Let's Burn Him!!! ..Dems on yet another witch hunt..

Just in case you haven't seen the latest in democrat fashionware with regard to the boogeyman dejour:



This item, curiously, is no longer available at CafePress.com (that is, after it became featured on Drudge). However, you are still free to choose from other beautiful slogans:
or
..
As I have stated here and here, the democrat party is only out on its bi-annual witch hunt; the only thing missing are the torches and the pitch forks: (look for them at the next moveon.orgre rally).

When the Republicans, trying forever to be the "nice guys", offer up DeLay as yet another sacrificial lamb to "make nice" with the democrats and the MSM, the dems will only look for another, and yet another fabricated witch, while at the same time ignoring their very own witches. How about a basic primer for starters:
(run out of a leadership position on a rail after stating something honoring Strom Thurmond's career)

And all the while ignoring the antics of this clownwho was a card-carrying member of this exclusive club, and has thrown around the "n" word as freely as others say "pass the salt."

Earlier, on the democrat witch list:
they castigated him for what they said was a questionable book deal while in office...

While at the same time, of course, they ignored a real witch:
When she signed a questionable book deal while in office.

Yes, dear readers, as long as there remains on the left a paucity of ideas, no positive platform on which to run, and a string of continuing losses in national elections, look for these bozos to continue their witch hunts. And look for this blogger to continue laughing.

******UPDATE*******

It would appear that the Republican cave-in on this issue has begun, from none other than Rick Santorum. Also check this, from Christopher Shays.

Kinda begs a question... with plenty of skeletons in their closet, when was the last time a democrat said one of their own should step down?

*****UPDATE*****

It would appear that the liberals have overlooked yet another of their own witches... none other than their own Mr. Socialism Bernie Sanders (I-VT). It would appear that Mr. Sanders has his wife and daughter on his payroll. Read the whole story here.

***YET ANOTHER UPDATE****

Speaking of witches, the dems have overlooked none other than their own leader, Nancy Pelosi. It appears that Ms. Pelosi was fined $21,000 for funnelling over $100,000 in illegal campaign contributions to democrat candidates in her bid to become House minority (gad I love that term when applied to democrats) leader... get the full story here (subscription required).

AND....

Just so the left's hatred for our Commander in Chief is not forgotten:

The slide has begun.... ... yet another death watch...

First it was Terri Schiavo. Now meet Mae Magouirk, an 81 year old non-terminal woman, being deprived of nourishment via the disconnection of her feeding tube. Ms. Magouirk had a living will made out that provided for discontinuing use of a feeding tube should she be in a terminally ill or persistive vegetative state. Said Beth Gaddy, Mae's granddaughter (not even next of kin under Georgia law):

"I think it’s time she (her grandmother) goes home to Jesus, that’s she’s too sick and would not have a good quality of life,” Kenneth Mullinax said.

Thing about it is, Mrs. Magouirk was lucid upon admission to the hospital, yet fluids and nutrition have been denied her since March 28th. She was neither in a vegetative state, nor terminally ill.

Said WorldNetDaily:

The dehydration is being done in defiance of Magouirk's specific wishes, which she set down in a "living will," and without agreement of her closest living next-of-kin, two siblings and a nephew: A. Byron McLeod, 64, of Anniston, Ga.; Ruth Mullinax, 74, of Birmingham, Ala.; and Ruth Mullinax's son, Ken Mullinax.

Magouirk's husband and only child, a son, are both deceased.

In her living will, Magouirk stated that fluids and nourishment were to be withheld only if she were either comatose or "vegetative," and she is neither. Nor is she terminally ill, which is generally a requirement for admission to a hospice.

AND...

According to Mullinax, his aunt's local cardiologist in LaGrange, Dr. James Brennan, and Dr. Raed Agel, a highly acclaimed cardiologist at the nationally renowned University of Alabama-Birmingham Medical Center, determined that her aortic dissection is contained and not life-threatening at the moment.

Who will be the next among us to die a "death by convenience"?

BIG HAT TIP to Bogus Gold, The Night Writer, and Father Rob Johansen's Throwback.

*****UPDATE FROM Bogus Gold

Mae Magourik - Good News Update
From Blogs for Terri:


BREAKING NEWS: Mae is out of the hospice

Just received telephone call (3:00 PM ET) from Ken Mullinax, nephew of Mae.

Terri saves another life!

Followed by this email:
THANKS TO THE SUPPORT OF ALL OF THE FRIENDS OF TERRI, MY AUNT MAE MAGOUIRK HAS BEEN AIR LIFTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM MEDICAL CENTER ... and receiving IV fluids, nourishment and some of the finest medical care available in the United States! Praise be the name of the Lord GOD... Thanks to Terri's friends... It would NEVER ever have been possible without bloggers who love life , and the truth!! I am racing from my home to UAB now and will type a detailed update after I see my Aunt Mae! Thanks guys, your calls, emails, blogs and prayers did it ALL!!! I so love you guys!!!!!!!!!! Ken Mullinax, nephew of Mae

-End email

Perhaps there may be hope after all?

Avast there, scurvy dog!!!....

I'll be playin' a pirate at "This show this weekend!!  at the beautiful Paramount Theater in St. Cloud..... Looking forward to it!!!

Pot Screams at Kettle ...plank in DNC's eye ignored

As I have alluded in a previous posts, the democrats are trying their level-best to ensure that Tom Delay meets the same fate as did Trent Lott. In this Houston Chronicle story:

The Campaign For America's Future, a liberal advocacy group, plans to run ads in the Washington Times, which is widely read by Republicans in Congress, saying DeLay does not measure up to the ethical standards of Republican icons such as presidents Reagan and Eisenhower.

"Republican House members can't duck from DeLay much longer," said Toby Chaudhuri, communications director for the group. "They must decide whether they stand with DeLay or with decency."

It seems that the dems want to hold DeLay's feet to the fire for apparently playing cronyism with his wife and daughter.

But my oh my, it would appear that democrats have conveniently short memories; especially the senate minority leader:

THE SENATORS' SONS: PART TWO (1993)
In Nevada, Reid Is the Name to Know
Members of one lawmaker's family represent nearly every major industry in their home state. And their clients rely on his goodwill.

By Chuck Neubauer and Richard T. Cooper, Times Staff Writers

WASHINGTON — It was the kind of legislation that slips under the radar here.

The name alone made the eyes glaze over: "The Clark County Conservation of Public Land and Natural Resources Act of 2002." In a welter of technical jargon, it dealt with boundary shifts, land trades and other arcane matters — all in Nevada.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR THE RECORD
Lobbyists — A graphic accompanying an article in Monday's Section A on Nevada Sen. Harry Reid's lobbyist relatives incorrectly said that the University of Nevada at Reno paid $10,000 a month to the Lionel Sawyer & Collins law firm. In fact, the university paid the firm $40,000 in the last half of 2002, according to federal lobbyist reports.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


As he introduced it, Nevada's senior U.S. senator, Democrat Harry Reid, assured colleagues that his bill was a bipartisan measure to protect the environment and help the economy in America's fastest-growing state.

What Reid did not explain was that the bill promised a cavalcade of benefits to real estate developers, corporations and local institutions that were paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in lobbying fees to his sons' and son-in-law's firms, federal lobbyist reports show.

The Howard Hughes Corp. alone paid $300,000 to the tiny Washington consulting firm of son-in-law Steven Barringer to push a provision allowing the company to acquire 998 acres of federal land ripe for development in the exploding Las Vegas metropolitan area.

Barringer is listed in federal lobbyist reports as one of Hughes' representatives on the measure that his father-in-law introduced.

Other provisions were intended to benefit a real estate development headed by a senior partner in the Nevada law firm that employs all four of Reid's sons — by moving the right-of-way for a federal power-transmission line off his property and onto what had been protected federal wilderness.

The governments of three of Nevada's biggest cities — Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Henderson — also gained from the legislation, which freed up tens of thousands of acres of federal land for development and annexation. All three were represented by Reid's family members who contacted his staff on their clients' behalf.

The Clark County land bill, which was approved in a late-night session just before Congress recessed in October, reflects a new twist in an old game: These days, when corporations and other interests want to cement a vital relationship with someone in Congress, they're likely to reach out to hire a member of the family.

Reid said he supported the bill because it was good for Nevada — and not because it helped his family's clients. And when it comes to lobbying relatives, he said, he has plenty of company.

"Lots of people have children, wives and stuff that work back here," he said. "It is not as if a lot of cash is changing hands."

Seeking favors is as old as the Capitol, but the new tendency to come at it from the side — through family members — may be a consequence of campaign-finance reform: As restrictions have tightened on traditional political giving, interest groups have cast about for new ways to ingratiate themselves.

Nothing strikes quite such a personal note as channeling fees or lucrative jobs to relatives — whether the relatives lobby Congress or perform other services. There are no restrictions. Neither House nor Senate rules bar the practice.

At least 17 senators and 11 members of the House have children, spouses or other close relatives who lobby or work as consultants, most in Washington, according to lobbyist reports, financial-disclosure forms and other state and federal records. Many are paid by clients who count on the related lawmaker for support.

But Harry Reid is in a class by himself. One of his sons and his son-in-law lobby in Washington for companies, trade groups and municipalities seeking Reid's help in the Senate. A second son has lobbied in Nevada for some of those same interests, and a third has represented a couple of them as a litigator.

If Senator DeLay is going to be under the microscope, it would appear to be only fair that the Senate Minority Leader should be held up to a similar level of scrutiny. But when you're on a witch hunt, it would appear that petty issues such as fairness are irrelevant. As can be easily discerned from this website, when you are devoid of a positive message, and you can't win at the ballot box, I guess that the only thing left to do is attack, attack, attack.

Gremlins IV .... starring blogger

I haven't been able to post for the last 36 hours or so due to Blogger's servers being down... I think I need to take Market Power and Bogus Gold's lead and find a new hosting site...

AAAARRRGGHHHHH (Just practicing up for the show)....

Memo Mystery...solved?

Just moments ago, it was learned that a staffer (legal counsel) for Florida republican senatorMel Martinez admitted to writing the suspicious Schiavo "talking points" memo. Brian Darling, the staffer, immediately tendered his resignation which was accepted by Martinez. Martinez states that he never fully read the memo, but had shared it with Senator Tom Harkin as they were working together on the Schiavo case. According to this story:

(Martinez) said he had not read the one-page memo. He said he inadvertently passed it to Sen. Tom Harkin (news, bio, voting record) (D-Iowa), who had worked with him on the issue. After that, other Senate aides gave the memo to reporters for ABC News and The Washington Post.

Harkin said in an interview that Martinez handed him the memo on the Senate floor, in hopes of gaining his support for the bill giving federal courts jurisdiction in the Florida case in an effort to restore the Florida woman's feeding tube. "He said these were talking points -- something that we're working on here," Harkin said.

Powerline, specifically John Hinderacker (Hindrocket), who has been at the forefront of this story ever since it broke, had this to say just moments ago:

Assuming this is for real, it solves the mystery of where the "talking points memo" came from. It leaves open the question of why ABC and the Washington Post reported the memo the way they did. Mike Allen, the Post's reporter, has previously said that the memo came from a Democratic Senator who said he got it from a Republican Senator. That is consistent with the current AP account. But the story that Allen wrote with a Post colleague on March 19 is not consistent with the current version of the facts. On March 19, Allen wrote:

Republican officials declared, in a memo that was supposed to be seen only by senators, that they believe the Schiavo case "is a great political issue" that could pay dividends with Christian conservatives, whose support is essential in midterm elections such as those coming up in 2006.

A one-page memo, distributed to Republican senators by party leaders, said the debate over Schiavo would appeal to the party's base, or core, supporters. The memo singled out Sen. Bill Nelson (news, bio, voting record) (D-Fla.), who is up for reelection next year and is potentially vulnerable in a state President Bush won last year.

AND...

The latest story also confirms how absurd it was for ABC, the Post, and other news outlets to label the anonymous memo a "GOP talking points memo." We have no idea who the unidentified Martinez staffer is, but he apparently was not authorized to speak for his boss, and most certainly was not empowered to speak for the leadership of the Republican party. We'll try to track him down and get his story, but in the meantime, this story serves as an object lesson in how the mainstream media can take a dopey, one-page memo by an unknown staffer and use it to discredit the entire Republican party.

I was wrong in this instance with regard to my suspicion that the memo was authored by democrat operatives.. but the fact that the MSM from the beginning maintained that this was a party-wide and party-endorsed memo is spurious at best and fraudulent at worst. Although we may not see a flight of democrat operatives, there are still some MSM news editors who have some 'splainin' left to do.

MSM... better late than never?

The Washington Times has an article regarding the purported Schiavo Memo: Is the Schiavo Memo Faked? One of the things I find interesting in this story is the fact that there are many democrats who say up and down that the memo was passed around from republican to republican, but nobody can recall actually seeing it.

The Times surveyed all 44 Democrats and the chamber's one independent, and only one of them, Sen. Tom Harkin, Iowa Democrat, said through a spokeswoman that he saw it circulated on the Senate floor.
"He said that the memo was being circulated by Republican members on Thursday before we went out of session, and that is when he saw it," said his spokeswoman, Allison Dobson.

Interestingly enough,

Two Democratic offices refused to respond — Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat — the latter even as he continued to accuse Republicans of being behind it.
"We will not participate in the survey. News outlets have investigated and authenticated the memo was real and came from Republican sources. We have no further comment," said spokeswoman Tessa Hafen. "If you want more information on the memo, you should work on finding the Republican who wrote it."
She did not respond to a request to name the newspaper or network that had "authenticated" the memorandum.

It seems ever since these guys started asking questions, I have yet to see a shred of evidence that it was actually put out by any republican staffers....

Yet, dear readers, tall-tale legends of the elusive origins of this memo live on, even if only in the minds of wishful thinking opportunists:

Joe Shoemaker, a spokesman for Senate Minority Whip Richard J. Durbin, Illinois Democrat, said in several conversations over three days that his boss saw the memo on the floor.
Asked independently, however, Mr. Durbin said he never saw it.
"No, I did not see it," he said. "I heard about it reported on the news."
Asked about the discrepancy, Mr. Shoemaker later said that the senator's floor staff thought he had seen it. The staffers saw a "gaggle" of senators standing around discussing a document during floor debate, and Mr. Durbin walked over to them.

A "gaggle" of senators? After the truth of this finally comes out in the wash, my guess is that we will likely be seeing a "flight" of democrat operatives and MSM news editors.

A tale of two web sites... ..the best of visions, the worst of visions.

RNC.org:

Morning Reads
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove says, "Private accounts must be part of any permanent Social Security fix ... expressing optimism Congress will end a partisan standoff and pass such a measure this year," according to a Bloomberg report....

Meanwhile, in a parallel universe:

DNC.org:


Meet Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX), the man Republicans have chosen as their Majority Leader in the House of Representatives.

Tom DeLay is at the center of a bewildering array of investigations into corruption, abuse of power, and ethics violations.

Learn more in our DNC Special Report...

Meanwhile, back in the GOP parallel universe:

Rising Tide
We will be devoting our time and resources to doing everything we can to enact the President’s agenda. Our election victory was first and foremost a victory of ideas. American voters sent a clear message—they voted for the programs and policies set out by the President during the campaign, and voted for Republicans in Congress so they could get that agenda passed. But, President Bush, Speaker Dennis Hastert(R-IL) and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) cannot accomplish this mission alone. They need our help once again.

Again, to the DNC parallel universe:

The Bush Budget Disaster

Ordinary Americans are facing severe cuts if George Bush's new budget becomes law. Bush plans devastating cuts to America's top priorities, from homeland security to health care to education to benefits for veterans and much more. Despite these cuts, this budget is a fiscal disaster, with Bush's trademark irresponsibility pushing America deeper into the red with another record deficit.

How does the Bush budget disaster affect your state? Choose your state below to find out.(drop down menu)

Meanwhile, back in the RNC's parallel universe:

Chairman Mehlman
Ken Mehlman has served as Chairman of the Republican National Committee since January 2005 and when he was elected presented four goals for his term as Chairman: Enact and articulate our reform agenda; Deepen and broaden the GOP so we’re growing our party; Work to elect the best candidates in 2005, 2006 and 2008; and, Institutionalize the grassroots focus.

Yet again, back in the DNC parallel universe:

The Republicans' risky plan to privatize Social Security will cut guaranteed benefits, require borrowing trillions of dollars from foreign countries like China and Japan, and turn our Social Security money over the same type of people that gave us the financial scandals of Enron, Global Crossing, and Tyco.

The American people have figured out that this will not benefit them - only 1/3 of them support what the President is trying to do.

The message is simple - you can't trust Republicans with your money. We need to stay strong on that message.

Is anybody else recognizing a pattern here? In one parallel universe you have a positive upbeat message with a vision. In the other, vitriolic hyperbole. In one parallel universe, you see an agenda driven on ideas. In the other, an agenda driven on acrimony and division, with no accompanying clear vision other than to protect the status quo. In one parallel universe you have those who dare to dream. In the other, a den of as-if xenophobic naysayers, intent on stagnation for no other logical reason than out of spite. Not that I'm shedding any tears over this, mind you. The more the moveon.ogres and the current DNC leadership maintain their tantrum that they've been throwing since November of 2000, the more likely the GOP is to maintain their majorities in both houses and the presidency.

The Clinton Legacy?

Bill Clinton has spent the past few years looking for his legacy. I think we may have found it:

CHICAGO (Reuters) - One in five U.S. teenagers say they have engaged in oral sex, an activity that some adolescents view as not sex at all and certainly less risky than intercourse, a report released Monday said.

The survey of 580 children with a mean age of 14-1/2 found 20 percent said they had engaged in oral sex, compared to 14 percent who said they had engaged in sexual intercourse.

In addition, one-third of the multi-ethnic 9th graders surveyed said they intended to have oral sex within the next six months and nearly one-fourth planned to have intercourse during the period. It was more common for boys to have performed oral sex on girls than vice versa, the report said.

Previous studies and numerous campaigns aimed at deterring teenaged sex have focused on intercourse, but as many as half of adolescents experience oral sex first, the report said.

The risk of transmitting infections, including HIV, is significantly less with oral sex than with intercourse but is likely underestimated by teenagers, said the report in the journal Pediatrics.

.

After all, Bill Clinton said, "I did not have sex with that woman".

From a 1998 study involving college students:

This study was conducted in March, 1998. On January 26, 1998, President Clinton addressed the nation to quell rumors that he had had an affair with Monica Lewinsky, a White House intern. In a much-quoted statement, he said, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman" (Shogren, Willman, & Cooper, 1998). By August, the press had reported details of the President's relationship with Ms. Lewinsky (Baker & Hams, 1998), including the fact that the two had engaged in oral sex (Broder, 1998; Janofsky & Van Natta, 1998). The national debate that arose as to whether oral sex was sex, and whether the President had been telling the truth when he denied having a sexual relationship with Ms. Lewinsky (Fisher, 1998; Kuczynski, 1998), received media attention in late 1998, when the President's lawyers argued that he did not perjure himself when he denied having a sexual relationship with Ms. Lewinsky because having oral sex does not constitute a sexual relationship (Gerstenzang & Shogren, 1998).(emphasis mine)

They found:

Not surprisingly, vaginal and anal intercourse were rated as more likely than oral intercourse to be considered sex. This finding is consistent with the results of Sanders and Reinisch (1999)

.

So Kennedy had the Cuban Missile Crisis; Reagan had the fall of communism; Carter, the Middle East peace agreements; Bush I & II war leadership; and Clinton? The Lewinsky.

No wonder this guy liked Clinton so much.

A battle rages on ...for the heart and soul of the DNC

An interesting article in today's Washington Times outlines a battle developing between the far-left wing leadership of the democrat party and the more centrist-leaning Democrat Leadership Council. The Democrat Leadership Council, the likes of whom endorsed Joe Lieberman for president, and the ones mainly behind the successes experienced in 1992 and 1996, said:

"To win back the White House in 2008, our party must change. We must be willing to discard political strategies that may make us feel good but that keep falling short. We must finally reject the false choice between exciting our base and expanding our appeal, because unless we both motivate and persuade, we'll lose every time," said DLC founder Al From and President Bruce Reed in a new manifesto for their party.

Considering that the democrats won handily in both 1992 and in 1996 by campaigning toward the center, this could be considered sage advice. But it would appear that the Daily Kos and other Move-on.orgres (pun intended) have taken Bill Clinton's definition of insanity to heart and will do the same thing over and over again until they get it right. From Democrat blog Swarm:

Steve Gilliard on the DLC (Democratic Leadership Council):

Al From: shut the f*ck up (edit mine)
Since everyone is going on about the DLC, I think I have the shortest essay possible on the subject.

They are losers. Al From is the political descendent of Pierre Laval.

Their 2002 was a disaster, and they backed the always pathetic Joe Lieberman for President, like he would have won one state.

So exactly why should we listen to them?

It's no longer 1992 and that's a long-ass losing record. They've been losing since 1994, so why the fuck do they think they have anything to bring to the table now?

[...]

I'll say this; there are no good folks at the DLC. Any more than there were kind people working for Petain. Unless they want to upend the organization, why are they still there?

F*ck these people. They're losers, big time losers and they act like they're the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1979. Al From is all too willing to betray the core principles of the Democratic Party because it doesn't make him a kingmaker anymore. If From wasn't an asshole, and his presence on the Journal's pages, or did he forget how Bob Bartley lied about Vince Foster, only proves it.

Look, the fact is that the Democratic Party is changing and the days of kingmakers like From is coming to an end. Howard Dean's candidacy for DNC chair should be like a slap in the face. Dean is hardly popular with the insiders, but the fact is Dean comes into the game with the most cards, including popular support. Al From couldn't get arrested in a Meetup. The fact that people care who the DNC chair is should matter. Vichyites like From represent no one but themselves. The fact that they think people still care about their opinions is amazing.

And it all boils down to this: they're losers.

Well, one could say that Gore and Kerry weren't exactly winners. On this last election, the DNC moved further left than they have in years, with all their attack poodles at the fore, and, even though they won't admit it they lost big. Their solution? Go even MORE to the left:

As for the DLC, it's time to euthanize the organization (ed note: with events as of late, somehow that statement doesn't surprise me). Whatever role it may have played is spent. As of now, it's the single most divisive Dem-affiliated organization, refusing to play nice with others even in these desperate ABB times. As such, it deserves nothing but exclusion and ridicule.

There are relative voices of reason in the DNC. Said Leon Panetta,

"I think the party of Roosevelt became the party of Michael Moore and Fahrenheit 9/11," said Panetta, the former chief of staff to President Clinton and head of the Panetta Institute. "There will be a real push to move the party more to the left and that would be a serious mistake because that's not where the country is.

At least 62,000,000 Americans agree with Panetta. Regardless, that particular fact continues to be lost on the moveon.ogres. Judging by William Jefferson Clinton's definition of insanity, the only thing left to do is order a heck of a lot of these and reserve the losers corner of the political ring for another 20 years. The upshot of it is, should this status quo continue, at the very least this party will have an easier go of it, and the entertainment value of it all will be inestimable. Go KOS!!!

Another Contributor Added to the Ranks Please welcome Natalie!

I'd like to extend a warm welcome to our newest contributor, Natalie. Natalie, among many things, is a master in martial arts. She hails from Detroit, Michigan. Natalie has a keen eye on issues, and her writing will blow you away. I look forward to seeing Natalie's contributions here at the Palace!

A Man of the times who remained steadfast in the truth.

Pope John Paul II has now entered the final chapter of his life with grace and dignity. I am humbled, and amazed, and saddened. But most of all, I have a great sense of hope and encouragement.

Pope John Paul II, despite the permissive and secularly-centered culture of the world of the past 27 years, remained steadfast in maintaining the truths and doctrines of the Catholic church. After storm upon storm of criticism heaped upon him from both catholic and non catholics, regarding abortion, euthanasia, marriage of priests, birth control, and gay marriage, the Pope remained unwavering to the Catholic Church and its teachings. After all, ultimate truth is ultimate truth. Truth itself is unwavering. The Pope also taught humility in acknowledging the shortcomings of the Church, specifically regarding the issue of the sexual abuse scandals that have rocked the Church in the past 20 years.

But what gives me hope and encouragement, dear readers, despite his unpopular stances on the above issues, the Pope remained the best-loved and most highly revered public figure on the world scene. I cannot say for sure, but I believe that in today's secular, no-holds barred, anything-goes society, people long for guidance. Like most children instinctively know (although they may express otherwise), a sense of limits and boundaries borne of love helps them to feel secure in their world. A firm, loving parent who sets boundaries is at once loved and respected by the child, despite the child's innate tendency to rebel. The child in his or her heart of hearts knows what the parent says to be true, and internally accepts it. A sense of being loved and cared for also emanates from that structure.

The Pope, dear readers, was that loving, authoritative parent, and provided structure, to which although we often rebelled against, nonetheless provided the same structure and sense of being loved which every human desires and needs.

We have been truly blessed these past 27 years. May God bless us with an equally steadfast successor.

Maybe I'll break a leg...

I'll be gone much of the day as I'll be singing my heart out at our preshow in Kimball, Minnesota. Although it starts at 7:30pm, I'll be spending much of the day putting finishing touches on my pirate costume and I need to be at practice at 3:00p. I'm looking forward to it. I'll be back around midnight tonight. Have a good day!

...It is...finished

As Terri Schiavo breathed her last, a new era was ushered in. No longer can the most vulnerable among us count on the law to protect even our most basic human rights. They say that the political world is filled with voters with very short memories. But I tend to think that the plight of Terri Schiavo will not be forgotten. Those who see the real life and death issues that this case exemplifies, those who see right through the abuses of the courts in overlooking extenuating circumstances and in the process denying a vulnerable woman her civil rights, will remember Terri Schiavo as they file in the voting booths.

But most of all, dear readers, we have have had a rare inward, no-holds-barred glimpse into the collective psyche of those who partake in the culture of death. Their collective Dorian Gray-like countenance came down from the attic in a rare command appearance, and displayed its true ugliness. I have pointed out the vast similarities between the agenda of the culture of death and the agenda of the world's infamous despotic regimes. We see proponents of this agenda, with a godlike complex in none other than Michael Schiavo's attorney:

Felos illustrates this power in his own life by describing an incident while on a plane during a time when he was engaged in a “right-to-die” case and had become very involved in the hospice movement. He pondered, “I wonder what it would be like to die right now?” and “indulged the thought by imagining the plane starting to lose it trajectory and descend.” The plane did, creating chaos in the cabin as people began to realize the plane was going to crash. “Needless to say, the juxtaposition of my imagined death and the possibility of a real demise heightened for me my different reactions. I assure you, my hubris in assuming that I would meet a life-ending crash with equanimity was not lost on me.” (181-182) The pilot later explained to the passengers that there was an unexplained problem with the auto pilot which caused the momentary descent. “At that instant a clear, distinctly independent and slightly stern voice said to me, ‘Be careful what you think. You are more powerful than you realize.’ In quick succession I was startled, humbled and blessed by God’s admonishment.” (182)

The fact that this absolutely insane scheister was given deference to practice law in the case of a dying woman; the fact that Terri Schiavo was never represented by her own attorney; the fact that all of the extenuating circumstances were ignored by the powers that be, suggests that an underlying evil is at work. If nothing else, the case of Terri Schiavo, as in so many times in our world's history, has once more placed us face-to-face with evil. The question is, how much longer are we as a society going to be complacent before it is recognized as such, and the courage is mustered to deal with it?

***UPDATE***

It would appear that the Republicans in Congress are beginning to heed the clarion call of a frustrated electorate, and are responding to it:

Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., said Schiavo not only was a daughter and a sister but "most importantly, an innocent person was penalized by a court system that grants convicted murderers fair treatment under the law, but not a woman whose only crime was not filing a living will."

He added: "The actions on the part of the Florida court and the U.S. Supreme Court are unconscionable. In California, Scott Peterson, a convicted murderer, was sentenced to death, yet his constitutional rights were upheld to ensure that he received due process and fair consideration in court. Terri Schiavo was given a death sentence, and passed away without the right to due process."

In a later conference call with reporters, Santorum said the courts had practiced nothing less than "judicial tyranny" in this case and took aim at those who say Congress overstepped its bounds.

"[This is] routinely done by the courts — deciding they are now a super-legislature," Santorum said. "I'm not sure if the press realizes how serious this conflict is between the branches of government and how gravely concerned members of Congress are with [the] kinds of judicial tyranny we've seen. ...

Said Tom Delay,

"This loss happened because our legal system did not protect the people who need protection most, and that will change," House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (search) said Thursday after receiving news of Schiavo's death.

"The time will come for the men responsible for this to answer for their behavior, but not today. Today we grieve, we pray, and we hope to God this fate never befalls another."

Said Bill Sammon, a Fox correspondent and writer for the Washington Times:

"This is almost a declaration of war from conservatives against the judiciary,"

But war had long ago been declared, dear readers, by the activist judiciary against the wishes of the electorate, ever since the left has relied on the unelected and unaccountable activist judiciary to push their agenda. The Terri Schiavo case was merely the last salvo fired over the bow of the conservative electorate, and they, through their elected representation, are finally responding. A balance of power again needs to be asserted to bring down the judicial oligarchy and restore America to three co-equal branches of government. It is my fervent hope that Delay, Santorum, and others who realize the gravity of this situation will continue to press this issue and make restoring the balance of power between the branches of government a priority.

Conflicting Reports on the Pope's health

From the Drudge Report:

Italian media gave contradictory reports about Pope John Paul's vital signs on Friday, first saying his heart and brain activity had stopped and then reporting this was not true... Developing...

****UPDATE*****

Fox News has more info..