Just down the street!!!

Staunton, VA.

One day after the President’s speech the “Augusta Coalition for Peace and Justice” had their routine protest of “Anything against Bush” in downtown Staunton at their favorite hangout. Ironically it is located just a few hundred yards from the Staunton NewsLeader building. Now with an event like this, 20 people standing on the corner, a local newspaper would be sure to cover a story like this especially with it being in their backyard. The interesting thing is how the NewsLeader once again covered this routine event, which happens whenever the Augusta Coalition has the opportunity to attack the President, without asking the protesters for serious and responsible solutions. http://newsleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070112/NEWS01/701120335/1002

Another interesting thing is the NewsLeader did not provide any information from the other side of this issue or comments from those who understand the importance of this military action and support the President. The NewsVirginian newspaper, based out of Waynesboro VA., also covered this protest and provided comments from a Army Sergeant who just returned from serving a year in downtown Baghdad. http://newsvirginian.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WNV/MGArticle/WNV_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149192616046&path=

Sergeant Herb Harman just returned last week and is a resident of Churchville and he provided his real life experiences of being in the middle of the fight and what he saw while serving. Not surprisingly this was different from what the Coalition protesters claim and the NewsLeader chose not to provide this “Other” viewpoint. The return of Sergeant Harman has been covered on this blog as well as other local blogs that the NewsLeader editors monitor and contact with the Sergeant would have been easy if the “other” side was desired. Hey, the NewsVirginian was able to obtain the “Other” side to the story and they are not even located a couple hundred yards from where the Coalition protest happened!

Congress starting to smell "Fishy" already...

Tuna

Caught this on the News this morning in the background while checking on my favorite local newspaper (NewsLeader) to see what they covered and NOT covered as usual...

Seems that Minimum Wage increase package that the new Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was so hot to get passed, had a change to it that many members of Congress did not know about when they voted on it. And this from the Speaker who promised a "New and ethical" Congress to the voters.

Turns out the new Minimum Wage package extends out to those working in the U.S. territory of the Northern Mariana Islands. However, it exempts American Samoa, another Pacific island territory that would become the only U.S. territory not subject to federal minimum-wage laws.

The Washington Times had an interesting story on this and it turns out: "One of the biggest opponents of the federal minimum wage in Samoa is StarKist Tuna, which owns one of the two packing plants that together employ more than 5,000 Samoans, or nearly 75 percent of the island's work force. StarKist's parent company, Del Monte Corp., has headquarters in San Francisco, which is represented by Mrs. Pelosi."

Now here is the best part. The Republicans called them on this!!!

"During the House debate yesterday on stem-cell research, Mr. McHenry raised a parliamentary inquiry as to whether an amendment could be offered that would exempt American Samoa from stem-cell research, "just as it was for the minimum-wage bill."

A clearly perturbed Rep. Barney Frank, the Massachusetts Democrat who was presiding, cut off Mr. McHenry and shouted, "No, it would not be."

"So, the chair is saying I may not offer an amendment exempting American Samoa?" Mr. McHenry pressed. "The gentleman is making a speech and will sustain," Mr. Frank shouted as he slammed his large wooden gavel against the rostrum." http://washingtontimes.com/national/20070112-120720-2734r.htm

Now in the world of Sportfishing it is common to yell out "Tuna in the boat" once the fish is gafted and brought on deck where it will thrash around and injure those not paying attention.

Another fishing term is to "Flounder" around which is a term used to describe what happens when you pull a Flounder fish on the deck and it just flops around aimlessly and stuttering at the sametime. Pretty much describes Barney Frank does it not?

Imagine what Congress will smell like after the first 100 hours with all these fish "Floundering" around.

P.S. Please do not associate the incomparable Flounder from "Animal House" to the "Barney Frank - Flounder" for there can be no comparison at all...

Commentary from Colorado...

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A little commentary from some friends in Colorado:

Weather Bulletin - DenverUp here, in the "Mile-High City", we just recovered from an Historic event--- may I even say a "Weather Event" of "Biblical Proportions" --- with a historic blizzard of up to 44" inches of snow and winds to 90 MPH that broke trees in half, knocked down utility poles, stranded hundreds of motorists in lethal snow banks, closed ALL roads, isolated scores of communities and cut power to 10's of thousands.

FYI:George Bush did not come.

FEMA did nothing.

No one howled for the government.

No one blamed the government.

No one even uttered an expletive on TV.

Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton did not visit.

Our Mayor did not blame Bush or anyone else.

Our Governor did not blame Bush or anyone else, either.

CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX or NBC did not visit - or report on this category 5 snowstorm.

Nobody demanded $2,000 debit cards.

No one asked for a FEMA Trailer House.

No one looted.

Nobody - I mean Nobody demanded the government do something.

Nobody expected the government to do anything, either.

No Larry King, No Bill O'Rielly, No Oprah, No Chris Mathews and No Geraldo Rivera.

No Sean Penn, No Barbara Striesand, No Hollywood types to be found.

Nope, we just melted the snow for water.

Sent out caravans of SUV's to pluck people out of snow engulfed cars.

The truck drivers pulled people out of snow banks and didn't ask for a penny.

Local restaurants made food and the police and fire departments delivered it to the snowbound families.

Families took in the stranded people - total strangers.

We fired up wood stoves, broke out coal oil lanterns or Coleman lanterns.

We put on extra layers of clothes because up here it is "Work or Die".

We did not wait for some affirmative action government to get us out of a mess created by being immobilized by a welfare program that trades votes for 'sittin at home' checks.

Even though a Category "5" blizzard of this scale has never fallen this early, we know it can happen and how to deal with it ourselves.

I hope this gets passed on.

Maybe SOME people will get the message.

The world does Not owe you a living.

"If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under." - Ronald Reagan

This was sent to me in a e-mail that is being passed along.

Please do the same...

RightsideVA

Saxman Townhall Meeting...

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Delegate Chris Saxman, seen here with Lt. Governor Bill Bolling, has been holding numerous TownHall meetings in the area before heading down to Richmond this week for the Assembly session.

The Daily News Record has some great coverage of a Townhall meeting held this week and it is good to see a local Newspaper cover this interaction between a Republican Delegate and his Constituents.


http://dnronline.com/news_details.php?AID=8132&CHID=1

Terry Kilgore to head up team...

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Delegate Terry Kilgore Elected by Colleagues to Serve as the Majority Caucus Chairman

- Kilgore Honored to Serve on the House of Delegates Leadership Team
RICHMOND, January 9, 2007 - Virginia House of Delegates Republican Caucus today elected Delegate Terry Kilgore (1 st) of Gate City to serve as their Caucus Chairman.

"I am honored that my colleagues elected me to be their House Majority Caucus Chairman. I look forward to supporting Speaker Howell (28 th – Stafford) and Leader Griffith (8th – Salem) as we present an agenda that will address the many challenges facing Virginians. Building on the accomplishments of past-chairman Delegate Landes (25 th - Weyers Cave), I promise to work as hard as I can to promote commonsense solutions for our citizens."

Delegate Kilgore will assume his leadership responsibilities on Wednesday, January 10 when the 2007 General Assembly convenes in Jamestown . He will serve as the leader for the 59 member-caucus.

Delegate Terry G. Kilgore represents Scott County, Lee County and parts of Washington and Wise Counties.

http://www.terrykilgore.net

Christmas "Improvised" in Kalsu, Iraq...

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The gang over at T-Bonetooter's "From Our Hearts" program once again sent over 110+ care packages to our Troops in Iraq & Afghanistan just in time for Christmas. Mike Flook, who is stationed in Kalsu Iraq, sent back this photo showing how they improvised the "Spirit"...
Full post at: http://fromrhearts.blogspot.com/