He's actually attacking the professionalism of Senior White House Correspondent Major Garrett, who conducted the interview with Obama.

Garrett doesn't deserve that.

Sarah Palin and Letterman's Cheap Shots

2009-11-20T00:19:00.000-06:00

From PJTV, AlfonZo Rachel makes some great points in "The Rogue Less Trammeled: Letterman's Cheap Shots Can't Stop Sarah Palin."

In spite of relentless attacks from mean-spirited, ugly Leftists like David Letterman, Sarah Palin is still standing strong.

Here's the video.

Mary Landrieu - $100 Million

2009-11-20T00:05:00.000-06:00

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Virginia Jefferson-Jackson Dinner
Richmond, VA
February 9, 2008

We are tired of being disappointed by our politics. We are tired of being let down. We're tired of hearing promises made and ten-point plans proposed in the heat of a campaign only to have nothing change when everyone goes back to Washington. Because the lobbyists just write another check. Or because politicians start worrying about how they'll win the next election instead of why they should. Or because they focus on who's up and who's down instead of who matters.

...But in this election - at this moment - Americans are standing up all across the country to say, not this time. Not this year. The stakes are too high and the challenges too great to play the same Washington game with the same Washington players and expect a different result. And today, voters from the West Coast to the Gulf Coast to the heart of America stood up to say that it is time to turn the page.

...[I]n this election, our party cannot stand for business-as-usual in Washington. The Democratic Party must stand for change.

Obama promised to be the one to turn the page on "playing the same Washington game."

What a load! What a pack of lies!

Obama promised to change business-as-usual politics in Washington.

Add that to the ever-growing list of his broken promises.

Obama hasn't changed how Washington works. He's playing the same old games, making shady deals.

From Jonathan Karl, ABC News:

On page 432 of the Reid bill, there is a section increasing federal Medicaid subsidies for “certain states recovering from a major disaster.”

The section spends two pages defining which “states” would qualify, saying, among other things, that it would be states that “during the preceding 7 fiscal years” have been declared a “major disaster area.”

I am told the section applies to exactly one state: Louisiana, the home of moderate Democrat Mary Landrieu, who has been playing hard to get on the health care bill.

In other words, the bill spends two pages describing would could be written with a single world: Louisiana. (This may also help explain why the bill is long.)

Senator Harry Reid, who drafted the bill, cannot pass it without the support of Louisiana’s Mary Landrieu.

How much does it cost? According to the Congressional Budget Office: $100 million.

This makes me sick.

Mary Landrieu of Louisiana

202-224-5824

Say NO to Reid Health Care Bill

2009-11-19T17:09:00.001-06:00

LEVIN SURGE: Call These Senators & Tell Them to Vote No on Reid’s Health Care Bill (Remember Be Polite)

Mary Landrieu of Louisiana
202-224-5824

Ben Nelsonof Nebraska
202-224-6551

Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas
202-224-4843

Evan Bayh of Indiana
202-224-5623

Sarah Palin Interview - Mark Levin, November 18

2009-11-19T13:00:00.000-06:00

Audio here.

John Kerry's Daughter - DUI Arrest

2009-11-19T12:46:00.002-06:00

Alexandra Forbes Kerry, John Kerry's daughter, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

From TMZ:

Senator John Kerry's daughter, Alexandra Forbes Kerry, was arrested early this morning on suspicion of DUI ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

It went down in Hollywood at 12:40 AM. Alexandra, a 36-year-old film producer and director, was pulled over for a traffic stop, then arrested and booked at LAPD's Hollywood station. She was released at 5:25 AM.

Cops tell us Alexandra violated a traffic law which got their attention. They then conducted a field sobriety test and it appeared she was under the influence of an intoxicant. She was then placed under arrest. At that point, cops asked her to take a preliminary alcohol screening test in the field, but she refused.

Cops took her to the station and then conducted a formal blood alcohol test which showed a level of .06. Under California law, the legal limit is .08, but a driver can still be prosecuted -- even under a .08 reading -- if the vehicle is being operated unsafely due to alcohol.

TMZ reports that it's unlikely Kerry's daughter will be prosecuted because her blood alcohol level was under the legal limit.

2007 Memo Criticizes Hasan - Professionalism and Judgment

2009-11-19T12:23:00.007-06:00

The big question regarding Nidal Malik Hasan and the Fort Hood shootings: What did they know and when did they know it?

From CNN:

A memo reportedly written two years ago by Maj. Nidal Hasan's supervisor at Walter Reed Army Medical Center says the accused Fort Hood shooter demonstrated "a pattern of poor judgment and a lack of professionalism" during his residency at the hospital.

National Public Radio obtained what it said is a copy of the memo, posting on NPR.org a retyped version that the network said was a "transcript" of the memo and "not a facsimile or PDF of the actual document."

"The faculty has serious concerns about CPT Hasan's professionalism and work ethic," said the memo, signed by Maj. Scott Moran, the residency program's director. "Clinically he is competent to deliver safe patient care. But he demonstrates a pattern of poor judgment and a lack of professionalism."

Transcript of memo.

Hasan's supervisor at Fort Hood Army Post, Col. Kimberly Kesling, has said that Hasan's evaluations from Walter Reed contained some information that concerned her, but the concerns triggered an approach to integrate Hasan into the staff that she said had been successful.

"The types of things that were reported to me via his evaluation report were things that concerned me, but did not raise red flags toward this [the shootings] in any way, shape or form," she said, adding that Hasan "was doing a really good job for us."

...The memo obtained by National Public Radio said that Hasan, then a captain, was "counseled for inappropriately discussing religious topics" with patients and went through a remediation program for inappropriate documentation of his handling of a homicidal patient during an emergency room encounter.

The document said Hasan's remediation on that problem was successful but added that he was placed on administrative probation at the end of the year for not taking and passing the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination. He later corrected that problem as well, the memo said.

The memo also noted a poor attendance record and lower-than-expected scores on the Psychiatry Resident-In-Training Examination, a yearly exam that Hasan failed to take during one of his residency years.

Based on the information in the memo, it's hard to believe that, according to Hasan's supervisor at Fort Hood Army Post, Col. Kimberly Kesling, Hasan "was doing a really good job for us."

This memo is just one piece of the puzzle.

Of course, Hasan's lack of professionalism and judgment is of concern.

However, it's those contacts with al Qaeda that should have caused great alarm.

Video.

Transcript

CAMPBELL BROWN: Let's take a look at the contents and this memo that you obtained at NPR.

Again, this is from the director of Hasan's military psychiatry training program dated May 17, 2007.

DANIEL ZWERDLING, NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO: That's right.

BROWN: I just want to read a little of it for people. "The Faculty has serious concerns about captain Hasan's professionalism and work ethic. Clinically, he is competent to deliver safe patient care. But he demonstrates a pattern of poor judgment and a lack of professionalism."

And then the memo goes on to list a series of reasons why.

Walk us through some of those reasons and your take on all this.

ZWERDLING: Essentially, what this memo says, despite that sentence about competent care, it basically says this guy was a lousy and potentially very dangerous psychiatrist to his patients.

He would be on call. He would be the guy the doctors would call in a psychiatric emergency, and he wouldn't answer his telephone. He mishandled a psychotic patient in the emergency room and essentially allowed her to escape from the emergency room.

At a time when psychiatrists and other mental health specialists at Walter Reed and hospitals around the country were overwhelmed with soldiers and other troops coming back from the war with serious mental health problems, this fellow, Nidal Hasan, saw almost no patients for his last year at Walter Reed. He saw about one patient per week.

Most psychiatrists were seeing 10 to 20 times that many. And this was his choice to see so few patients. And his supervisors and others say they kept reprimanding him over and over again. He was proselytizing to patients. He told at least one patient that Islam can save your soul.

But what's so extraordinary about this memo, I think, is that put his Islamic obsession aside. Put aside Hasan's apparently extremist Islamic views. What this memo is saying -- it's right there in the Army's official credentials file -- it is saying this psychiatrist could be reckless for his patients. He could be a danger to them. Yet, he kept getting promoted. And as we all know, he was sent to Fort Hood to treat some of the most vulnerable soldiers in the Army.

BROWN: And, in fact, Daniel, I know you talked to people about that specifically, people who treat PTSD. And there were real concerns about the fact that -- that he was handling soldiers who were in such a delicate frame of mind and the danger that that could have caused to them.

ZWERDLING: Today, I talked to several psychotherapists who have worked with the military or with troops. And I said to them, please forget for a moment that this is Nidal Hasan and that he has allegedly shot dozens of people at Fort Hood.

Suppose you got an application from a psychiatrist to get a job at your medical center, and the chief of Sheppard Pratt -- that's one of the most prestigious psychiatric hospitals in the country, near Baltimore -- he said, even if I were desperate to fill a psychiatry slot, if I got an evaluation on an applicant like Nidal Hasan's, he would never even get in the door for an interview. And another therapist who runs a big project treating soldiers in California -- it's called the Soldiers Project -- I mean, she said this almost borders on malpractice, the fact that they would -- that the Army would send a psychiatrist like Nidal Hasan to treat soldiers in a very vulnerable state.

When you come back from the war and you are falling apart, you are feeling suicidal, you need a therapist who you can trust 150 percent, not somebody who didn't show up on call, not somebody who let a psychotic woman escape from the emergency room. She said it is disgraceful.

Hasan told at least one patient that "Islam can save your soul."

That's more than a red flag. That's a king-size red sheet.

Senate Health Care Bill - Text

2009-11-19T12:14:00.003-06:00

Read the Senate's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act -- 2074 pages.

The Associated Press offers a comparison of the Senate and House health care bills.

Abortion and Senate Health Care Bill

2009-11-19T12:00:00.005-06:00

Wisconsin Right to Life reacts to Harry Reid's health care bill.

Wisconsin Right to Life is joining with its parent organization, the National Right to Life Committee, in condemning Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's unacceptable language that would result in coverage of abortion on demand in two big new federal government programs.

"Not surprisingly, Reid is doing the bidding of the Obama White House and the radical pro-abortion movement who are demanding the funding of abortion through federal programs," said Susan Armacost, Legislative Director of Wisconsin Right to Life. "They do so in spite of the substantial majority of Americans who believe that abortion should be excluded from government-funded and government-sponsored health programs."

The Reid language closely mirrors pro-abortion funding language offered by Rep. Lois Capps and originally contained in the House bill. Capps has a 100% pro-abortion voting record. National Right to Life and Wisconsin Right to Life strongly opposed the Capps language which was deleted by the House by a vote of 240-194 on November 7, as 64 Democrats (one fourth of all House Democrats), along with 176 Republicans, voted to replace it with the Stupak-Pitts Amendment.

Douglas Johnson, Legislative Director of the National Right to Life Committee explained, "The Stupak-Pitts Amendment would prevent federal subsidies for abortion by applying the principles of longstanding federal laws such as the Hyde Amendment to the new programs created by the health care legislation. Those principles prohibit both direct funding of abortion procedures, and subsidies for plans that cover elective abortions, in existing federal programs such as Medicaid, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, and the military."

In describing the Reid language, Johnson said, "The Reid bill establishes a big new federal health insurance program, the public option (although now referred to in Reid's bill as the 'community health insurance option.' The bill authorizes (on page 118) the federal Secretary of Health and Human Services to require coverage of any and all abortions throughout the public option program. This would be federal government funding of abortion, no matter how hard they try to disguise it."
"In addition, the bill creates new tax-supported subsidies to purchase private health plans that will cover abortion on demand," said Johnson.

"The National Right to Life Committee, Wisconsin Right to Life and the other NRCL state affiliates will continue to fight for the Stupak-Pitts Amendment and oppose attempts by the White House and Democratic congressional leaders to ignore the will of the people by foisting upon them new federal government programs that will fund coverage of elective abortion," said Armacost.

Here's the statement from the National Right to Life Committee:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nv.) has rejected the bipartisan Stupak-Pitts Amendment and has substituted completely unacceptable language that would result in coverage of abortion on demand in two big new federal government programs.

Reid seeks to cover elective abortions in two big new federal health programs, but tries to conceal that unpopular reality with layers of contrived definitions and hollow bookkeeping requirements.

Rep. Lois Capps (D-Ca.), who has a 100% pro-abortion voting record, said in a press release following release of the Reid language: "It appears that their approach closely mirrors my language which was originally included in the House bill." The Capps language referred to was opposed by NRLC and other pro-life organizations and was deleted by the House by a vote of 240-194 on November 7, as 64 Democrats (one fourth of all House Democrats), along with 176 Republicans, voted to replace it with the Stupak-Pitts Amendment.

The Stupak-Pitts Amendment would prevent federal subsidies for abortion by applying the principles of longstanding federal laws such as the Hyde Amendment to the new programs created by the health care legislation. Those principles prohibit both direct funding of abortion procedures, and subsidies for plans that cover elective abortions, in existing federal programs such as Medicaid, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, and the military.

Regrettably but predictably, Reid rejected the bipartisan Stupak-Pitts language. Instead, Reid has sought to please the militant minority that demands funding of abortion through federal programs, even though substantial majorities of Americans believe that abortion should be excluded from government-funded and government-sponsored health programs.

The Reid bill establishes a big new federal health insurance program, the public option (although now referred to in Reid's bill as the "community health insurance option"). The bill authorizes (on page 118) the federal Secretary of Health and Human Services to require coverage of any and all abortions throughout the public option program. This would be federal government funding of abortion, no matter how hard they try to disguise it.

In addition, the bill creates new tax-supported subsidies to purchase private health plans that will cover abortion on demand.

National Right to Life will continue to fight for the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, and to oppose the stubborn attempts of congressional Democratic leaders to establish new federal government programs that will fund coverage of elective abortions.

Did anyone really think that the radical pro-abortion Democrats would offer a health care bill that doesn't promote the Culture of Death?

The Stupak-Pitts Amendment was just window-dressing.

Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi are advocates for the slaughter of innocent human life.

We have never had a more extreme pro-abortion president. Obama doesn't want to sign a bill that would omit something as important to him as allowing for the killing of the unborn.
_________________

From LifeNews:

House Republican Leader John Boehner says the new health care bill Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid unveiled yesterday contains a monthly abortion premium that taxpayers will be forced to pay. His analysis follows that of pro-life groups that say the bill contains massive abortion funding.

"Just like the original 2,032-page, government-run health care plan from Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s massive, 2,074-page bill would levy a new 'abortion premium' fee on Americans in the government-run plan," he notes.

Beginning on line 7, p. 118, section 1303 under “Voluntary Choice of Coverage of Abortion Services” the Health and Human Services Secretary is given the authority to determine when abortion is allowed under the government-run health plan.

Reid's plan also requires that at least one insurance plan offered in the Exchange covers abortions (line 13, p. 120).

"What is even more alarming is that a monthly abortion premium will be charged of all enrollees in the government-run health plan," Boehner says.

He says the premium is mentioned on line 11, page 122, section 1303, under “Actuarial Value of Optional Service Coverage.”

"The premium will be paid into a U.S. Treasury account – and these federal funds will be used to pay for the abortion services," he explained.

Under the bill, Americans will be required to pay at least $1 a month to cover the cost of abortions.

"Section 1303(a)(2)(C) describes the process in which the Health Benefits Commissioner is to assess the monthly premiums that will be used to pay for elective abortions under the government-run health plan and for those who are given an affordability credit to purchase insurance coverage that includes abortion through the Exchange. The Commissioner must charge at a minimum $1 per enrollee per month," Boehner said today.

Chris Matthews: Crowd at Palin Book Signing

2009-11-19T00:37:00.001-06:00

Chris Matthews, like his colleagues in the lib media, is monitoring Sarah Palin's every move as she launches her book, Going Rogue. He's also monitoring the crowds that support her.

Once again, Matthews looks to race as a factor to explain the behavior of conservatives, playing his old 'if you're conservative, if you don't worship Obama, then you're a racist' card.

That is such an insult. It's as if Matthews can't fathom the notion that some people actually like Sarah Palin and share her values.

Reporting from a book signing outside of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Norah O'Donnell basically describes the crowd as white and stupid and irrational.

CHRIS MATTHEWS: Norah, what are the people. can you find out what their belief is in Gov. Palin? What is it they like about her, apparently?

NORAH O'DONNELL: They have a connection with her, and I think it's an emotional connection. A lot of the people I spoke with today were unable to articulate exactly why they supported Sarah Palin. One of them said it was because she upholds the Constitution, was confused and thought that Sarah Palin had opposed the bailout when in fact Sarah Palin supported the bailout.

This is a largely white, almost no minorities in this crowd. And they're here because they love Sarah Palin. I think it's an emotional connection, Chris, because they feel, too, that they've been beat up on, whether it's the economy, or they feel like outcasts. They like the outsider, if you will, in Sarah Palin, and that's why people have been willing to wait, 1,500 of them, since 7:00 AM this morning to just get a glimpse of Sarah Palin. Who by the way, this is not just a book signing, Chris. I mean, that's kind of largely what's in it, but she's about to arrive any minute, and there's a stage out front where she's gonna take to that stage and make remarks, almost like a mini campaign rally.

MATTHEWS: Well, they look like a white crowd to em. Let's go back to Joan Walsh, not that there's anything wrong with that, but it is pretty monochromatic up there.

...

JOAN WALSH: I think that there are a couple of whopping lies [in the book] as well as just mean-spiritedness that doesn't serve her well. It's why she'll never be president. She's a very divisive, mean-spirited person.... Norah is right. People who love her, love her; but the general public doesn't trust her and sees this kind of mean girl persona that she's never grown out of.

Norah did great reporting by the way. I was watching when she interviewed these people who were wrong about TARP and who just started babbling about 'she'll defend the Constitution,' as though Obama won't. So, I think you've got that same kind of paranoid, Tea Party, maybe even birther crowd that talks about the Consitution without really understanding what they're talking about. They love her.

...

MATTHEWS: I think there's a tribal aspect to this thing, in other words, white vs. other people. I think she's very smart about this....

MATTHEWS: Let me just suggest that she's a mirage at worst in a Republican desert. These other candidates are so boring that she sparkles. Even without by comparison, she sparkles....

MATTHEWS: I think we can argue whether it's a good book or a bad book, but we can agree it's a campaign book.

It's clear that these Leftists are troubled by Palin's popularity, trying to discredit Palin and the crowd at the book signing as a pack of racist dolts.

Video.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Jimmy Fallon: Bush, the Great Wall of China

2009-11-19T00:13:00.001-06:00

When Jimmy Fallon does political humor, he will occasionally make an Obama joke. That's more than what other comedians with late night shows do.

Fallon at least shows a bit of an effort to be a little balanced.

Like Conan O'Brien on Wednesday night, Fallon did a joke about Obama's trip to China. Also like O'Brien, George W. Bush was the target.

JIMMY FALLON: President Obama visited the Great Wall of China. He said, 'It's magical. It reminds you of the sweep of history.'

When George Bush visited, he said, 'It's magical. It reminds me of something Spider-Man would love to climb.'

Add that to the enormous list of 'Bush isn't too bright' jokes.

Fallon followed that joke with one that makes Obama look out of touch and not too bright.

FALLON: In a new interview, President Obama said that the people could lose confidence in the U.S. economy if our debt continues to grow.

And Americans were like, 'Uh, way ahead of you, dude.'

Conan O'Brien: Bush and Cheney Jokes

2009-11-19T00:07:00.000-06:00

Conan O'Brien desperately needs some new material.

He should give some jokes at Obama's expense a try, instead of following the David Letterman model of nonstop bashing of Republicans and Conservatives.

Comedians doing topical humor usually do joke about the person in power. That would be Obama.

Instead, like Letterman, O'Brien is sticking with tired old George Bush and Dick Cheney lines, leaving Obama untouched.

Very unoriginal.

O'Brien did two jokes about Obama's Asian tour. One mocked President Bush's intelligence and the other took a swipe at Vice President Cheney and his Big Oil buddies.

CONAN O'BRIEN: This is big. He just left China, I believe. Earlier today, President Obama took a tour of the Great Wall of China. He said it was, quote, 'magical.' That nice? Yeah. As opposed to two years ago when former President Bush stood at the exact same spot and said, 'Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.'

What else is goin' on? Former Vice President Dick Cheney is in the news. That's right. Dick Cheney slammed President Obama for bowing before the emperor of Japan. Yeah, yeah. Cheney said, 'Come on, it's not like he's the CEO of Exxon.'

We've heard that crap for NINE years.

Enough already. Show a little creativity.

Sarah Palin Newsweek Cover

2009-11-18T13:18:00.001-06:00

The current issue of Newsweek has Sarah Palin on the cover.

The message couldn't be clearer -- She's a bimbo. Don't take her seriously.

Should we take Obama seriously?

Obama suggests 9/11 suspect will get death penalty

President Barack Obama suggested on Wednesday the self-professed mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks would be convicted and put to death, but later said he was not trying to prejudge the trial.

Speaking in television interviews while traveling in Asia, Obama acknowledged he would miss his Jan. 22 deadline to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is now held, but said he believed it would be shut next year.

So Obama has declared that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed will be put to death. It sounds like he's prejudged the trial.

I guess our judicial system is a joke if Obama can be so certain that the terrorist will be found guilty and executed.

Obama says that Guantanamo will be closed next year, even though he signed an EXECUTIVE ORDER on January 22, 2009, that it be closed promptly.

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, in order to effect the appropriate disposition of individuals currently detained by the Department of Defense at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base (Guantánamo) and promptly to close detention facilities at Guantánamo....

How does Obama define "promptly"?

Should we take Obama seriously?

"HOW DO YOU SOLVE A PROBLEM LIKE BARACK?"

"He's bad news for the Democrat Party -- and for everyone else, too."

Charles A. Avey

2009-11-18T13:05:00.006-06:00

Charles A. Avey (Photo/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Charles A. Avey is a monster.

He murdered his stepson, 14-year-old Cody Reetz, by strangling him with a necktie.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Charles A. Avey used a necktie Sunday to strangle his stepson, 14-year-old Cody Reetz of Grafton, as payback to the boy's mother for reporting to police that he had beaten her with a hammer, according to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday.

Avey, 37, was charged Tuesday with first-degree intentional homicide in Washington County Circuit Court.

...The criminal complaint says Avey used a second necktie to tie the boy's neck to an armrest inside an Oldsmobile minivan, then hid Reetz's body under clothing and a backpack. He killed the boy inside the minivan while it was parked at a Germantown Wal-Mart, the complaint says, and left the lot with a friend shortly before 5 p.m. Sunday.

Avey had called the friend from a Jackson gas station about 30 minutes before killing the boy to request a ride from the Germantown parking lot, the complaint says.

The friend arrived at Wal-Mart about 4:20 p.m. Sunday, and Avey got into her car several minutes later, the complaint says. He asked to be driven to the van so that he could make sure it was locked.

Avey rode to Grafton with the friend and observed police waiting for him outside his apartment. He then called his ex-wife, Krista Avey, and asked her to pick him up at a Piggly Wiggly in Jackson because his van had run out of gas.

She arrived with the three children they had together prior to their divorce, but Avey asked her to take them to her home because he wanted to talk.

Avey later requested to be driven to a West Bend cemetery to view his mother's grave. Once there, Avey confessed to his ex-wife that he had killed Reetz, the complaint says.

He then asked her to drive him to the Washington County Sheriff's Department, where he turned himself in about 7:25 p.m. Sunday.

...Nearly five hours before the boy's body was found in the minivan Sunday, Avey's current wife, Trista Avey, went to Grafton police with a relative and reported that her husband repeatedly struck her with a hammer Nov. 8.

The criminal complaint says the two were arguing that day in their Grafton apartment when Avey began strangling her with his hands and pounded her head, arms and back with a hammer.

The woman's delay of one week in reporting the attack shows there was a "climate of intimidation in the household," Martens said Tuesday.

After reporting the crime Sunday, Trista Avey told officers that her son, Reetz - an eighth grader at Grafton's John Long Middle School - was with the suspect that afternoon.

Grafton police then issued a bulletin to other law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for them.

This is absolutely horrific. So many "what ifs" that could have changed everything.

Clearly, Avey was a violent man, but Cody must have felt comfortable enough to be alone with him. And his mother allowed it. There must have been some degree of trust.

Certainly, as he got into the minivan with Avey, Cody didn't suspect that his stepdad was about to kill him.

...Avey also is charged with five counts of identity theft.

Those charges are based on allegations he opened credit card accounts under the name of his wife's former husband, who is the boy's biological father.

In a November 2008 to January 2009 holiday shopping spree, Avey charged more than $22,130 worth of merchandise to the accounts, according to a separate criminal complaint. His initial court appearance on the identity theft charges was Nov. 2, less than a week before he is accused of beating his wife.

Read the criminal complaint.

Several notes written by Avey were found in his van. In one, Avey blames his sister-in-law and mother-in-law for the murder.

FIRST NOTE: Special Note, This boy met Angels all too early! Reason: Tonya Zander: my sister in law. Laura King my mother in law and the Princess Gina Schfoeder my sister in law you guys did this to your sister! Are you all happy now?

A second note was to Avey's ex-wife.

SECOND NOTE: Krista, Please take good care of my boys I will miss them more than you will ever know. Please remind them that I love them. Love Chuck

The third note was to his sons.

THIRD NOTE: To CJ, Chandler + Mouse To my 3 great sons, Daddy will always love you. Be good to your mom and grandmother. I love you boys with all my heart This wouldn't have happened if Trista wouldn't have ran away from me. All my love, Daddy

These notes were found near Cody's body.

How could "Daddy" Avey express his love for his sons after he had just killed his 14-year-old stepson? It's so twisted.

Avey has victimized so many people, including people he claims to love.

For the rest of their lives, Avey's sons -- CJ, Chandler, and Mouse -- will have to drag around the fact that their dad murdered a 14-year-old boy.

How would he feel if a man strangled one of his sons in a Wal-Mart parking lot?

Taking out his anger on an innocent boy, taking his life?

Avey committed the most heinous crime.

It's a mystery how an evil man with such a blackened heart could be capable of expressing any love at all.

Eric Holder and Miranda Rights

2009-11-18T12:53:00.001-06:00

Lindsey Graham schooled Obama's Attorney General, Eric Holder, during questioning by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Graham reveals how ridiculous Holder's decision is to give Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and terrorists like him a trial in a U.S. civilian court.

From TPM:

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) made his argument against the trials, asking Holder how he would instruct the military to handle the hypothetical capture of Osama bin Laden.

Would you read him his Miranda rights? Graham asked. Would you get him a lawyer?

And if you didn't, he went on, would a subsequent trial -- if indeed the trial was held in civilian court and not a military tribunal -- be jeopardized?

Holder didn't have a clear answer, saying "it all depends" on the situation.

It was exactly what Graham wanted.

"Well it does not depend," Graham said. "If you're gonna prosecute anybody in civilian court, our law is clear that the moment custodial interrogation occurs, the defendant, the criminal defendant, is entitled to a lawyer and to be informed of their right to remain silent. The big problem I have is you're criminalizing the war, that if we caught bin Laden tomorrow, we have mixed theories and couldn't turn him over to the CIA, the FBI, military intelligence for an interrogation on the battlefield, because now you're saying he's subject to criminal court in the United States and you're confusing the people fighting this war."

"If we go down that road we're gonna make the country less safe," Graham continued. "I think you've made a fundamental mistake here."

Graham can be a wobbly conservative and he gets a lot wrong, but he nails this one.

Video.

Biden Motorcade: ANOTHER Crash

2009-11-18T05:00:00.000-06:00

Joe Biden's motorcade has been involved in THREE accidents in one week.

Last Wednesday, Biden's motorcade hit and killed a pedestrian.

Was Vice President Dick Cheney's motorcade ever involved in a fatal crash?

Did his motorcade ever mow down a person?

Folllowing the fatal crash, there was a crash on Monday in New Mexico.

Details here.

Here's information on yesterday's crash, from the New York Times:

A police car assisting Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s motorcade collided with another vehicle on the West Side of Manhattan on Tuesday as Mr. Biden was on his way to appear on a television show, the police said.

The accident took place just before 6 p.m. on the corner of West 49th Street and 10th Avenue as the police car was driving ahead of Mr. Biden’s motorcade to help clear the way, the authorities said. Mr. Biden was on his way to a taping of “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” which is recorded at a studio on 11th Avenue near West 52nd Street.

The police car, the authorities said, was part of an “advance element” of the motorcade made up of three marked police cars that traveled about three minutes ahead of Mr. Biden’s vehicle to help clear the way and make sure there were no “breakdown issues” along the way.

As the marked cars traveled west on 49th Street with lights and sirens on, one of them collided with a livery cab at the intersection. Two officers and the driver of the livery cab were taken to a hospital with neck and back injuries, the police said. None of the injuries were serious.

Mr. Biden was informed of the crash after taping the show, and spoke with one of the injured officers from Air Force 2 on his way back to Washington, a spokeswoman said. She added that Mr. Biden was happy to hear that all those who were injured had been released from the hospital.

Why would Biden not be told of the crash immediately?

It's hard to believe that he wouldn't be informed of the third crash incident within one week until after the taping of his appearance on The Daily Show.

If it's true that Biden wasn't told about this crash before he taped the show, that was probably because it would seem inappropriate for him to be yukking it up on a comedy program after his motorcade once again sent people to the hospital.

It's possible aides didn't want to jeopardize Biden's big Daily Show spot.

Three crashes in one week.

One FATALITY.

That's awful.

If all of this had happened when Dick Cheney was vice president, it would have been a front page story. The New York Times wouldn't bury it on page 31. The news networks would have been all over the vice presidential crashes. And the late night comedians would have had a field day, using the crashes as fodder to mock Cheney.

Stimulus Errors and Dave Obey

2009-11-18T01:05:00.002-06:00

The White House insists that the $787 billion stimulus has been a tremendous success. It also insist that its website, recovery.gov, is a "great success."

The White House looks ridiculous.

Massive problems with the data have been reported for weeks, but the Obama administration is dismissing them.

From The Hill:

White House officials on Tuesday dismissed criticism that its recovery act reporting efforts were riddled with inaccuracies, stressing its mistakes were "relatively few, and don't change the fundamental conclusions one can draw from the data."

A day after reporters discovered that the White House's stimulus hub, Recovery.gov, incorrectly calculated jobs created by federal funds in congressional districts that do not actually exist, White House adviser Ed DeSeve acknowledged the errors as "frustrating."

...Monday's news that the White House had to purge more than 60,000 jobs from stimulus reports because the numbers were suspect angered some lawmakers. But this morning's revelation that Recovery.gov reflected jobs and dollar amounts in congressional districts that did not exist made some, including House Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-Wisc.), nearly apoplectic.

Consequently, DeSeve on Monday explained that errors are often more obvious as a result of transparency, not despite of it. He also attributed the recent string of lapses regarding congressional districts to simple human error, and he cautioned those errors in no way meant the White House was not making progress stimulating the economy.

"Critics – some well intentioned, some who just wanted to discredit the Recovery Act -- have had over two weeks to try to make hay with the data," he said. "But no criticism has come close to discrediting the larger and most important point: that the Recovery Act has helped save or create more than 1 million jobs across America and across various sectors of the economy."

This is nuts! It's insane.

Dave Obey, DEMOCRAT, is not buying his party's line.

From WAOW:

Congressman Dave Obey wants pervasive errors in official stimulus data fixed. The Wausau Democrat says that the inaccuracies on recovery.gov are “stupid mistakes” that undermine the government’s credibility.

...In an Appropriations Committee statement Obey says, “The inaccuracies on recovery.gov that have come to light are outrageous and the Administration owes itself, the Congress, and every American a commitment to work night and day to correct the ludicrous mistakes.”

Wisconsin has several phantom districts listed on the recovery website including the 55th, 14th, 9th, 00, 10th and 39th. The funds received vary from $1,240,000 to $91,091.

Obey also called on the Transparency Board, which oversees the recovery act web site and data, to fix it. “Whether the numbers are good news or bad news, I want the honest numbers and I want them now,” Obey said.

It's impossible to fix the website.

If the numbers are tainted to begin with, nothing can be done to get "honest numbers."

The stimulus is a disaster. It's a complete failure, government incompetence at its worst.
___________________

Video: Who’s Accountable When Stimulus Data is Erroneous?
___________________

ABC News Exclusive: Obama Admin Slashed 60,000 Jobs From Recent Stimulus Report

Office of Management & Budget Document: 12 Stimulus Recipients Reported 'Unrealistic Job Data'

"Unrealistic"?

That's a very gentle way of putting it.

Some more appropriate terms come to mind to describe the job data, such as fabricated, false, deceptive, dishonest, BS.