Governor G.Q. Rick Perry has once again ticked off Texans…
Perry has commuted the execution of an inmate that was scheduled to die today. Kenneth Foster had faced execution tonight in Huntsville for being the getaway driver in an attempted robbery and murder of Michael LaHood in San Antonio in 1996.
Perry said he believes “the right and just decision is to commute Foster’s sentence from the death penalty to life imprisonment.”
For only the third time since he’s been in office, Gov. Rick Perry on Thursday commuted the death sentence of a Texas inmate to life imprisonment following a recommendation from the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.
The move by the governor came about an hour after the equally rare recommendation, on the same day that Kenneth Foster Jr., 30, was scheduled to die for the 1996 slaying of Michael LaHood Jr., 25, the son of a San Antonio attorney.
Now I understand that Foster was the “get-away driver” but was he not an accomplice in this crime? Did he not have a choice to take part in this crime? I heard the victim’s brother on 740 KTRHyesterday – check out what he has to say about this dirt bag’s past and the crimes (yes plural) that he committed on the same day as the murder. Yes, maybe Foster should not have been tried together with the actual man that committed the murder but I still stand my ground when I say that Foster played an active role in the crime and being the driver makes him just as guilty as pulling the trigger.
Fred Thompson’s campaign-in-waiting will hold a 4 p.m. conference call today with supporters to brief them on plans for the former Tennessee senator’s presidential announcement next week, according to an e-mail obtained by Politico.com.Randy Enwright, Thompson’s political director, said in the message that they will ”discuss the next steps as we move forward as an organization.” A Thompson aide confirms that they’ll share the news about the long-awaited formal launch. ”By the end of the day, we’ll have more clarity,” the aide said, declining to reveal which day the announcement would take place.
UPDATE: Still no official confirmation from the campaign, but Thompson sources now confirm that he will announce his candidacy next Thursday, Sept. 6. The launch will include a tour of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida. As expected, Thompson will not appear at the GOP debate in New Hampshire on Wednesday, Sept. 5.
A Thompson campaign official says that they’ll hold a 4:30 p.m. conference call with the media after briefing supporters about their plans.
Are you kidding me? Not only should this child get a reward for not killing himself, his brother, and his mother, but he needs some counseling about his mother’s behavior.
Holly Schnobrich was arrested Tuesday for letting her child drive her home while she was blazingly drunk and high on pills. A neighbor saw the woman’s car rip around the corner and saw that the woman’s 5-year-old son was behind the wheel. When the neighbor questioned the intoxicated woman about the child driving, the drunk responded, “He’s a good driver.” For the love of God…
When the police questioned the woman, she said that she was driving a friend home and insisted the person was in the car. No such person was – only the 5-year-old and his 3-year-old brother.
I only hope that the welfare of the children is being closer examined by the state.
For the story and Affidavit of Probable Cause, read here.
Sounds like Republicans are getting as far away as possible from Sen. Larry Craig and the hoopla about his arrest. Craig was arrested back in June at a Minneapolis airport for supposedly soliciting sex in the airport bathroom. The arrest came as a result of a sting by police to catch would-be solicitors. Craig has denied that he was doing anything wrong and has maintained that he is not gay and is innocent; although he initially pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct.
Presidential contenders John McCain and Mitt Romney are both speaking out againts Craig. Craig had been a part of Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign but has since stepped down because of the arrest. Romeny has said. “”He’s disappointed the American people.”
I’m not so sure about all of Craig’s assurances that he is completely innocent. I find it very hard to believe that an intelligent senator would accept a guilty plea, keep the arrest from his family, and try to handle the whole situation on his own. As a strong supporter of gay marriage and gay rights, he is very adamant that he is not gay. Guess time will tell.
Ok, maybe he doesn’t have Cooties but today the White House officially announced that President Bush went through successful treatment of Lyme Disease last summer. Apparently Bush had noticed a rash in the form of a bullseye, a common sign of the disease. Ticks, specifically deer ticks, are the source of Lyme Disease. Ticks can carry other diseases as well. Have you ever heard of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever? Anyway, I’m sure the President didn’t share his bullseye target rash with the VP for fear he might be shot at
Now I have been working in veterinary medicine for almost 10 years and I can tell you, ticks are creepier than fleas and many other bugs. Ticks are out in woodsy and mountainous areas. Ticks will attach themselves to animals or humans for a blood meal. This blood meal may last quite a while and it is absolutely disgusting to see how the tick swells as it is engorged. Your dog should be vaccinated yearly for Lyme Disease if your live in high risk areas or you take your dog hunting or camping.
Within 1 to 2 weeks of being infected, people may have a “bull’s-eye” rash with fever, headache, and muscle or joint pain. Some people have Lyme disease and do not have any early symptoms. Other people have a fever and other “flu-like” symptoms without a rash.
After several days or weeks, the bacteria may spread throughout the body of an infected person. These people can get symptoms such as rashes in other parts of the body, pain that seems to move from joint to joint, and signs of inflammation of the heart or nerves. If the disease is not treated, a few patients can get additional symptoms, such as swelling and pain in major joints or mental changes, months after getting infected.
Seek medical attention immediately…
As for El Presidente, I challenge him to a good old game of Cootie. This was one of my favorite games as a kiddo. If you have children and are not familiar with the game, you can purchase it online from the Hasbro or Amazon.
If you would like to read more about President Bush and his treatment, click here.
For a man who has not officially declared his run for the white house, everything seems to be in order…
From the CNN Political Ticker today:
WASHINGTON (CNN) — Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson’s presidential campaign may not be fully up and running, but his Web site certainly is.
Thompson’s non-campaign campaign Web site re-launched Tuesday with a host of new interactive features, a significant upgrade from the site’s sleek but stripped-down predecessor.
Along with “Fred Cast” Web video, Thompson’s “Fred File” blog, and a variety of volunteer tools, ImWithFred.com features a fundraising solicitation that acknowledges the campaign’s delayed entry into the presidential horserace.
“We are doing things a bit differently so we are off to a late start,” the site reads. “Help us hit the ground running by contributing today.”
Thompson’s exploratory committee raised $3.4 million in June, a figure that disappointed some political observers.
So, does the new-look Web site mean Thompson is ready to officially announce his candidacy?
“I think you should be reading into the Web site that we are trying to provide an interactive space for supporters to communicate with the senator, to learn more about what he’s up to and what he’s thinking,” Thompson spokesperson Linda Rozett told CNN.
Houston Rockets and NBA All-Star player Yao Ming finally married his long time girlfriend Ye Li. Not only is Ye beautiful, but TALL! Have you seen this woman? Their kids are going to be ginormous.
We might not think very highly about Sen. Ted Stevens and Rep. Don Young; however, many Alaska residents have looked upon both men as “saviors.” Residents are also left wondering if Stevens may be on his way out and if so, what kind of impact this will have on their state. Has the Stevens scandal changed things for them?
From Newsweek.com:
In Alaska, however, Stevens and Young are widely seen as saviors. When Stevens came to the Senate in 1968, Alaska was a backwater populated, in part, by social dropouts living Jack London fantasies. Stevens helped modernize the state, bringing electricity, health care and even subsidized air service to the state’s rural inhabitants, who revere him. Essential to this transformation was the discovery of vast oil reserves. Oil taxes generate nearly 90 percent of the state’s revenue. (There’s no state income tax.) An oil-wealth savings account, the Alaska Permanent Fund, is worth $40 billion, and this year will generate a dividend of about $1,575 to every man, woman and child in the state…
The scandal has Alaskans—who long ago turned a blind eye to their leaders’ excesses—wondering if an era of big-talking, pork-slinging pols has come to an end. The oil culture is changing: though prices are at a record high, production is dropping. Even a whiff of wrongdoing is now enough to provoke scrutiny. Alaskans recently elected Gov. Sarah Palin, a young reformer with a squeaky-clean reputation. At 43, she speaks for a new generation of Alaskans who were baffled when Uncle Ted referred to the Internet as a “series of tubes.” Still, it was Stevens who helped bring Alaska into the modern age, and courted his constituents over the years with wedding gifts, letters of recommendation—and sometimes just a friendly pat on the back and a fishing tale. Now they are left to ponder a future not only without the gushing pump, but without the man who primed it.
This obviously caught my eye this morning not because I’m a lefty but because I’m a “24” fan. The producers of the show are jumping on the global warming bandwagon by promoting the upcoming 7th season as one dealing with the environmental hot topic. So is Jack Bauer going green on the show or is the show actually going to take measures to do their part on the global warming issue? Seems the answer is both.
Eviana Hartman of the Washington Post writes articles about environmental topics and posted her article today regarding the show and it’s crusade:
Jack Bauer’s Next Mission: Fighting Global Warming
Sunday, August 5, 2007; Page M03
From “An Inconvenient Truth” to popularizing the Prius, Hollywood has helped lead the way on some environmental issues. One of the latest initiatives: Cool Change, Fox’s company-wide program to reduce the network’s impact on global warming. As part of that effort, the seventh season of “24″ will take steps to reduce and offset the carbon emissions from the show’s production, with the goal of having the season finale be entirely carbon-neutral.
It may sound like a publicity stunt, but Fox spokesman Chris Anderson says the network isn’t after bigger ratings. “We are publicizing ’24’s’ commitment to climate change for two reasons and two reasons only: to inspire the public to take global warming seriously and hopefully to motivate other studios to make changes to their production practices as well,” he says.
After all, shooting on soundstages requires energy-hungry lighting and gear, and going on location means using portable generators and driving trucks, vans and cars loaded with equipment, costumes and people. When production on Season 7 begins this month, the show’s 26 diesel vehicles and five generators will run on a more planet-friendly biodiesel blend, which will start at 5 percent biodiesel and gradually increase, barring any problems, according to executive producer Howard Gordon.
The show’s electricity bills will go toward renewable-energy credits that will bring a share of wind, solar and water power to Los Angeles’s grid. A diesel-powered soundstage will be converted to electricity, thus lessening the show’s contribution to the local air pollution problem, and the show’s five location scouts will be given Priuses to drive. Scripts, schedules and memos — which used to be hand-delivered by car — will be sent via e-mail.
The “24″ page at Fox.com now features energy conservation tips and a public service announcement about global warming featuring Kiefer Sutherland; more information will be posted when the show airs in January. Plus, climate change will be incorporated into the series’ plot (which just might scare some viewers into taking action).
The extent to which the plan will reduce the show’s imprint on Earth is difficult to calculate, but the measures certainly won’t hurt; more shows and films aiming to reduce their carbon footprints could have a considerable impact. Some productions before “24″ were green — films such as “Syriana” and “An Inconvenient Truth” were carbon-neutral, as was Comedy Central’s recent roast of Flavor Flav. But “24’s” weekly visibility might spark a domino effect — in Hollywood, Bollywood and beyond.
So maybe this will help boost the audience’s morale and ratings for the new season seeing that many viewers felt a little let down after the sixth season. In any case, Jack can either be taking out a terrorist with a vampire bite or be separating his recyclables in his garage (does he actually have a garage?) – it all does the same thing for me .
By the way, seeing that the Democratic presidential hopefuls are doing absolutely nothing for me, I am officially going to push Jack to run for the lefty presidential ticket.
…in case you missed it the first time around here is the infamous vampire bite scene:
So this has nothing to do with politics or local news but everyone should see this. Each time I see this clip I cringe. I’m a mother of a nineteen year old skateboarder who has already had to live through many ankle and wrist injuries, road rash, and a cat scan so this is totally frightening to me.
Jake Brown is the skateboarder in the clip and is one of the top in his sport, winning numerous medals. This is from the X Games on Thursday and he is skating on what is called the Mega Ramp.
The LA Times is reporting Jake’s update:
Jake Brown suffers liver and lung contusions
Skateboarder’s 45-foot fall in big air competition also causes small fractures in his vertebrae and a fracture in one hand.
By Pete Thomas, Times Staff Writer
3:50 PM PDT, August 3, 2007
Skateboarder Jake Brown, whose 45-foot free-fall Thursday night brought a hush to the Staples Center crowd, remains hospitalized after suffering contusions of the liver and lung, stress fractures in his vertebrae and a small fracture on the top of one hand.
Brown, 32, who was injured during the big air competition on the mega-ramp during a silver medalist performance, is expected to be released from California Hospital Medical Center Saturday or Sunday and make a full recovery.
“Doctors said there was no paralysis or anything like that,” said Bryce Kanights, team manager for Adidas, which is among Brown’s corporate sponsors.
Kanights was critical of X Games medical personnel for not immobilizing Brown immediately and placing him in a stretcher.
A hospital spokesman refused to discuss Brown’s condition.
The Carlsbad skateboarder, who missed the transition after soaring nearly 20 feet above the 27-foot quarterpipe and landed backside-and-feet first on flat wood, lay motionless for about two minutes.
He was rolled over a minute or so later and helped to his feet eight minutes after the fall. He was then escorted to a hallway and placed in a wheelchair.
He also suffered a mild concussion and could not immediately remember performing a 720-degree spin across the 70-foot gap leading to the quarterpipe — the first time that maneuver has been accomplished in competition.
But he was still in good spirits. “One of the first things he did was ask for Bubblicious gum,” Kanights said.
Added mega-ramp pioneer Danny Way, who talked to Brown early Friday afternoon:
“Most people would have every bone in their body broke and be in ICU right now. Jake is hurt, but it’s nothing he can’t come back from and be fine in a couple of weeks.”
Right after the Democratic YouTube debate last month I heard many people on TV and radio talking about the “type” of people the debate brought out. “Type?” Oh wait…what they meant to say is that the online community that participated in submitting questions for the panel did not fit the mold of past preselected participants. I also heard some commentators call the debate a joke and this type of online forum was making a mockery out of serious politics. Serious politics??? Good God.
So obviously when I read that the September Republican YouTube debate was going to interfere with Rudolph Giuliani and Mitt Romney fund raising schedules, I was a little miffed. But then Romney said that this type of online format was “demeaning.”Good God. My blood began to boil. Demeaning? Are you guys that narrow minded to believe that the YouTube audience is not part of the voting public? Why don’t you just go ahead and shoot yourself in the other foot by saying that this type of forum will only hurt your chance for a presidential run. Nonetheless, I think more than anything Romney and Giules might just be afraid of the “type” of people and questions they will have to face. I really expected more from Giuliani.
Now Giuliani and Romney are trying to run damage control on their statements. Read the whole story from the New York Times here (free subscription required.)
Read the story about the Republican woes in The Politico.
According to the Washington Post, the raid on Sen. Ted Stevens’ Alaskan home may lead to ethics reform. Democrat Chris Van Hollen is one of the lead sponsors lobbying for ethics reform.
From the Washington Post:
The bill, which has been blocked from the normal route of a House-Senate conference by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) over objections that it’s not strong enough on earmark reform, will be voted on today in the House. Then the same measure will be voted on later this week by the Senate. Despite complaints from critics it doesn’t go far enough in some areas, it is without question the most sweeping reform package since the Watergate era.
Specifically, the bill will ingrain a ban on gifts from lobbyists to lawmakers and staff; bars firms from hiring spouses or other immediate family of lawmakers to directly lobby their family member/congressman; denies federal pensions to members of Congress who are convicted of corruption charges related to official duties; requires congressional sponsors of earmarks, those provisions specifically inserted into bills to benefit a narrow interest, be fully identified 48 hours before legislation is voted on.
However, the bill unveiled this week does have one gaping loophole: staffers and members leaving the House won’t face a single new impediment moving through the revolving door to K Street. Former senators will face tougher restrictions when they depart Capitol Hill, with a new two-year cooling-off period that prohibits them from lobbying their former colleagues in the upper chamber for that entire time. That’s double the current one-year lobbying ban after departing the Senate.
Honestly I think something does need to be done. Neither party is squeaky clean but am I wrong by thinking that we have been conditioned to think of the GOP as the party with strict morals and values? It’s not that I approve of ill behavior or scandal from Democrats or expect anything different from them but Republicans have always been placed on this “moral and ethical” pedestal for me.
It’s bad enough that Americans view politicians, lawyers, and the media as some of the most unethical professions in our nation but leaders such as Sen. Ted Stevens don’t help the situation by continuing to exemplify this behavior. By the way, you know things are bad for the GOP when their own party members are ticked off.
