Breaking News

Just announced on air: Terri Schiavo has died. May God bless her soul.

Bush "Hypocrisy"

Many news outlets in the mainstream media have been calling out Bush as a hypocrite for signing a Texas law that allowed doctors to remove life support from patients against the wishes of the family. Unfortunately, the articles seem to be more interested in supporting an agenda than they are in providing facts. In 1997 a bill was in the Texas legislature that would have allowed for sanction against the removal of life saving treatment for patients. An amendment to the bill was defeated that required treatment during the time of a pending transfer. When that bill reached then Governor George Bush's desk, he vetoed it, and said he was vetoing it precisely because it authorized hospitals to deny lifesaving medical treatment, food, and fluids against the will of the patients. The procedures continued without a passage of some bill. A similar bill was introduced in 1999 but the lacked the necessary votes for passage. Bush compromised so that there would be some protective legislation.

Here is the compromise that was reached in the 1999 Texas Life-Support Law:

• The Texas law increase protection for patients being considered for removal of life support by requiring treatment during consideration of weather to remove life support by the hospital ethics committee.
• The time provided for the family to find a new hospital to treat the patient was extended from 72 hours to 10 days.
• The law also allowed for a court to extend this 10 day period in the case of extenuating circumstances.

Although the law did not provide the protection that Bush wanted, he signed the bill because it was an improvement over the existing law. Votes were not there to pass a more protective bill.

It is quite interesting how distorted the facts are when people have an agenda to support.

Parental Responsibility

In southern Illinois a mother was arrested for attempting to intervene in her 14-year old daughter's abortion. The daughter had become pregnant by a man who was much older than her, although the exact age was not being released by officials. The 14-year old was taken to the abortion clinic by the mother of the unborn babies father. This a clearly an instance where the 14-year was raped (statutory) and the clinic did not care. They in fact helped the grandmother escape from the clinic. This serves as a perfect example in which abortions clinic do not look after the best interest of the mother. They are a business looking to make money and could care less that the 14-year old was impregnated by a much older man.

Doctor Choice

The neurologist chosen by Michael Schiavo to diagnose Terri has some interesting activities. Do you think he made a impartial judgment?

Another School Stunt

I generally try not to post lengthy articles or letters but the following letter from Major Terry Thomas was quite disturbing. He describes events that took place just after arriving at a high school to take part in a discussion on the Iraq War:

This is a letter written by Major Thomas to the school board.

March 14, 2005

Seattle Public SchoolsAttn: School Board & Superintendent

P.O. Box 34165Seattle, WA 98124-1165 Dear Seattle School Board and Superintendent: It is with extreme and heartfelt regret, anger and utter dismay that I find myself having to write this letter to your attention given my family’s deep personal ties to West Seattle High School.This past Friday afternoon, March 11, 2005 I served as one of a panel of guest speakers at the West Seattle High School Theater after having been invited to West Seattle High School by a student, Mr. Ben Doty, via referral from Ms. Nadine Gulit of Operation Support Our Troops. I served as one of a panel of approximately seven guest speakers at the West Seattle High School Theater. The topic on which I was invited to speak was my experience as a combat veteran of the war in Iraq. I was informed that I would have an opportunity to speak to students, along with other veterans as part of an objective forum with both anti-war and pro-troops sentiments. It was my understanding the purpose of this event was to provide students of West Seattle High School with an opportunity to hear from people with varied opinions on the war. I am pleased that my remarks were welcomed by the student audience. The panel of guests, though varied in opinion, was most professional in all aspects of a disagreeable but respectful discourse. Why,then, am I writing to you? Upon entering the theater at 12:30 PM, approximately 15 minutes prior to the event, I was taken aback by what I witnessed. As I stood there in my Marine Corps Dress Blue uniform, there before me stood numerous kids running around in sloppily dressed and ill-fitted helmets and military fatigues with utter disrespect for the symbols and uniforms of the U.S. military. The walls were covered in camouflaged netting and the stage was covered with approximately twenty white, life-sized cut-out patterns in the shape of dead women and children, all of which were splattered in red-paint to depict human blood. Onstage, children were kneeling and weeping while dressed in ill-fitted Arabic headdress with white-faced masks similarly covered in red paint to depict human blood. At a podium, children were reading a monologue of how U.S. troops were killing civilians and shooting at women and children. Moreover, several grown adults were standing on stage in bright orange jump-suits, with black bags on and off their heads, some bound and tied, and some banging symbols and gongs in a crude depiction of what I believe were their efforts to depict victims of the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse episode. Within the auditorium, numerous adults appeared to have been supervising this behavior and children were literally running amok. What is going on in your classrooms and auditoriums? Who supervised this program? Who are these grown adults dressed as prisoners and performing such the attics on the stage of our public schools? Since when has it become Seattle School Board policy to take an official anti-troops position and declare returning combat veterans from Iraq such as myself as killers of innocent women and children as if this war were some sick sport. As an Iraq war veteran I am outraged by what I witnessed going on at West Seattle High School! My fellow veterans and I were immediately made to feel unwelcome by these organizers as if each of us were the devil himself; indiscriminate killers and enemies of our own community. To someone's credit, all of this nonsense was ceased less than one minute prior to the curtain going up. I can only assume someone realized how sickly embarrassing this would be for the school district. However, this last minute cover-up does not excuse what was going on and it appears to have been going on for quite sometime given the obviously lengthy art and script preparation developed for this event. I and the other veterans from Afghanistan, the Balkans and Ms. Gulit from Operation Support Our Troops were all witness to this ugly spectacle along with over 40 or so people that appeared to be willingly participating in this depravity. I have served my country honorably for nearly 13 years all around this globe. I have fought on the battlefield in Iraq, lost good friends dead and wounded in this conflict and I will not sit back and allow our Seattle school district to shame or sully the name, reputation and good name of our military and our returning veterans. I will not tolerate an ill-administered school bureaucracy that seeks to sanction, condone, advocate or chaperon a vile position that Americas military men and women are somehow blood thirsty,indiscriminate murderers, executioners or war criminals.

I am requesting a meeting with your board as soon as possible to explain and address this issue and a letter should be written to the parents of West Seattle High School students making them aware of Fridays events explaining how and why it occurred. A full accounting of those teachers, counselors, parents, groups and adults that were allowed preferential access on to the campus to advocate for this particular position, use school facilities and develop these abhorrent materials is expected immediately. Lastly a public letter of apology is due the Seattle community with apologetic cordiality extended to the returning Iraq war veterans of this community for the shameful antics going on in our public schools with an assurance that this sort of sick nonsense will not be condoned or tolerated in Seattle public schools now or ever. Sincerely, Terry Thomas Major, USMCR Combat Veteran– Operation Iraqi Freedom P.O. Box 31406 Seattle, WA 98103

Here are the e-mail of the board members of the Seattle Schools: Superintendent (206)252-0100 Raj Manhas mailto:rsmanhas@seattleschools.org School Board Member District 1(206)252-0052 Sally Soriano sally.soriano@seattleschools.org School Board MemberDistrict 2(206)252-0031 Darlene Flynn darlene.flynn@seattleschools.org School Board MemberDistrict 3(206)729-3202 Brita Butler-Wall brita.butler-wall@seattleschools.org School Board Member District 4 (206)297-4533 Dick Lilly dick.lilly@seattleschools.org School Board MemberDistrict 5 (206)720-3303 Mary Bass mary.bass@seattleschools.org

School Board Member District 6 (206) 933-5338 Irene Stewart irene.stewart@seattleschools.org

School Board Member District 7 (206)760-4747 Jan Kumasaka jan.kumasaka@seattleschools.org

West Seattle High School Principal (206)252-8800 Susan Derse scderse@seattleschools.org

David Limbaugh on Schiavo

David Limbaugh has a great article on saving Terri Schiavo.

Dem Priorities

Which do you think most democrats would rather protect? (Hattip: Ankle Biting Pundits)

Government Healthcare

Do you think this would be less or more common if the government provided all healthcare. Imagine the government deciding when life wasn't worth living.

Media Bias

The media is against Bush. Could have fooled me.

Living Constitution

Justice Scalia continues to criticize the recent opinion of the majority to outlaw juvenile execution. I commented previously that I don't think he disagrees with the decision, just the logic that was used to substantiate the decision.

Ginsberg on Roe

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg has been previously labeled as a Justice that is in support of Roe v. Wade. But in a recent question and answer session of Kansas Law students she said the following about the Roe decision:

"The Supreme Court stopped all that by deeming every law -- even the most liberal -- as unconstitutional. That seemed to me not the way courts generally work."

The NY Lawyer has a full article.

Adult Stem Cells

In the 2004 election John Edwards promised that stem cell research would be able to make the paralyzed walk, and if John Kerry was president this would happen. Many advances have been made in stem cell research but most of them have been made using adult stem cells. These are stem cells that come from adult bone marrow, an adult spleen, or many other sources and do not require the destruction of an embryo to be harvested. Most of the advances made with adult stem cells are largely ignored by funding agencies and even the mainstream media. It seems that embryonic stem cells are thought as the golden tickets to almost any cure. Such a case has once again come to light. A researcher Denise Faustman, at Harvard University has found a possible cure for Type I (juvenile) diabetes. In her research she utilizes adult stem cells harvested from a spleen, when these are transplanted into the pancreas of mice, the defective cells that produce insulin are regenerated. The mice are then capable of living a normal life without any sort of insulin replacement therapy. You would think that a organization like the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF) would be ready to fund research so promising. That is not the case. JDRF is one of the major lobbyist for embryonic stem cell research. Why would they not want a cure for diabetes regardless of the source? It seems they are focused on a certain agenda. Update: MSNBC has an article in which they describe how people are wasting their money pursuing umbilical stem cells. In the article they say umbilical stem cells do not possess, "the same miraculous characteristic that embryonic stem cells have to become bone or tissue, to transform into the cells that are needed to cure the patient’s disease." [Emphasis added]

National Day of Appreciation for Abortion Providers

March 10th is the National Day of Appreciation for Abortion Providers. This is where the community (pregnant women are particularly encouraged) can go to their local abortion provider and meet the doctors and nurses and thank them for the wonderful service(s) they provide. March 10th is the anniversary of the death of Dr. David Gunn, the first abortionist murdered in 1993. It is often brought up to draw attention away from the violence that occurs within the clinics. Dr. David Gunn is another victim of the violence associated with abortion. There would be a National Day of Mourning for Aborted Children, but since there have been nearly 43 million in the U.S. it would be hard to settle on just one day. Think of the enormity of a National Day for the Mothers (and Fathers) of Abortion.

Pro-Choice Condi

In an interview with Washington Times, Condi Rice clarifies her position as pro-choice. Although she does put herself in a position that would make her electable.

"We should not have the federal government in a position where it is forcing its views on one side or the other. So, for instance, I've tended to agree with those who do not favor federal funding for abortion, because I believe that those who hold a strong moral view on the other side should not be forced to fund it." "I am a strong proponent of parental notification. I am a strong proponent of a ban on late-term abortion. These are all things that I think unite people and I think that that's where we should be."

She seems to support abortion in general just enough that she could draw from a substantial pro-choice bloc if running for president. At the same time she makes several concessions to the religious right that may still allow her to get a substantial part of the conservative vote: she's against federal funding of abortion, against partial birth abortion, and for parental notification. I would also guess she supports the Unborn Victims of Violence Act. She does mention briefly mention her faith guiding her. It has yet to be seen if the religious right will embrace her. Some people may have a hard time accepting someone as religious if they support abortion. She is definitely more appealing that Giuliani, I think Giuliani has a lot of personal baggage that may come out of the closet if he decides to run. Read the full transcript here.

Kooks who hate Bush

A Florida news station reported on a man who tried to run a woman off the road for having a Bush-Cheney sticker on her car. Sounds like he shouldn't be drinking the cool-aid while he's driving.

Teresa Blames Catholics

It looks as the Teresa is starting to blame others besides her husband for their loss of the White House. Who does she decide to blame? Catholics and voting machine builders. She also hints at a possible run again in 2008. I hope so. Maybe Kerry can get Gore on the ticket.

PPA Annual Report

Planned Parenthood has updated their annual report for 2004. There are some interesting statistics that can be found here. Planned Parenthood speaks of having many a total "family planning" center where they provide contraception, adoption referrals, and abortion. According to the annual report their abortion business has been growing, compared to their adoption referral. For every 1 adoption that PP referrals, they provide 138 abortions. This number has grown significantly in the last eight years. In 1997 there were 18 abortions per adoption. No one should be confused when reading the annual report that Planned Parenthood is a business. One-third of PPs income is from abortion, and they undoubtedly would like this to grow. They do not mention the individual sales from each abortionist for tissue studies. This will be the topic of a future post.

Kooks who hate Bush

Here's a more detailed article on the incident.

Could Bush Be Right

Bill Rice at By Dawn's Early Light has a great compiliation of news articles from around the world asking could Bush be right ? Some of them are from places you would not expect.

The Daschle Legacy

In farewell party for former Minority Leader Tom Daschle, Nancy Pelosi said, "the Daschle legacy is the foundation of our future." For once I hope she is right.

Judicial Downfall

Last week the Supreme Court made it unconstitutional to execute a criminal for a crime he or she committed while a juvenile. I don't have a problem with the ruling itself, but I think several points that they use to substatiate their point are quite disturbing. First, in the majority ruling the court cited a "national consensus" against the practice. This is quite strange for the court to be following the will of the people. Typically they are suppose to judge as to the legality of the law, not take a national poll. Their is a national consensus that there should be some restriction on abortion, but don't hold your breath on that one. Consequently as Justice Scalia pointed out in his dissent that the "national consensus" that the court eluded to was actually only 18 states that limit execution of minors of the 38 dealt penalty states. This 47 percent of states that limit execution apparently constitutes a "national consensus." Second, in the majority opinion the court writes, "From a moral standpoint, it would be misguided to equate the failings of a minor with those of an adult, for a greater possibility exists that a minor's character deficiencies will be reformed." So now all of a sudden the court is guided by morals. Where were the morals when NAMBLA (North American Man/Boy Love Association) was posting how to successfully kidnap and molest children. Third, the court writes, "Our determination, finds confirmation in the stark reality that the United States is the only country in the world that continues to give official sanction to the juvenile death penalty." I find it quite disturbing that the court is following international law. How long until lawyers cite laws from any nation to substantiate their clients actions. Their is no reason to base the Supreme Courts decision on the opinion of the U.S. much less the laws of the rest of the world. In this ruling Justice Scalia read his dissent aloud to the court, a sign of strong disapproval.

Bill Maher loves Churchill

To my knowledge I've never watched HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher." I've seen him interviewed on other talk shows and the impression he left with me was he is a liberal, who is very bitter at most everything. Bill Maher had Ward Churchill on last Thursday and I felt compelled to read the transcript. As Reading through the monologue it became apparent that my prior assessment was correct, it also became quite clear that he really hates Bush. One of the quotes that stuck out from his "interview" with Ward Churchill was the great quote: (This is Bill Maher speaking.)

Maher: I mean, yes, you [Churchill] are right, we [Americans] are lazy and we’re arrogant and we’re greedy and we’re gluttonous and we’re myopic. And all those things do cause some misery around the world.

North Korea supports Kerry

Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) has written a lengthy and long winded article on its refusal to rejoin the six-party talks with the U.S. and other nations. In the article the DPRK quotes several of its own in support of its policies, but also quotes Senator John Kerry, The New York Times, and George Hage the French Foreign Minister. DPRK quotes Kerry:

Senator Kerry, who ran for presidency on the Democratic ticket during the 2004 U.S. presidential election, when interviewed by the New York Times on Sept. 12 openly criticized the Bush administration, saying that it refused to directly negotiate with north Korea after its emergence, bringing a nuclear nightmare.

So Kerry as declared support in the past for the Viet Cong, and now he has gain the support of the French, Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaida, and now North Korea. The New York Times also caught the attention of the DPRK:

In an editorial dated Feb. 11, 2005 the New York Times said that north Korea declared its access to nuclear weapons because the Bush administration made an error while leading it to isolation. It justly criticized the Bush administration, saying that its reaction to north Korea till now has been unreasonable and, accordingly, there should be a radical switchover in its future engagement.

At least John Kerry is in with good company. The DPRK understands the claim "The enemy of your enemy is your friend."

Slow Posting

Posting has been slow lately, mostly due to work being quite hectic. Hopefully this weekend I will be able to catch up on some postings.

China afraid of free information

China complained that the U.S. has monopolized the internet. This is quite interesting coming from a government who strictly censors what its citizens read. Next China will accuse the U.S. of monopolizing speech and the letter z.

Wrongful life suit filed

A woman in Canada has filed a wrongful life suit in Canada against the ultrasound technician who failed to notify her of her unborn child's abnormalities. She contends that if she was notified she would have been able to abort the child, saving her and from pain and suffering. It is quite rare that a wrongful life suit be filed, although legal experts expect more wrongful-life claims as the technology to diagnose conditions in the womb continues to improve and prospective parents become more selective about the types of children they want to produce. How selective will parents be when predisposition for ailments such as poor vision, severe acne, or crooked teeth can be detected before birth? Is this really about a woman's right to chose, or has it now has become parents putting their own desire for a blond hair, blue eyed child over the life of a less than perfect child. A similar suit was filed in South Carolina, the suit was quickly dismissed.

30 Days to Sign the SF-180

John Kerry has had thirty days to sign the SF-180 that he promised to sign on Meet the Press. Here is what he said exactly:

MR. RUSSERT: Many people who've been criticizing you have said: Senator, if you would just do one thing and that is sign Form 180, which would allow historians and journalists complete access to all your military records. Thus far, you have gotten the records, released them through your campaign. They say you should not be the filter. Sign Form 180 and let the historians. . .

SEN. KERRY: I'd be happy to put the records out. We put all the records out that I had been sent by the military. Then at the last moment, they sent some more stuff, which had some things that weren't even relevant to the record. So when we get I'm going to sit down with them and make sure that they are clear and I am clear as to what is in the record and what isn't in the record and we'll put it out. I have no problem with that.

MR. RUSSERT: Would you sign Form 180?

SEN. KERRY: But everything, Tim...

MR. RUSSERT: Would you sign Form 180?

SEN. KERRY: Yes, I will.

Maybe he has changed his mind. It sounds to me that he is worried about what is "in the record." Either way, polipundit has written a convenient script so that a blog can keep track of how long Kerry had to sign the forms.