..........what it is, is politics!!!

In 1993, Bill Clinton replaced George H.W. Bush's prosecutors. In 2001, George W. Bush replaced Clinton's prosecutors. None of this is remotely unusual. Indeed, it's how the process is designed. It is standard operating procedure for an incoming president of an incoming party to change personnel, including U.S. Attorneys. No news there. Every incoming president has done it, although the Republicans screamed like a smashed cat (sorry kitty) when Clinton did it at the beginning of his term. What is news is that Bush changed personnel when there was no change of president or party, and did so with the new wrinkle thanks to Arlen Specter and the Patriot Act. Senate confirmation now would not be necessary. The president was able to remove attorneys who didn't alter their docket to prosecute Democrats, or who didn't alter their dockets to delay prosecuting Republicans, or who successfully prosecuted a Republican like "Duke" Cunningham. Was US Attorney Carol Lam bearing down on the White House? Was U.S. Attorney Carol Lam onto Cheney and his staff when they fired her? Try this on for size:

- Washington, D.C. defense contractor Mithell Wade pled guilty last February to paying then - California Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham more than $1 million in bribes.

- Wade's company, MZM, Inc. received its first federal contract from the White House. The contract, which ran from July 15 to August 15, 2002, stipulated that Wade be paid $140,000 to "provide office furniture and computers for Vice President Dick Cheney."

- Two weeks later, on August 30, 2002, Wade purchased a yacht for $140,000 for Duke Cunningham. The boat's name was later changed to the "Duke-Stir."

- According to Cunningham's sentencing memorandum, the purchase price of the boat had been negotiated through a third-party earlier that summer, around the same time the White House contract was signed.

- The real target in Attorneygate was Carol Lam. All the other firings are a smokescreen.

But of course this is not about lying. It's about politics. George Bush announced in a special news conference that, "Members of Congress now face a choice: wheather they will waste time and provoke an unnecessary confrontation, or wheather they will join us in working to do the people's business." Apparently "the people's business" should be more used like this: back in the mid-1990's, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, aggressively delving into alleged misconduct by the Clinton administration, logged some 140 hours of sworn testimony into wheather former president Bill Clinton had used the White House Christmas card list to identify potential Democratic donors.

You've no doubt heard of the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance). Whenever a new Republican scandal washes ashore, the Five Stages of Republican Response are:

1. Ignoring

2. Belittling

3. Blaming the Liberal Media

4. Evoking Bill Clinton

5. Create a Smokescreen

These stages don't necessarily have to progress in order, or even one stage at a time.

Last, but certainly not least, here are a couple of Friday funnies.......

"Alberto Gonzales is still fighting for his life. President Bush said this week that Gonzales has his full support, and he has no plans to fire him. Of course, he made that statement in front of a big sign that said 'Adios Amigo.'" --Bill Maher

"In what he called an emotional return to Congress, Al Gore testified before a House committee that climate change poses a crisis that threatens civilization. Then he hung around in the parking lot and told people he used to go here." --Seth Myers

In a bold attempt to end the controversy over the sacking of eight U.S. attorneys, President George W. Bush today offered the fired prosecutors what he called "exciting new positions" in Iraq. With the President facing pressure from Congress over the firing of attorneys and funding for the continuing war effort, Mr. Bush told reporters at the White House that sending the "surge" of eight U.S. attorneys to Baghdad was a "win-win" solution to both problems. This attorney surge would send a strong message to insurgents and terrorists that they can no longer take the law into their own hands.

..........what it is, is politics. It doesn't matter which team is "at bat", there will be controversy, there will be wrongdoings, and there will be satire. I tend to vote Democrat here in NC with the state and local elections - I work for the state, and the Dems offer my family and career the most. My wife's grandfather was a member of the NC House for twelve years, and I would have to say that is part of it, too. I respected the work he did greatly as a lawmaker and conservationist of the Yadkin River. I am also a member of the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE), which makes due process for the dismissal of teachers (both the good ones and the bad ones) possible and fair. I watch way too much news (MSNBC, NBC, FOX, CNN) for my own good. I like to think of myself as one who listens to both sides of an argument, and I refuse to be put into the "sheeple" category of blind political party allegiance. I really like the Star Wars Saga. Don't take the satire too serious. In fact, I really hope that I don't offend anyone badly. In many cases, controversy alone breeds thought. I never miss the opportunity to vote. As an American, my ability to exercise free speech depends on voting. I wish all of you the best for the coming weekend.

..........Uncle Sam is the man!!!

The Democrat Congress messed-up with the whole spending bill attached to a definite withdrawl of troops thing. The Congress says they want to see an end to the war and a timeline for the troops to come home. This is definitely a top priority for my way of thinking. This war has been an endless string of miscalculations, mismangagement, and outright lies. "Mistakes were made" is not being accountable for all that has happened. We're in this thing now; and, just like the Vietnam War, there is no end in sight. You can rally around the political party, the president, and patriotism; but, the result will still be the same - some of the very best America has to offer will be killed, many will have permanent physical disabilites, and all who serve will have emotional problems for the rest of their lives. What will we have to show for it? The Glenn Beck's, Dick Cheney's, Don Rumsfeld's, etc., etc. will tell us that we have to kill them before they kill us. Are we just going to abandon all negotiation in the Middle East? We already have. We stay in Iraq because we have created a mess that the governments of the world will frown on for decades. Now, to my real point. Listen to the numbers of soldiers who are dying while serving their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th tours of duty. At some point, the odds go aganist the soldier. They volunteer out of bravery and patriotism. With continued deployments, we take away the chance for them to get back home to their families and the ability to lead a normal life someday. War is hell!!! How much longer can we keep the fight going with the same people? The Congress dropped the ball with the spending/funding the war bill. What they should spend their time doing is a bill to bring back the Military Draft. If we are to win, it will take large numbers of troops. If we are to have our military survive, it will take large numbers of troops. If America truly believes in the mission, then everyone should be obilgated to serve. My gosh, we are in the fifth year of this war! If there is a true support for our leadership in America, there should be less re-deployments of troops and more soldiers joining the fight. Bring back the draft and let's win this thing!!!

..........Friday funnies!!!

"The Democrats are trying to turn these firings of U.S. attorneys into a partisan issue, but the president is above bickering. In fact, he made a generous peace offering. Karl Rove and Harriet Miers would submit to private interviews, but 'they would not take oaths nor would a transcript be made available.' See, the president is just trying to save this country from another painful perjury trial." ----Stephen Colbert

"Some Republicans in Washington are looking for a replacement for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, but apparently, they need to find an experienced legal mind that President Bush is comfortable with. As a result, the number one candidate is Judge Judy." ----Stephen Colbert

"We've had unseasonably warm weather here in Los Angeles. Today, I was sweating like Newt Gengrich watching 'Cheaters'". ----Jay Leno

"It's March Madness. I know people go crazy for this. It's that time of the year when college basketball teams are eliminated faster than U.S. attorneys." ----Bill Maher

"Hooters announced it's opening up its first restaurant in the Holy Land. Upon hearing this, Bill Clinton said, 'As far as I'm concerned, Hooters is the Holy Land.'" ----Conan O'Brien

"According to some new recently declassifed documents, Iraq pretended to have weapons of mass destruction to prevent themselves from being attacked. Well, that plan worked well." ----Jay Leno

"This month marked the fourth anniversary of the war in Iraq. When asked about it, President Bush said, 'See, and people said it would never last.'" ----Conan O'Brien

"Khalid Shaikh Mohammed confessed to being the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks. he also said he planned 29 other attacks. Because of this, they said he could lose his New York City taxi cab driver license." ----Jay Leno

And last, a statement made by Storm Trooper of the Reich Wing, Rush Limbaugh. He stated this on his radio show concerning Valerie Plame..............."I have to tell you something , folks. After all is said and done, I, frankly, don't care. This woman is a babe. this woman is a babe, and if she weren't married, I don't care what she's done or what her political affiliation is, I'd be throwing my hat in the ring."

Have a great Friday!!!

..........here's where it all began.

The old one-room school house was the start of public education in America. This is a picture of a school house in Sacramento, CA. As a career teacher, I often think of the many challenges of public education today as compared to the old days. There have always been struggles with the task of educating the American people. We hail from many different cultural backgrounds and the value of an education vary greatly. The value of an education has always been in question. Without a doubt, knowledge is power. Knowledge of how our government was formed and how it operates, the social situations within our country and other countries, mathematics, science, communication and language skills, physical health, geography, and the arts, are all part of our lives each and every day. Public education attempts to cover these things in a most basic and in some cases, advanced offering of information. Education is an offering to the people of America. Many citizens question the effectiveness of our public education system - I am among them. Why all the questions? There are many variations in what citizens view as important. Politics and religion play a huge role in public education offerings and delivery to the students. Accountability has become the issue of our times in education. How do we obtain accountability? Yes, we test the socks off the kids! Just this morning, I looked over our testing calendar for the rest of the school year. The month of February had five tests given, March will have three, April will have six, and May will have twelve. Believe it or not, we do have a few days built into the calendar to teach! We have allowed ourselves to be put into the position of the system managing us rather that the opposite. The politicians, administrators, and citizens (to some degree), take the scores along with all the variables of race, etc. and tell the teachers what is necessary to teach. So, armed with that "expert" analysis, we the teachers, teach the students what is necessary to do well on the tests. I don't see this as valuable education. If a school has low scores, a group of "educators" decend upon the school to fix the problems. If the problems are not fixed, the teachers and sometimes, the principals will be removed and replaced with more competent individuals. So why is there such a problem? To begin with, who do we take our cue from in determining what is important for our kids to know? Do we listen to the administrators who have been out of the classroom for ten or more years? Do we listen to the politicians? Do we listen to the college professors? Do we listen to the business leaders? Should we require all students to learn the same things, or should we take into account the variables of personality, career interests, community needs, or parental suggestions? Do we believe that all children can learn if challenged? Do we believe that all children come into the school ready and willing to learn? Are there problems at home and within the family unit that leave the child defeated before education can begin? Do we take into account that many American homes simply don't stress the importance of education? When I grew up, education was highly valued by my parents. The thought of dropping out of high school never entered my mind as a result of my parents' guidance. The average percentage of graduation from high school in America is only 75%. How can that be in this great nation of knowledge and wealth? I will stand on my afore given reason of the value of an education. If something is valued, it will rate the necessary attention. Public education has many obstacles. Higher standards are not the answer. No Child Left Behind, in its present state, is not the answer. To put out the fire, you must attack it at its source. The American family must buy into the fact that education is important. When the value of knowledge is important, parents will encourage their children to learn and education will become a priority. Let's get back to the political part of education. It won't be popular for politicians to attack the apathetic American family unit; in fact, it would cost someone many votes in the next election. The answer is simple, attack the public education system - we're an easy target. I enjoy teaching and sharing knowledge with my students. Standards become harder to maintain every year. Being a teacher is more than a job. We fill many voids in the lives of our students, and from that come many personal rewards. To see a child succeed is an amazing feeling. I'm proud to be a teacher. I'm often frustrated with being a teacher. I know the public thinks little of my contributions; but, I have the satisfaction of seeing the thousands of successful members of our society that have become successful as a result of their public education. Seventy-five percent graduation rates are far from acceptable. Within that 75% are some outstanding people - people who will succeed, help our country maintain, and lead us. There is good in our education system. (This post is in retaliation for that short one yesterday.)

..........here's a little picture fun.

We, here at BOTEITG do not advocate the punishment of your children outside of North Carolina in this way! Finally, the highway department tells us the truth about their activities! This may be my shortest post - and the readers burst into thunderous appaluse!

..........things you should know.

Information is the key to making good decisions. I'm getting tired of the political posts; even with the great topics out there. We could go on all day about that recent Hillary slur video. I loved it, and I could see her in that respect. It's a shame that the Obama campaign can't take credit for it. Okay, I'm getting off track. Here are some things you should know..............


1. The word "queue" is the only word in the English language that is still pronounced the same way when the last four letters are removed.
2. Beetles taste like apples, wasps like pine nuts, and worms taste like fried bacon.
3. Of all the words in the English language, the word "set" has the most definitions!
4. "Almost" is the longest word in the English language with all the letters in alphbetical order.
5. "Rhythm" is the longest word in the English language that lacks vowels.
6. Human thigh bones are stronger than concrete.
7. You can't kill yourself by holding your breath.
8. There is a city called Rome on every continent.
9. Your heart beats over 100,000 times each day.
10. Horatio Nelson, one of England's most illustrious admirals, was throughout his life, never able to find a cure for his sea-sickness.
11. Right-handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people.
12 The elephant is the only mammal that can't jump.
13. Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different.
14. Fingernails grow nearly four times faster than toenails.
15. Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
16. Adolf Hitler was a vegetarian, and had only one testicle.
17. Honey is the only food that does not spoil. Honey found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs has been tasted by archaeologists and found to be edible.
18.Months that begin on a Sunday will always have a "Friday the 13th".
19. Coca-Cola would be green if colouring was not added.
20. More people are each year from bees than from snakes.
21. The average lead pencil will draw a line that is 35 miles long or write approximately 50,000 English words.
22. Camels have three eyelids to protect themselves from blowing sand.
23. The placement of a donkey's eyes in its' head enables it to see all four feet at once.
24. Earth is the only planet not named after a god.
25. Dolphins sleep with one eye open.
26. It is impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
27. The longest recorded flight by a chicken is 13 seconds.
28. Owls are the only birds that can see the colour blue.
29. The average person laughs 10 times each day.
30. An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.

..........Rudi's Ex-wives march on Washington, D.C.!!!

In a dramatic display of political strength in numbers, an organization comprising the ex-wives of Republican presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani marched on Washington, D.C. today, demanding that their thousands of voices be heard. The organization, which calls itself Focus on the Ex-Family, claims 300,000 former wives of the former New York City mayor as its members. They marched from the Capitol building to the White House in one of the largest political demonstrations in recent memory. For some time, Rudolph Giuliani has been thought of as "America's Mayor." This march on Washington shows that he is "America's Ex-husband," too.

In other news, Darth Cheney has been taking some hits for his "possible" involvement in the whole Scooter Libby trial. It's about time for another "distraction" to take away any more bad news. Whatever it will end up being, something will happen soon to distract the "sheeple" of the United States from the facts. Maybe we could dig up Anna Nicole, and claim that her baby's father is John Edwards??? No, that won't work - remember, Anne Coulter said he is a "faggot." I know, lets fire some generals for mismanagement of Walter Reed Hospital. Yes, that should distract the people. Quick, get our boys at FOX on the line............

In other realted news from the Dark Side of the Force, Halliburton moved to Dubai (....is that pronounced, "Dubya"?), because the billions in cash they stole from Iraq is already there in bank accounts. This way, they can keep a better eye on the $$$$$; and keep those "liberals" from finding out. They also know that when Bush leaves office, they would then be charged with criminal war profiteering if their main office remained in Texas. Darth Cheney's stock portfolio gets another boost. That will help get rid of that little rain cloud.

..........will ethanol make the difference for America?

The question is not "will ethanol make a difference", it actually already has made a difference. President Bush's recent visit to Brazil has drawn more attention to the use of ethanol to power our vehicles here in the U.S. Brazil uses 100% ethanol in their vehicles! Many Americans have screamed, "why can't we do that - we can grow corn better than anyone in the world"! Brazil doesn't even come close to using the amount of fuel for vehicles that we do here in the U.S.; but, we are trying to make a difference here in America by adopting the ethanol technology for our own use. In 2006 we produced between 4-5 billion gallons of ethanol in the U.S. Ethanol production created 153,725 new jobs, and boosted the U.S. economy by 5.7 billion dollars. Last year, we used 12% of our corn crop for ethanol production and cut the nation's consumption of gas by 2.8%. That doesn't sound like a big hit on our consuption; but, we have to understand that 2.8% means millions of gallons of oil that we didn't have to import. Ethanol production is very economical when corn prices are low. In true American fashion, we shoot ourselves in the foot when we allow the price of corn to go from $2/bushel at the beginning of 2006 to $4/bushel by year's end - the reason for the increase - ethanol manufacturing demand. We just can't help ourselves out and be satisfied with a decent profit - we have to allow greed and quick money steer our markets. We still eat and feed our cattle most of the corn produced in America. With every 4 billion gallons of ethanol produced, we are able to import 47 million less barrels of oil each year!!!! Wow, what a difference a little corn liquor makes! It almost makes an average person like myself question why those gas prices keep going up??? Sure, it's the oil companies importing less and selling for more. Ethanol in Brazil is 100% pure stuff. Here in the U.S, we use E85. That means that 85% of the ethanol mixture you put into your tank is grain alcohol, but enriched with 15% gasoline. Is E85 available everywhere? No, it is not. In fact, it is pretty hard to find in many areas of the U.S. There are currently 113 ethanol producing plants in the U.S., with another 78 presently being built. Hopefully, ethanol will be easier to find in the near future. Ethanol has several positive benefits. Ethanol helps absorb moisture in a fuel system and helps prevent frozen fuel lines. It increases the octane rating of gasoline, which makes it actually burn a little cooler. Ethanol dramatically redues carbon monoxide tailpipe emissions. Those tailpipe emissions are responsible for about 20% of the smog created in the U.S. each year. There are a couple of bad things about ethanol. You can't pump it through a pipeline and it does reduce gas mileage an average of 2% in fuel injected vehicles. The other bad thing about ethanol use in America right now is the fact that we import almost as much as we make. That makes us dependant on someone else for the product. We import this ethanol from Brazil - currently our "good buddy". Didn't the same thing happen with the Middle East? Good friends in the beginning - bitter enemies in the end. That's our way of doing things. Will we ever learn? Not likely. And how about those oil companies? They are still sticking us with the gas prices to counteract the ethanol production and will continue to do so. As stated before, with the increase in demand for corn from the ethanol producers, corn has doubled in price in one year alone! That increase is going to show up in your corn flakes, etc. Our desire to make a quick buck in Big Business America will still keep the little guy down. Alternatives for less dependence on foreign oil has been there for years and years. Big business has kept its use limited to us and will continue to do so. A gallon of Regular gas today here in northwestern N.C is $2.58/gallon, and is quickly on the rise for the upcoming Easter holiday!!! It's frustrating to an average, hard working, middle class American like myself. The Dark Side of the Force will continue to reign on fuel prices!!!

..........back to some Friday Funnies.

We'll begin our Friday Funnies segment with a family photograph. Look at the family patriarch on the far right. Expressions speak much louder than actual words - he's just happy to have the whole clan together again!

"Presidential experts say Hillary Clinton will soon form a presidential exploratory committee. Actually, that's not new. She's formed presidential exploratory committees before.....when trying to find her husband." --Jay Leno

"Political experts are not saying that to win the presidency in 2008 a candidate has to get hot at just the right time. After hearing this, Bill Clinton said, 'Hillary's doomed'". --Conan O'Brien

"Hillary says she has gotten hundreds of calls telling her to go out on the road and campaign for the next two years. And that's just from her husband, Bill." --Jay Leno

"Senator Hillary Clinton was asked about President Bush and she said, 'I'm not going to believe this president again.' Yeah, Hillary said, to be fair, I stopped believing presidents ten years ago. Apparently she had a bad experience." --Conan O'Brien

"Hillary Clinton's campaign wants Barack Obama to publicly renounce Hollywood producer David Geffen's statement attacking the Clintons....Geffen said, 'I know everyone in politics has to lie, but the Clintons do it with such ease, it's troubling.' I think that's an unfair statement. Just because you're really good at something doesn't mean it's easy." --Jay Leno

"This week at a fashion show in Rome, a line of dresses were introduced that feature huge pictures of Hillary Clinton's face. When he heard of this, Bill Clinton said, 'Finally, Hillary's face on another woman's body.'" --Conan O'Brien

"Politics is a dirty business. hillary Clinton announced she's running for president, and the Republicans are already busy digging up dirt. They found that once in her lifetime, she slept with Bill Clinton." --David Letterman

"At the national portrait gallery in Washington, D.C. new portraits were unveiled of former President Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton. The Smithsonian said that the portraits of Bill and Hillary will not hang in the same room. Boy, talk about art reflecting life." --Jay Leno

"I'm surprised they did a portrait of Hillary. I thought maybe an ice sculpture would have been more appropriate," --Jay Leno

Have a great weekend!

..........okay, I couldn't resist.

First of all, you're a grown man and you allow people to call you "Scooter"? Have you no personal pride whatsoever? Here's how the whole Scooter Libby story transpired.......Federal officials began an investigation in December 2003 into how the identity of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame was divulged to reporters in the weeks before Robert Novak named her in a July 14, 2003 column. Libby was not charged with the initial information leak. Novak attributed his information to "two senior administration officials", who were later identified as President Bush's political adviser, Karl Rove, and the Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage. Neither of these individuals testified in Libby's trial. Valerie Plame's husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, had openly questioned part of Bush's basis for invading Iraq. He wrote a highly controversial New York Times piece that was published on July 6, 2003. Prsecutors argued that Libby lied about how he learned of Plame's CIA role in order to protect his job. Her role, they said, was deliberately released in retribution for her husband's report. During the fourteen days of evidence and testimony, Libby's lawyers argued that Libby's heavy workload caused memory lapses when he spoke with investigators. This sounds quite like the 'ole Iran-Contra defense strategy - "I'm sorry, I just don't recall". Libby initially told investigators he learned about Plame's identity from NBC's Tim Russert. He later said he got the information from Vice President Dick Cheney a month before the telephone conversation with Russert, but forgot about it. The Vice President's former Chief of Staff has been found guilty on two counts of perjury, one count of making a false statement, and one count of obstruction of justice. He was aquitted of one count of making a false statement. Lead defense attorney, Ted Wells said, "We are very disappointed in the verdict of the jurors. We intend to file a motion for a new trial and, if that is denied, we will appeal the conviction, and we have every confidence that ultimately, Mr. Libby will be vindicated." In other words, if we are not able to manipulate the justice system to our satisfaction, we'll ask President Bush to pardon him. The appeals, etc. should take at least 683 more days - Bush can then pardon Libby on his last day in office. In the words of former Saturday Night Live personality, the Church Lady; "How convenient"!!!!!!! Now, to give the other side their day, check-out what Rush Limbaugh has to say about the whole thing. I added a link to Rush in the toolbar at the right for the sake of the true story in any political commentary being effectively communicated. According to Rush, nothing wrong has transpired. It's all an evil liberal attempt to discredit a hard working and dedicated public servent [Scooter]. You know that we're all being manipulated in these Washington scandals, and the actual truth will nevr be known but unto God.

..........now he made a difference in America!!!

Scooter Libby, who wants to talk about Scooter Libby? I know all the bloggers are posting galore on the Scooter Libby trial verdict today. Scooter Libby is nothing but a mere Storm Trooper in the dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Cheney's clone army. Why take responsibility for your own actions when you have hundreds of clones to take the heat for you? Here at Beware of the Elephant in Tall Grass I choose to discuss more important people like this person.........Who is it, you say? Why of course, it's Ernest Gallo; who , along with his brother Julio, founded E&J Gallo Winery in 1933. Mr. Gallo died yesterday afternoon, and was listed on the Forbes magazine list of the 400 richest Americans with a family worth of $1.3 billion. This is a true American success story. Gallo was born just east of Modesto, California. He and his late brother, Julio, grew up working in the vineyard owned by their immigrant father who came to America from Italy. Using $5,900 they borrowed and a wine recipe from the Modesto Public Library, Ernest and Julio rented a modest building, and everyone in the family worked together to make ordinary wine for $.50 per gallon - half the going price in 1933. It grew to become the world's largest wine company by volume. He and his brother pledged to create wines that all Americans could afford to put on their dinner tables. Gallo demanded respect and complete loyalty from his employees. In 1986, he learned that two longtime Gallo executives were secretly planning to buy a winery of their own - he fired them on the spot and gave them that opportunity. Gallo was a man of honor that held true to his Old World manners. He and his brother shunned publicity. Mr. Gallo would have been 98 years old on March 18. What a great story of success through hard work, determination, and the freedom to prosper - all this provided to you and to everyone by the United States of America!!!

..........do as I say do, not as I do.

We send a hearty "hats off" to former Vice-President Al Gore for his strategies to make us aware of global warming and how all of us can make a difference. He has made his point widely known by hooking-up with all the rich and famous "people" of Hollywood. I don't know about you, but I rarely have any respect whatsoever for anything that comes out of the mouth of a celebrity on serious issues. Their business is entertainment. As far as I'm concerned, they're nothing more than trained seals. Once in a long while we get a good one (Ronald Reagan) that knows what he is talking about. I know what you're thinking - the Elephant in Tall Grass is such a liberal. How can he like Ronald Reagan? I consider Ronald Reagan as one of America's premier Americans. He loved our country and pulled us together after some horrible political strife. I do feel that successive administrations have not lived up to his ideals for our nation. Alright, lets get back to Al Gore. He's making a name for himself once again by being Al the Environmentalist - at least, he's trying. This comes to mind when I think of Al Gore - "Let he who has no sin cast the first stone". Al Gore, you're one of the most intelligent idiots out there. When you attack others for their actions; remember, they will be watching and they will catch you when you slip up.

How many Liberal Democrats does it take to screw in a light bulb? All of them if they each change one bulb a piece at Al Gore's house.

Following the most recent Academy Awards in California, former Vice-President Al Gore went to the airport to catch his plane. Other flyers were confused and upset when they saw some of the airport security underlings quickly ushering Mr. Gore through without the proper security checks. Seeing what was happening, the head of security stopped Mr. Gore and had him go through security just like everyone else. Airport security later reported that they feared that Mr. Gore may have been armed with another one of his speeches.

..........Annie, get your gun!!!

I just wonder how many bloggers have had something to say about this fine specimen today? This is, of course, the spokesperson for the Reich-Wing, Ann Coulter. Not many people really listen to what she has to say because she is so extreme to the right. She has certainly outdone herself this time. We could just call it even; as this incident would offset the stupid attempt at a joke by John Kerry; but, what fun would that be? Ann Coulter just raised thousands of dollars for the liberal left with her comments. I think they are calling it "Coulter Cash". People in the political arena need to lay off their attempts at humor - lying suits them best. Most Republicans will denounce her "faggot" joke in an attempt to save themselves from being associated with her and the ultra-far right. I hope that Ann has already spoken with fellow Reich-Winger, Rush Limbaugh, to see that she has the best damage control out there. I sure hope that Ann Coulter is scheduled to do a lot of Republican fund raising before 2008. Maybe the Democrats can work out a matching fund sort of thing. Her speeches seem to be great for everyone! Okay, Ann Coulter, you're an idiot - and that's all I have to say about that.

Now, on the the war in Iraq, and related stories thereof. It seems that the Walter Reed Hospital scandal is taking some people out of their jobs. We lost the General in charge and the Secretary of the Army at the end of the week. I guess that is supposed to fix everything. I'm not impressed at all that these men were removed from their posts for the Building 18 mess at Walter Reed. I just want to see things fixed and made fit for our wounded to recover in dignity. In all actuallity, removing these people from their posts will probably slow things down as the repairs are made. What if we actually made everyone responsible for the miscalculations in the Iraq War? What if we removed everyone from their job who screwed this up? The President said he took full responsibility for strategies that went wrong in Iraq. So what? If he is taking responsibility, shouldn't we be getting him out of office immediately? He doesn't take responsibility, because taking responsibility means that you are willing to take the consequences of your actions.

We, the American people, have been lied to time and time again about this war. Tell us the truth! We are in Iraq to protect "American interests". What that boils down to is American business interests - er, uh, oil. If that is why we are there, then lets just admit it and develop a clear mission. The US government wanted a presence in the Middle East and we decided that the Iraqi government would be the most centrally located; as well as, the easiest to overthrow. Tell me the truth so I can respect our decision. When one lie failed (weapons of mass destruction), we turned to another (free the Iraqi people from a tyrant).

Here's something that has always stuck in my gut......consider Saudi Arabia, the native home of most of the September 11th hijackers. The Saudis, unlike the Iraqis, have proven connections to al Qaeda. Saudi charities have funneled money to Islamic terrorist groups for years. Yet the Bush Administration insists on calling Saudi Arabia a good partner in the war on terror. Why? Because the U.S. has a longstanding relationship with the Saudi royal family (check out some of the archives film of George Bush, Dick Cheney, and Donald Rumsfeld with the royal family), and a long history of commercial interests relating to Saudi oil. So successive administrations continue to treat the Saudis as something they are not - a reliable and honest friend in the Middle East.

The same is true of Pakistan, where General Musharaf seized power by force in a 1999 coup. The Clinton administration quickly accepted his new leadership as ligitimate, to the dismay of India and many Muslim Pakistanis. Since 9/11, we have showered Pakistan with millions in foreign aid in exchange for Musharaf's allegiance aganist al Qaeda. Yet has our new ally rewarded our support? Hardly. The Pakistanis almost certainly have harbored bin Laden in their remote mountains, and show little interest in pursuing him or allowing anyone else to pursue him. Pakistan has signed peace agreements with Taliban leaders, and by some accounts, has made bin Laden a folk hero to their people. Furthermore, more members of al Qaeda probably live within Pakistan that any other country today. North Korea developed its nuclear (excuse me, newclear) capability with technology sold to them by Pakistan. Yet, we somehow remain to be their friends. Too bad for you Saddam.

Wow, that really rambled on! Sorry for the long, frustrated post.

.........."Dubya, I am your father."

I knew George Lucas couldn't call it quits without one more in the Star Wars saga. His new movie, set to come out just before the 2008 presidental election, will be Star Wars VII: Attack of the Right Wing. The details of the main story are still a little sketchy, but it is reavealed that the hero of the story, Dubya, will find out that Darth Cheney is really his father! It's also noted that Chuck Hagel could have a part in the storyline. Here's an excerpt from the ever developing script........."I believe firmly in Ronald Reagan's '11th Commandment': Thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican. But it's very hard sometimes to adhere to that where Chuck Hagel is involved.".....Darth Cheney

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.........Feingold/Hagel '08??? Okay, enough already. How about some Friday Funnies?

"A new poll finds that President Bush's father, George Bush, is the most popular living ex-president. Apparently, voters were just excited to hear the words 'George Bush' next to the phrase 'ex-president." --Conan O'Brien

"Vice President Dick Cheney is safely back in Washington after an attempt was made on his life in Afghanistan. The Taliban denied they were trying to kill the vice president. They now claim is was just a hunting accident." --Jay Leno

"A juror in the Scooter Libby trial has been dismissed by the judge after the juror was exposed to information about the case outside of the courtroom. How did this happen? The news channels have talked about nothing but Anna Nicole and Britney Spears for the past two weeks. What channel is this guy watching? I'd love to have some information." --Jay Leno

"Here is a little difference between our country and Great Britian: Prince Harry - third in line to the Royal Throne - he's going to Iraq. He's going to be in a tank unit....On the other hand, the Bush twins are getting tanked....and they are going to re-invade Margaritaville." --Bill Maher

I hope everyone has a great weekend! Beware of the Elephant in Tall Grass......OUT!!!

..........the original "Liberals in the Hood"!!!

Not all Liberals are bad. How can we talk about the workings of Liberals without mentioning these guys? The forming of our country and its government was the ultimate act of liberalism. We tore completely away from the status quo to create a way of life where we, the people could prosper by our own doing, govern by what we thought was just, and have representation for all who chose to take part and voice. How liberal could a bunch of people get? I guess what I've been thinking about for some time now is where liberalism stops and progressive thought takes over. If we keep ourselves locked into traditional thought forever, will we not cease to grow as a people and a nation? Is our reluctance to this progressive thought rooted in religious belief of fear of the unknown? Do we fear political compromise within our own government and with other governments as being a sign of weakness? Will compromise always make us seem weak? Are we simply mad that the entire world does not fear or respect us as they once did? I often wonder if the defensive dialogue from the "far right" is not a result of some of these questions. I'm sure that many will disagree with me, as is their right to do so; but, just think about it. Does progress within a nation and among a people ever result in standards being on a sliding scale? Can we be progressive and still maintain all of our traditional standards? The political climate of the world is on a sliding scale - like it or not. I think we are moving past the days of being able to back-up ultimatums. I'm positive that many governments still fear our economic and military power. I'm also positive that with the growing power of a global economy, the outsource of our own jobs by our own companies, and our military being stretched to its limits, is causing many not to have that fear of us any longer. We can and probably will triumph in the end, but at what cost? I think triumph will also be based on opinion, rather than clear victory. Would our founding fathers be proud of what we are doing, as a nation, right now?