Rosie Huntington Whiteley is drop dead gorgeous!

Israel: At Least 10 Killed on Gaza Flotilla

Israel is surrounded by countries who despise Israel's very existence. Countries who have pledged to wipe Israel off the map. Israel has every right to be a little paranoid about the contents of these ships. The groups aboard the ships claim all they are carrying is humanitarian supplies, it wouldn't surprise anyone to find weapons or bomb making gear in there as well.

hamas has condemned the attack??? This must be a different hamas than the one that lobs missles into the heart of Israeli cities, killing and wounding innocent civilians.

The people of Israel live at the very doorstep of hell. They can no longer count on the president of the United States as an ally. They must do whatever they deem necessary to protect themselves from the terrorists surrounding them.

Published May 30, 2010 - Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israeli commandos on Monday stormed six ships carrying hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists on an aid mission to the blockaded Gaza Strip, killing at least 10 people and wounding dozens after encountering unexpected resistance as the forces boarded the vessels.

The operation in international waters off the Gaza coast was a nightmare scenario for Israel that looked certain to further damage its international standing, strain already tense relations with Turkey -- the unofficial sponsor of the mission -- and draw unwanted attention to Gaza's plight.

The tough Israeli response drew condemnations from Turkey, France and the U.N.'s Mideast envoy, while Greece suspended a military exercise with Israel and postponed a visit by Israel's air force chief.

About 10,000 Turks also marched from Israel's Consulate in Istanbul toward the city's main square, shouting slogans denouncing Israel. The protesters earlier Monday tried storm the Consulate building but were blocked by police.

The Israeli ambassadors in Sweden, Spain, Denmark and Greece were summoned for meetings, and the French foreign minister called for an investigation. Activists from all of those European countries were on board the flotilla. In neighboring Jordan, hundreds demonstrated in the capital Amman to protest the Israeli action and demand that their government breaks diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.

There were conflicting accounts of what happened early Monday.

An Al-Jazeera reporter on one of the Turkish ships said the Israelis fired at the vessel before boarding it. The Israelis, who had declared they would not let the ships reach Gaza, said they only opened fire after being attacked by activists with sticks, knives and live fire from weapons seized from the Israeli commandos.

"On board the ship we found weapons prepared in advance and used against our forces," declared Israel's deputy foreign minister, Danny Ayalon.

"The organizers' intent was violent, their method was violent and the results were unfortunately violent. Israel regrets any loss of life and did everything to avoid this outcome."

Israeli security forces were on alert across the country. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the Israeli "aggression," declared three days of mourning across the West Bank and called on the U.N. Security Council and Arab League to hold emergency sessions on the incident.

Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the rival Hamas government in Gaza, condemned the "brutal" Israeli attack and called on U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to intervene.

The activists were headed to Gaza on a mission meant to draw attention to a 3-year-old Israeli blockade of the coastal territory. Israel imposed the blockade after Hamas, which it considers a terrorist group, violently seized the territory. Critics say the blockade has unfairly hurt Gaza's 1.5 million people.

"It's disgusting that they have come on board and attacked civilians. We are civilians," said Greta Berlin, a spokeswoman for the Free Gaza movement, which organized the flotilla. She spoke from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus and said she had lost contact with the flotilla.

Before the ships set sail from waters off the east Mediterranean island of Cyprus on Sunday, Israel had urged the flotilla not to try to breach the blockade and offered to transfer the cargo to Gaza from an Israeli port, following a security inspection.

Israeli naval commandos stormed the ships in a predawn raid while they were in international waters after ordering them to stop about 80 miles (130 kilometers) from Gaza's coast, according to activists.

A Turkish website showed video of pandemonium on board one of the ships, with activists in orange life jackets running around as some tried to help an activist apparently unconscious on the deck. The site also showed video of an Israeli helicopter flying overhead and Israeli warships nearby.

Turkey's NTV showed activists beating one Israeli soldier with sticks as he rappelled from a helicopter onto one of the boats.

The al-Jazeera satellite channel reported by telephone from the Turkish ship leading the flotilla that Israeli navy forces fired at the ship and boarded it, wounding the captain.

"These savages are killing people here, please help," a Turkish television reporter said.

The broadcast ended with a voice shouting in Hebrew, "Everybody shut up!"

The Israeli military said troops only opened fire after encountering unexpected resistance from the activists. Activists attacked troops with knives and iron rods, and opened fire with two pistols seized from the forces.

A total of five soldiers were wounded, two seriously, including at least one hit by live fire, the army said. Two of the dead activists had fired at soldiers with pistols, the army said.

"They planned this attack," said Israeli military spokeswoman Lt. Col. Avital Leibovitch. "Our soldiers were injured from these knives and sharp metal objects ... as well as from live fire."

The violent takeover threatened to deal yet another blow to Israel's international image, already tarnished by war crimes accusations in Gaza and its blockade of the impoverished Palestinian territory.

It occurred a day before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was to meet with President Barack Obama at the White House to discuss the Middle East peace process.

The ships were being towed to the Israeli port of Ashdod, and wounded were evacuated by helicopter to Israeli hospitals, officials said. One of the ships had reached port by midday.

There were no details on the identities of the casualties, or on the conditions of some of the more prominent people on board, including 1976 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire of Northern Ireland, European legislators and Holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein, 85.

Satellite phones on board the ships were turned off, and communication with a small group of reporters embedded with the Israeli military was blocked.

The Free Gaza Movement is an international group of pro-Palestinian activists that claims the blockade, imposed three years ago after the militant Islamic Hamas group overran Gaza, is unjust and a violation of international law.

Organizers included people affiliated with the International Solidarity Movement, a pro-Palestinian group that often sends international activists into battle zones, and the IHH, a Turkish aid group that Israel accuses of having terrorist links.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli raid and said it was summoning the Israeli ambassador for an "urgent explanation."

Hasan Naiboglu, the Turkish maritime affairs undersecretary, told the Anatolia news agency that Israel had jammed communications with the ships. He accused Israel of violating international law by carrying out the raid in international waters.

Turkey had unofficially supported the aid mission and has been vocally critical of Israeli military operations against Palestinians in Gaza.

Israel's Ynet news website said Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak called Turkish officials, including the defense and foreign ministers, to discuss the raid.

The United Nations expressed "shock" and condemned the killings. "We are in contact with the Israeli authorities to express our deep concern and to seek a full explanation," said a statement from the highest-ranking U.N. official in the region, Robert Serry.

The flotilla of three cargo ships and three passenger ships carrying 10,000 tons of aid and 700 activists was carrying items that Israel bars from reaching Gaza, like cement and other building materials.

This is the ninth time that the Free Gaza movement has tried to ship in humanitarian aid to Gaza since August 2008.

Israel has allowed ships through five times, but has blocked them from entering Gaza waters since a three-week military offensive against Gaza's Hamas rulers in January 2009.

The latest flotilla was the largest to date.

Memorial Day...

Between the BBQ, swimming, volleyball, horseshoes and whatever other activities you have planned for today, take a minute to remember those who have fallen in defense of our Great Nation and for those who are currently in harm's way.

They have provided the freedoms and security you enjoy every day.

We owe them our gratitude and respect.

Thanks to all who have served and are currently serving. There are still many of us who understand and appreciate the sacrifice you are making for your Country.

More of the gorgeous Megan Fox

'Easy Rider' actor Dennis Hopper dies

Dennis Hopper was an amazing actor and he will be missed...

Dennis Hopper

May 17, 1936 – May 29, 2010

From CNN

(CNN) -- Dennis Hopper, the one-time Hollywood enfant terrible who portrayed such indelible characters as "Easy Rider's" biker Billy and "Blue Velvet's" huffing villain Frank Booth, died of prostate cancer Saturday morning at his home in Venice, California, his wife said. He was 74.

Hopper, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer last October, was surrounded by his children when he died, his wife, Victoria Hopper, told CNN.

Funeral arrangements have not been decided, but Hopper's wish was to be buried in Taos, New Mexico, "his heart home," Victoria Hopper said.

The American film icon made his last public appearance on March 26, 2010, when his star was dedicated on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

Over almost six decades as a performer and director, his career spanned a range of Hollywood trends: TV's live "Golden Age," films about disillusioned teenagers, a variety of Westerns, anti-establishment dramas, offbeat indie films, action blockbusters and edgy cable series. He often played villains, occasionally lost souls, almost all with a force and empathy.

There was Dennis Hopper before "Easy Rider," generally known as a clean-cut, if rebellious, character actor who had built a career of supporting roles in Westerns, youth-oriented films and TV shows.

There was Dennis Hopper after "Easy Rider," for years one of Hollywood's wild men, an actor with a penchant for alcohol, drugs and outlandish behavior, and later a go-to performer to play villains and commanding misfits.

And then there was "Easy Rider," the 1969 film that he directed and co-wrote, and in which he played a dissolute, countercultural biker named Billy. Thanks to the film, Hopper helped blaze a trail for the young, aggressive filmmakers who would take Hollywood by storm in the 1970s.

Dennis Lee Hopper was born in Dodge City, Kansas, on May 17, 1936. He grew up in San Diego, California, and established an early reputation for stage work.

Making his way to Hollywood while still in his teens, he quickly earned roles in TV shows and films, including "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955), in which he met James Dean, who became a friend and lifelong model, Hopper once said.

Dean was "a guerrilla artist who attacked all restrictions on his sensibility. ... I imitated his style in art and in life. It got me in a lot of trouble," Hopper recalled.

Hopper also appeared in "Giant" with Dean, who died in a car accident in September 1955.

"He's the greatest actor that I ever saw. I never saw anyone that could even touch him," he told CNN's Larry King in 2005.

"He moved better than any actor. He's like an expressionist to me. He not only filled himself with emotion, but he, like -- he did things that were so unbelievably physical."

Hopper maintained a somewhat uneven career through the mid-'60s, appearing in such films as the John Wayne vehicle "The Sons of Katie Elder" (1965) and the Paul Newman classic "Cool Hand Luke" (1967) as well as several TV shows -- often Westerns.

But it was 1967's psychedelic "The Trip," directed by "King of the B's" Roger Corman, that exposed the actor to an anti-establishment audience and two of his "Easy Rider" colleagues, actor Peter Fonda and "Trip" writer Jack Nicholson.

In early 1968, Hopper led the group through his own low-budget film, a biker road movie about two disenchanted riders who -- thanks to some drug money -- travel from Los Angeles to New Orleans. "A man went looking for America and couldn't find it anywhere," went the words of its famous tagline.

"Easy Rider" was finally released in the summer of 1969, and became a sensation -- after 1967's "Bonnie and Clyde" and "The Graduate," the breakthrough that set free the Baby Boomer generation on Hollywood. (Ironically, another of Hopper's 1969 films was "True Grit," an old-fashioned Western that earned John Wayne an Oscar.)

The film, made on the fly by Hopper and co-star Fonda for less than $500,000, became one of the highest-grossing movies of its time and helped make a star of Nicholson, who played an ill-fated, alcoholic lawyer.

"It was just a very special time when the lunatics really got to take over the asylum for a minute," Hopper told Reuters in 2008. "For a brief moment there, there really seemed to be an independent film movement. Then it was over."

But even at the height of "Rider's" success, Hopper was developing a reputation as a difficult artist, using drugs and drinking heavily. He and Fonda -- best friends in the movie -- weren't that way in real life, he told People in 2002.

"Peter and I weren't friends. By the time we started the film, Peter tried to have me fired. He considered me out of control, and I was," Hopper said. "We made a good film, but it wasn't made out of love."

Given carte blanche to direct his next movie, Hopper made "The Last Movie" (1971) an indulgent failure that made the list of the Medved brothers' "50 Worst Films of All Time" in their 1978 book of that name.

Hopper descended into drug and alcohol abuse in the '70s. A marriage to Mamas and Papas singer Michelle Phillips famously lasted eight days in 1970, and he barely sustained his career as an actor, though he gave a notable turn as the crazed photographer in Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" (1979).

"The alcohol was awful. I was a terrible alcoholic," Hopper told CBS' Charlie Rose. "I mean, people used to ask how much drugs I did. I said, 'I only do drugs so I can drink more.' I was doing the coke so I could drink more. I mean, I don't know any other reason. I'd start drinking in the morning. I'd drink all day long."

After hitting bottom -- he had a breakdown in a Latin American jungle -- Hopper entered rehab in the early '80s, and his career began a renaissance. He was determined to do 1986's "Blue Velvet," about the sordid underbelly of a small town, reportedly telling writer and director David Lynch, "I've got to play this part, David, because I AM Frank."

Frank Booth -- fond of profanity, Roy Orbison and inhaling a mysterious gas -- earned Hopper wide acclaim. He received a best supporting actor Oscar nomination for his next film, "Hoosiers" (1986), in which he played the drunken father of a high school basketball player.

Hopper never strayed far from the A-list after that, giving notable turns in "Speed" (1994)," "Basquiat" (1996), "Jesus' Son" (1999) and the TV show "Crash."

In recent years, Hopper was as well known for his political views -- he self-identified as a Republican in liberal Hollywood -- as his work. (He did play a Democratic presidential candidate in 2008's "Swing Vote," however.)

Among his recent roles were a villain in the TV series "24" and an officer in the short-lived TV show "E-Ring." He was starring in the TV version of the Oscar-winning film "Crash" at his death, playing a conniving record producer. He was named a chevalier of France's Order of Arts and Letters in 2008.

Hopper was married five times and had four children, ranging in age from 47 to 6.

His personal life continued its ups and downs to the end. In January, while Hopper was suffering from prostate cancer, he filed for divorce from his fifth wife, Victoria.

Hopper's lawyer argued in the divorce case that his estranged wife's presence was hampering his fight with cancer, but the judge allowed her to continue living in the family's Venice compound with their daughter.

But it's his films for which he'll be remembered -- and there was something for everybody, he told People in 2002.

"I can be in the 24-hour grocery store at midnight, and suddenly someone come up and says, 'Man, you know I loved you in 'Chainsaw Massacre 2,' " Hopper said with a laugh. "Well, 'Chainsaw Massacre 2' is not my favorite film to be remembered for. Then there was 'Hoosiers,' which was a very likable, inspirational sports film. Kids will come up asking for the coach's autograph.

"Somewhere in my strange career, someone has liked something."

Obama to Arizona Governor: Don't Call Me, I'll Call You

More and more stories are coming out spotlighting obama's "spoiled child" behavior. If you disagree with him or make him mad, he will ignore you, just like a spoiled child. He will throw temper tantrums. He will try to turn everyone against you, even if he has to lie about the situation. Just like this situation with the immigration law in Arizona, he has outright lied about what the law says. Even if he, like the rest of his thugs, hasn't read the law, he has heard enough to know he is lying about it.

This new law requires police to ask you for documentation if they suspect you are in the country illegaly only if you have been stopped for a lawful reason. Say you have a tail light out and get stopped for that, they then have an obligation under law to ask you for documentation if they feel you may be here illegaly.

The Kansas City Missouri police department will periodically set up check points to see if drivers have a valid liscense. This is actually more invasive than the Arizona law. The KCMO PD isn't stopping you for a lawful reason before demanding your identification, they are stopping you to demand your identification.

In a DUI stop, you don't have to be breaking any laws to be pulled over for DUI. The officer has to suspect your are driving under the influence.

The police in Arizona cannot pull you over because they suspect you are an illegal immigrant. When you put the Arizona law in to context, it is nothing like what is being blasted all over the news and by obama and his gang of thugs.

If I were Jan Brewer, when obama does decide he wants to talk to her, I would tell him he had his chance and to forget it (that's not exactly what I would say, but I'm trying to keep the language clean).

From FoxNews

President Obama has turned down Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer's request to meet while she's in Washington next week as tensions mount between his administration and Arizona over the state's new law cracking down on illegal immigrants.

Brewer will be in Washington to meet with other governors. She said Friday that she had asked to meet with Obama and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to discuss border security and immigration. But Obama's schedule "doesn't allow for a meeting" with her, White House spokesman Adam Abrams said, adding that the president "does intend to sit down with the governor in the future."

When Obama returns from his Chicago vacation on Tuesday, he will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Peru President Alan Garcia at the White House. On Wednesday, Obama is meeting with Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, before heading to an event in Pittsburgh and hosting a concert at the White House to honor Paul McCartney.

On Thursday, Obama will speak at Secretary Clinton's reception for a new partnership between U.S. and India. On Friday, the president will welcome the Major League Soccer men's championship team, Real Salt Lake, to the White House.

The apparent snub comes after Justice Department officials told Arizona's attorney general and aides to the governor Friday that the federal government has serious reservations about the state's new immigration law. They responded that a lawsuit against the state isn't the answer.

"I told them we need solutions from Washington, not more lawsuits," said Attorney General Terry Goddard, a Democrat.

The Justice Department initiated separate meetings by phone and face-to-face in Phoenix with Goddard and aides to Brewer to reach out to Arizona's leaders and elicit information from state officials regarding the Obama administration's concerns about the new law.

The strong message that the Justice Department representatives delivered at the private meetings -- first with Goddard, then with Brewer's staff -- left little doubt that the Obama administration is prepared to go to court if necessary in a bid to block the new law, which takes effect July 29.

Goddard said he noted that five privately filed lawsuits already are pending in federal court to challenge the law.

"Every possible argument is being briefed," said Goddard, who is running unopposed for his party's nomination for the governor's race.

Brewer, who is seeking re-election, later said in a statement that her legal team told the Justice Department officials that the law would be "vigorously defended all the way to the United States Supreme Court if necessary."

Brewer, who has hired private attorneys to represent her in the pending cases, said the department officials "were advised that I believe the federal government should use its legal resources to fight illegal immigration, not the state of Arizona."

Key provisions of the sweeping law include a requirement that police enforcing any other law question people about their immigration status if there is "reasonable suspicion" that they are in the country illegally. It also makes it a state crime to be in the country illegally.

Arizona has an estimated 460,000 illegal immigrants, and the law's supporters contend it will save taxpayer money and reduce crime by pressuring illegal immigrants to "self-deport."

Federal officials and other critics fear the state law could lead to widespread racial profiling.

Goddard said it would be wrong to assume that Arizona law enforcement officers would not act in a fair and highly professional manner."

The federal officials' trip to Phoenix also was an effort to see if the two sides can find common ground in the debate, which has reignited immigration as a major political issue nationwide.

A number of other states are considering laws similar to Arizona's.

Justice Department spokesman Matthew Miller noted that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder met with a number of police chiefs Wednesday in Washington "to hear their concerns about the impact of the Arizona law on their ability to keep communities safe.

"We continue to have concerns that the law drives a wedge between law enforcement and the communities they serve and are examining it to see what options are available to the federal government," Miller said.

While numerous police chiefs have criticized the law, several Arizona associations representing rank-and-file police officers support it.

Sorry for the lack of posts yesterday. I do have a good excuse though, I took my CCW (Concealed Carry Weapon) certification class!

The class was very cool. The instructors were great and a good time was had by all.

Three instructors taught the class, Dutch, Rick and Wally. All three are either Former Military, Former Law Enforcement or both. It was interesting to hear how all the more boring parts of the material relate to real life situations. Talking about the laws that go along with CCW is some pretty dry stuff under normal circumstances, but these guys were able to liven it up and make it easy to listen to.

If you are in Western Missouri or Eastern Kansas and don't have a CCW yet, you should give these guys a shout.

Dutch practically gives the classes away. I think if he could afford to, he would give them away. The classes are $50 and he provides the guns and ammo. Because he is so fair on the price, classes tend to fill up fast so keep that in mind.

Dutch's Firearms
P.O. Box 133
Raymore, Mo. 64083

816-318-GUNS (4867)

Even if you have to drive a little to get there, the classes are well worth the trip.

Everybody loves Boston, how about a couple of tunes...

Any day shooting is a great day...

We went to the shooting range today. I took my Hi-Point TS995 Carbine. My buddy took his Ruger Mark III and his PX4 Storm.

I can't  express in words how much I love the Hi-Point Carbine. What a fun gun to shoot! It is deadly accurate, light weight, has no recoil to speak of and is drop dead gorgeous! What more could you ask for?

We put about 200 rounds through it today. No jams or misfires, just perfect performance.

If you have never used Shoot•N•C targets you are missing out. They have spoiled me. Walmart carries them, I'm not sure how the on-line price compares.

The Ruger Mark III is a fun little gun to shoot. I think with a little practice I could get pretty good with it.

The PX4 Storm is also a sweet pistol. It's very comfortable on the hand and nice looking.

I didn't save any targets or take any pictures today. I'll try to get some on the next trip.

On a side note, I'm considering a red dot scope and flashlight for the Hi-Point Carbine, any suggestions on products I should try?

Some Random Hotness this evening...

White House Report on Sestak Job Offer Raises More Legal Questions, Critics Say

This is a load of bullshit. sestak would never had claimed he was offered a job by the white house if the current claims were true. You have to wonder what sestak is going to get out of this deal. He is lying, bill clinton who ahs proven that he is a habitual liar is lying.

The rumors were not that sestak was offered an unpaid position on some lame advisory board. It is claimed that he was offered the Secretary of the Navy position, huge difference.

Do you think we will ever know the truth about this? I don't, obama and his gang of thugs seem to have an unlimited supply of money to buy off everyone involved in their scandals All we can hope for is that one day, one of these thugs will roll over on him.

From FoxNews

Instead of quelling a growing outcry for more information on an alleged political bargain, the White House has raised more questions and calls for an investigation after its shocking revelation on Friday that it recruited former President Bill Clinton to pitch a possible administration role to Rep. Joe Sestak if he would sit out the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary.

Although the White House and its supporters say there was no "impropriety" behind Clinton's conversation with Sestak, downplaying the scandal as politics as usual, Republicans want a second opinion.

Reps. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., and Lamar Smith, R-Texas, sent a letter Friday to FBI Director Robert Mueller urging the bureau to open an investigation.

"Assurances by the Obama White House that no laws were broken are like the Nixon White House promising it did nothing illegal in connection with Watergate," they wrote in the letter. "Clearly, an independent investigation is necessary to determine once and for all what really happened."

The White House released a report Friday saying Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, asked Clinton, Emanuel's former boss when he was an aide in the Clinton White House, to talk to Sestak about taking an unpaid position on the president's intelligence advisory board in exchange for staying out of the Senate primary against the establishment-backed Sen. Arlen Specter.

The report concluded that "allegations of improper conduct rest on factual errors and lack a basis in the law."

But critics say the offer may have violated a U.S. statue that says, "Whoever, directly or indirectly, promises any employment, position, compensation…appointment…to any person as consideration, favor, or reward for any political activity…or in connection with any primary election…shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year or both."

Sestak issued a statement Friday verifying the White House account. He said later at a news conference that he doesn't believe the conversation was improper and doesn't think a special investigation is warranted.

Former Bush Attorney General Michael Mukasey told Fox News it appears the White House gambit, while sordid, did not look like a criminal inducement to alter the course of an election.

"That's a stretch. It really is a stretch. I think that it would have to be something much more direct than what we have here in order for it to violate the statute," he said.

But critics disagree.

"Because of the alleged involvement of high ranking administration officials, any investigation into criminal activity by the White House should be spearheaded by the FBI," Republicans wrote in their letter to the Mueller. "Admissions that the White House intentionally sought to manipulate the outcome of a Democratic Senate primary strike at the heart of our democracy. Only a full criminal investigation can restore integrity to our election process."

Judiciary Committee Republicans, who are requesting a response from the FBI no later than June 11, also raised alarms about what they called the apparent coordination between Sestak and the White House on their statements.

"We are equally concerned about steps taken by the White House leading up to the issuance of today's report, including a meeting between former President Clinton and President Obama and reports that Rep. Sestak's brother (and campaign manager) was consulted on the drafting of the White House report," they said. "The apparent collusion between parties involved may constitute obstruction of justice."

The FBI could not be reached for comment.

Issa told Fox News that he found interesting that Sestak has to explain how his earlier statement suggested a person in the White House offered him a job.

"That's going to be a problem for Joe Sestak," he said.

But Democrats pooh-poohed the Republican claims.

"Only if you conjure up facts and law that are not in evidence do you actually have an issue," said Richard Goodstein, a former adviser to Clinton's presidential campaign."What I say about Bill Clinton is he was doing what parties do, which is he was talking to people in the White House. Karl Rove did this all the time with candidates. (White House officials) wanted to clear the field to make sure they had the best candidate, who they thought at the time was Sen. Specter."

Wisconsin Army Veteran Allowed to Keep Flag on Display

I'm glad this worked out the way it should have. No person should be denied the right to display the American Flag. It is a symbol I was willing to give my life for and many have made the ultimate sacrifice. If anyone in this Country is offended by the American Flag, they should think about relocating.

This is about the third or fourth story about people being told to remove a flag in the last several months. Are these management companies and home owners associations just a bunch of morons or am I missing something?

By Joshua Rhett Miller - FoxNews

A Wisconsin Army veteran -- who faced eviction this week for flying the American flag -- will now be allowed to keep the flag up for as long as he wants.

Under mounting nationwide protest, Charlie Price, 28, of Oshkosh, Wis., and officials at Midwest Realty Management struck a "mutual agreement" that allows the veteran to continue displaying the patriotic symbol, according to a statement posted on the company's website on Thursday.

Price and his wife, Dawn, 27, were previously told they had to remove the flag -- which hangs in a window inside the couple's apartment -- by Saturday or face eviction due to a company policy that bans the display of flags, banners and political or religious materials.

"It means the world to me," Price told FoxNews.com. "The way it happened wasn't the right way because the staff members were getting threatened and we didn't want any violence out of this, but I'm glad we did come to a compromise."

Randy Rich, the apartment complex's property manager, told FoxNews.com that Midwest Realty Management received nearly 4,000 e-mails and thousands of phone calls in connection to the controversy.

"A few were questioning our policies and were civil in nature," Rich wrote in an e-mail. "However, most were filled with profanity and demeaning statements. Hundreds contained threats to our property, our employees and their families."

Rich said a Facebook page created by Dawn Price contained personal information of some employees at the apartment complex that led to harassing messages. The company has asked her to remove that information since it "has no bearing on this situation or her goal of changing the current flag legislation," Rich's e-mail continued.

"I will be putting a boycott on your rentals," one message reportedly read. "I will be telling anyone and everyone I know not to rent from you."

Another reportedly read: "You are going to evict someone for displaying an American flag on Memorial Day? Shame on you for dishonoring a veteran."

A Facebook group created by Dawn Price, "Freedom to Display the American Flag," had roughly 2,000 members on Wednesday. As of early Friday, that number had grown to more than 44,000.

Price, who served tours of duty as a combat engineer in Iraq and Kosovo from 2000 to 2008, said he'll now work on amending the federal Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005, which states no "condominium association, cooperative association, or residential real estate management association" may stop someone from flying the American flag. The law, however, does not apply to renters.

"I never thought it would be an issue," Price said, especially since the flag was inside his apartment. "It's a holiday when we should be able to show all of our pride and the respect for the people who fought for it, from the Civil War all the way to today."

In a statement posted on its website on Thursday, Midwest Realty Management apologized to Price and all U.S. veterans.

"It was never our intention to hurt the Prices or disrespect what Mr. Price and all veterans have sacrificed for each and every one of us," the statement reads.

The company will now revise its policy to allow residents to "honor America" and display the flag in a manner similar to the Prices, who have hung the symbol in their apartment since Veterans Day.

"Again we apologize to the Prices and anyone else who was offended by our actions," the statement continued. "It is our sincere hope that our apology will be accepted and the changes we are making will be beneficial to our company and our residents."

Price's wife, Dawn, told FoxNews.com earlier this week that she began decorating their apartment last year to honor his eight years of service. An American flag topped off the display, she said.

"I knew it made Charlie really proud to see that," Dawn Price said on Tuesday. "And this isn't something new. This has been up for quite some time now."

Veterans' groups were furious at the realtors' initial refusal to allow the flag to fly.

"As a veteran, it sickens me that the Dawn and Charlie Price's building management company would imply that the American flag could be construed as offensive by their residents," Ryan Gallucci, a spokesman for AMVETS, told FoxNews.com on Tuesday. "We're talking about our most revered national symbol. This is insulting to anyone who has defended our flag honorably, like Charlie Price."

Charlie Price said he wanted to thank everyone who contacted him and his wife since the controversy began last week when they were told they had to remove the flag or face eviction.

"I would like to thank all the supporters out there," he said. "We're looking to do this the right way. Right now, we're concentrating on amending [the Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005] so everyone can show their pride in their country."

A couple of Styx tunes for you this evening...

The Drop Dead Gorgeous April Scott

Census workers can enter your apartment in your absence

Read this story carefully. This is some very scary shit. In this Country, how is it possible for government employees, especially part time, temporary government workers, to enter your home without your permission. It shouldn't matter if you rent an apartment, it is still your home.

From AJC

Thousands of census workers, including many temporary employees, are fanning out across America to gather information on the citizenry. This is a process that takes place not only every decade in order to complete the constitutionally-mandated census; but also as part of the continuing “American Community Survey” conducted by the Census Bureau on a regular basis year in and year out.

What many Americans don’t realize, is that census workers — from the head of the Bureau and the Secretary of Commerce (its parent agency) down to the lowliest and newest Census employee — are empowered under federal law to actually demand access to any apartment or any other type of home or room that is rented out, in order to count persons in the abode and for “the collection of statistics.” If the landlord of such apartment or other leased premises refuses to grant the government worker access to your living quarters, whether you are present or not, the landlord can be fined $500.00.

That’s right — not only can citizens be fined if they fail to answer the increasingly intrusive questions asked of them by the federal government under the guise of simply counting the number of people in the country; but a landlord must give them access to your apartment whether you’re there or not, in order to gather whatever “statistics” the law permits.

In fact, some census workers apparently are going even further and demanding — and receiving — private cell phone numbers from landlords in order to call tenants and obtain information from them. Isn’t it great to live in a “free” country?

Obama's Border Security Plan Falls Short, Ranchers Say

1,200 unarmed troops. The people of Arizona should be insulted by this move, our entire Country should be insulted. This is nothing but appeasement. Now obama can point to this and claim to have done something, but he hasn't done anything. These 1,200 unarmed troops won't be actively fighting the scourge pouring across our border every day.

By Joshua Rhett Miller - FoxNews

Arizona ranchers – still reeling from the recent murder of a fellow farmer – tell FoxNews.com that President Obama's plan to send 1,200 unarmed National Guard troops to the U.S./Mexico border won't provide maximum border security.

National Guards will help with intelligence, reconnaissance and drug and human trafficking along the borders, but won't be on the front lines with Border Patrol and local law enforcement detaining illegal immigrants.

Rancher Wendy Glenn, whose Malpai Ranch just east of Douglas, Arizona, has roughly 4 miles of border fence, says having guardsmen review statistics isn’t enough. While she has noticed an increase in overall border security since the murder of fellow rancher Robert Krentz in March, Glenn says the latest strategy by the Obama administration doesn't address the key issue – stopping illegals from entering the U.S. through Mexico.

"We need more people on the border," she told FoxNews.com. "We don't need people sitting at desks. We would rather see more people on a border road."

Ranchers’ fears have grown since the March 27 murder of Krentz, 58, who cops say was gunned down by an illegal immigrant as the farmer – whose family has been ranching in southern Arizona since 1907 – was tending to fences and water lines on his 34,000-acre cattle ranch. Investigators believe Krentz encountered a drug smuggler who was likely heading back to Mexico.

Glenn said Krentz's killing, which remains unsolved, has brought "international attention" to illegal immigration and drug smuggling in southeastern Arizona's Cochise County. But that hasn't translated to increased presence where it matters most, she said.

"We're getting the attention, but we're not getting extra people on the border," Glenn said. "It would make more sense to us to get more people on the border and stop people from coming in."

A White House official declined to indicate whether the National Guard troops will assist in securing the border near Glenn's and Krentz's ranches.

"The National Guard will determine the units with the appropriate skills to carry out the missions in support of border protection and law enforcement activities," the official wrote in an e-mail. "As for where, when the decisions are made, they will be made with intel and operational considerations in mind."

Glenn Spencer, founder of American Border Patrol, a nonprofit organization that monitors the border by plane, said he regularly surveys the border and the "major smuggling corridor" where Krentz was killed. Spencer said he flew along a 28-mile stretch of land on Wednesday morning and saw just one Customs and Border Protection vehicle during his trip.

"It isn't enough," he said. "[The border] is not secure."

Spencer said utilizing the National Guard troops as Obama proposes is a "waste of resources" and says U.S. officials should put their energy into focusing on securing a border fence.

According to Customs and Border Protection figures, 646 of roughly 670 miles of pedestrian and vehicle border fencing has been constructed as of March. Just 6 miles of fencing infrastructure is left to be completed along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border. The roughly 1,350 miles that will not be protected by a border fence of any kind will be patrolled by border agents or technology -- or a combination of both.

Meanwhile, Roger Barnett, another rancher in the area who knew Krentz, said he has noticed no increase in surveillance near his cattle ranch in Douglas. He doubts that 1,200 troops -- on or off the border -- will make a significant difference.

"What a shell game, you might say," Barnett said. "To effectively close the border, I think they need 100,000 troops. I don't think it's going to help. It's just like putting a Band-Aid on that oil well in the Gulf."

T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a union representing 17,000 agents, agreed with Barnett's assessment.

"People shouldn't be surprised if the violence continues," Bonner told the Associated Press. "They shouldn't expect that the announcement of up to 1,200 National Guard members will send a shock wave of fear in the cartels and they will start playing nice."

My pick for Supreme Court...

This is the kind of Lady we need on the Supreme Court. She has many years of experience in real world situations, not a bunch of theory. She doesn't rule based on any political bias. She bases her decisions on common sense, the rule of law and a lifetime of judicial experience.

On the bench, she is not the sweetest of women, but she is effective and people don't want to face her twice.

BP pauses effort to stop Gulf oil leak, says it is monitoring unprecedented top kill attempt

These guys are running out of time and options. If this "top kill" doesn't work, where do they go from there? For the sake of the people along the Gulf Coast, I sure hope this does the trick. Even if this method does work, the cleanup effort will take years.

Wouldn't you think there would be a solid plan in place somewhere to deal with a situation like this? Surely there has to have been some worst case scenario planning in case a blow out preventer fails. The depth has much to do with the difficulties, but failing to have a plan in place is just about inexcusable...

From Associated Press

ROBERT, La.

ROBERT, La. (AP) — BP is pausing its unprecedented attempt to plug the Gulf of Mexico oil leak, saying it wants to monitor the effects of the top kill attempt.

BP said Thursday that nothing was going wrong with the procedure that involves force-feeding mud into the blown-out well in an attempt to overcome the oil flowing upward.

BP says it hopes to resume shooting mud into the well Thursday night. Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles says he is not surprised that it is taking longer than expected.

The top kill has never been tried at 5,000 feet underwater.

New government estimates show the Gulf disaster has easily eclipsed the Exxon Valdez as the biggest oil spill in U.S. history.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

ROBERT, La. (AP) — BP is pausing its unprecedented attempt to plug the Gulf of Mexico oil leak, saying it wants to monitor the affects of the top kill attempt.

BP said Thursday that nothing was going wrong with the procedure that which involves force-feeding mud into the blown-out well in an attempt to overcome the oil flowing upward.

BP says it hopes to resume shooting mud into the well Thursday night. Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles says he is not surprised that it is taking longer than expected.

The top kill has never been tried at 5,000 feet underwater.

New government estimates show the Gulf disaster has easily eclipsed the Exxon Valdez as the biggest oil spill in U.S. history.

Signs Point to Administration Plan to Lock Up 13M Acres of Federal Land

What are obama and his gang of thugs up to with this move? I can't even imagine what use they could possibly have for 13 million acres of land. One thing you can count on though, there is a reason and some how, some way, the Country is going to get screwed in the process. There can only be nefarious purposes here or the process would not be secretive.

Open and honest... isn't that what obama was pimping all through the campaign? Has there been one single thing this guy has done that has been open and honest? Not a thing that I can recall...

By Brian Wilson - FoxNews

A leaked partial document produced by the Bureau of Land Management and obtained by Fox News suggests the Obama administration is considering a plan to lock up 13 million acres of land -- and the Department of Interior is refusing to answer questions.

First, a little background: The federal government owns about one-third of the land in the United States -- most of it in western states. For example, 84 percent of Nevada is owned by Uncle Sam.

But the government leases large parcels of federal land for all sorts of things -- grazing, mining, exploration, recreation.

Those commercial activities create jobs and tax revenue for the states. Tax revenues from commercial activity on federal lands often pays for local schools. However, with the single stroke of his pen, President Obama can use the Antiquities of Act of 1906 to turn federal land into National Monuments.

That would effectively lock up the land from any kind of private use or development.

The plan may actually be more than 13 million acres. Republican members of the House have asked for the rest of the memo, but the Department of the Interior is refusing to hand it over.

Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., said he is worried.

"When the administration is, for lack of a better word, stiffing us -- you know that causes concern," Hastings said during a hallway interview on Capitol Hill. "We do have responsibilities to our constituents to make sure that when there is a huge change on federal lands in their area, that they are part of that process. We are afraid that that process is going to be taken away from them and that's why we're asking for these documents."

Republicans on the House Natural Resources Committee were unable to garner Democratic support for a resolution requiring the Department of Interior to produce some 2,000 documents it has on this matter.

The DOI did cough up 300 e-mails that Republicans say do not reveal very much.

When contacted by Fox News, the department's press secretary hinted that the GOP request is under further review.

"This is an on-going process," Kendra Barkoff wrote. "We may supplement this response as the process is concluded."

There are those who believe these lands are precious -- and should be locked up from development. But in western states this is controversial.

Western state governors are worried that the Obama administration is going to do this quickly and quietly -- without public hearings. They want the process to be more transparent. But for now, those documents are being tightly held by the Obama Department of Interior.

How about a couple of AC/DC tunes this evening?

More of the stunning Eve Wyrwal!

Finally, Democrats blame George W. Bush for Gulf oil spill--Chris Dodd video as the blather spreads

OMG, will it ever end? When will obama and his gang of thugs own anything? Wouldn't you think that the blame Bush game was over? Are you as sick of it as I am?

From Los Angeles Times

Hey, it's worked before. If you watch no other video today, you gotta watch this one.

Don Imus on the Fox Business Network Tuesday interviewing jolly old Democrat Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut, who was forced into retirement by the certainty of defeat this November.

Like pretty much everyone else on the planet except the makers of oil dispersant, Dodd is 110% very safely opposed to the ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. He's also appalled.

As is the Obama White House.

Actually what the White House is appalled over is that the fingers of blame are starting to turn toward the Obama White House, the Oval Office to be exact.

Not that the White House has the technology either to address an oil spill of this magnitude and oceanic depth.

The Obama administration can't do anything about it, except lay on the PR. But the president wants to spend Memorial Day weekend in Chicago.

And how would that look enjoying Hyde Park and maybe yet more golf or a Sox game while one of the nation's worst environmental disasters gushes unabated down south?

So to assuage that anticipated criticism, the White House has quickly laid on a Friday presidential trip back down to Louisiana, his second. He didn't see a drop of oil during the first one. But it looks good on TV. (See Related Items links below the video.)

Chris Dodd has been in the U.S. Senate now for five six-year terms and might have been looking into drilling safety precautions instead of special mortgage deals. So he too is eager to spread blame elsewhere.

You'll never guess which recent Republican president Dodd tries to finger for last month's underwater blowout.

You'll get a good chuckle out of Imus' incredulous response starting around the 1:20 mark.