White House security breach worse than reported

New York Times:

WASHINGTON — An armed man who jumped the White House fence this month made it far deeper into the mansion than previously disclosed, overpowering a Secret Service agent inside the North Portico entrance and running through the ceremonial East Room before he was tackled, according to a member of Congress familiar with the details of the incident.

The man, Omar J. Gonzalez, who had a knife, was stopped as he tried to enter the Green Room, a parlor used for receptions and teas, said the congressman, Representative Jason Chaffetz of Utah, the Republican chairman of a subcommittee looking into the security breach. Earlier, Secret Service officials indicated that Mr. Gonzalez, 42, had only made it steps inside the North Portico after running through the door.

The new development, first reported by The Washington Post, raised immediate questions about whether the Secret Service had been forthright in its initial accounts of the episode. It will set the stage for an explosive congressional hearing on Tuesday when lawmakers say they intend to grill Julia Pierson, the director of the Secret Service, about whether an undisciplined culture inside the long-heralded agency has eroded its ability to protect the president and his family.

It sounds like the entire Secret Service needs an over-haul.  There have just been too many incidents in recent years that compromise our president and our national security.   This issue transcends all political party and needs to be dealt with swiftly and severely.  If heads roll, TFB.  Its past the time for internal correction.  Perhaps this is just the job for Congress, as long as they stick to topic and don’t try to bring in politics.

A serial killer among us?

I have been quiet, for me, on the subject of the  Hannah Graham case.  It creeps me out.  I knew all the places mentioned.  I knew the places where she was sighted by name.  Grady Avenue,  14th Street, Preston Avenue, the Mall.  I also wanted to shake her.  She did the most foolish thing a young woman can do.  She did what we warn all our daughters not to do, from her dress, to her state of inebriation, to talking to strangers.

I fear, regardless of outcome, people wont have that very serious talk with their children.  Somehow if we think people are dead, we often don’t say the things that really need to be said, out of some misapplied respect.

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Open Thread…………………………………………….Friday, September 26

hummingbirdWhere have all the hummingbirds gone?  Long time passing.

One day my feeders were being bombarded with these mean little birds.  Then they all vaporized.  Gone.  Do hummingbirds migrate?  If yes, then where do they go for the winter?

Hummingbirds are mean and aggressive.  They fight with each other and probably would fight me if I got in their way.

I guess they are finished with me for the season.  I bought them new food and everything.  I hope it keeps until next spring.   Do you still have these snarky little birds at your house?

Greta calls out men on “The Five” for sexist remarks

Huffingtonpost.com:

Greta Van Susteren was about as shocked as most viewers on Wednesday night after Fox News’ “The Five” co-hosts made incredibly sexist comments about the female F-16 squadron commander who led the operation against ISIS this week.

Maj. Mariam Al Mansouri, reportedly the first female pilot in the United Arab Emirates Air Force, headed the U.S.-Arab airstrikes on the Islamic State group.

But rather than praise Al Mansouri’s efforts, all Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld and Eric Bolling could do was crack sexist jokes.

“After she bombed it, she couldn’t park it,” Gutfeld said.

“Would that be considered boobs on the ground or no?” said Bolling.

Van Susteren, however, wasn’t laughing.

“Ouch!” the Fox News host said Wednesday night. “Oh, man, do you think the gents on ‘The Five’ — minus Bob — should get a do-over on that one?”

What on earth is the matter with these people? They need to be sent for sensitivity training and then put on 3 weeks of unpaid leave. Most people would be fired for some of the remarks.

Good for Greta for calling them out, especially since they are colleagues.

A clarion call for blog intregrity and decency

The past few weeks one of  the local blogs has been waging war on behalf of Jeanine Lawson who is running for Brentsville District supervisor.  She wants to take Wally Covington’s place.  That’s fair.  Ms. Lawson has been active in the community and supports many things this very blog holds dear.

Bloggers often have their favorite candidates.  What isn’t fair is the usual half-truths, lies, and derisive pictures being posted against her opponent, Scott Jacobs.  I am reminded of some of the nasty tricks that have been done to local candidates in the past.

For starters, a picture of Canadian Mayor Rob Ford, a large buffoon known for excesses and drug use, is being posted along side, or in place of Scott Jacobs.  This derisiveness and mockery is unacceptable.     Ford isn’t even an American and has nothing to do with Brentsville.  The use of his picture is an immature propaganda attempt to smear Jacobs and to ridicule him.  Absolutely the facts should be debated, sans lies and mimicry.

I call on both Jeanine Lawson  and Pete Candland to contact the blog owner(s) and demand decency during this campaign.  Pete gets named as culpable because of his close connection with the blog in question.  He is its favorite son.  If they do not insist on ethical behavior, then count on me to call them out–all candidates.  We need to stick to the issues of Prince William County.  Let’s not vilify other candidates or those who support them. Yes, I recall what was done to Jeanette Rishell and her campaign manager.  I recall what was done to Sharon Pandak when she ran for chairman,   I remember what was done to Elena as she supported the Rural Crescent and a candidate who did not win.  If the politician stands to profit from unethical, derogatory  blog behavior, then they will quickly own the problem and must step up to the plate to demand decency.

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Tempest in a tea cup

obama teabarny salute

Oh BFD on both counts.  Both men were civilians.  Are civilians even supposed to salute, technically?

According to Task and Purpose:

Writing for former tea-party congressman Allen West’s website, Michele Hickford, the site’s editor-in-chief [ed. note: shouldn’t that be Allen West?] writes:

If there was ever any doubt how this Commander in Chief really feels in his heart about our men and women in uniform, this should seal the deal. We have warriors engaged in harm’s way, and he does THIS? The latte salute. And he has the nerve to publish it on his Instagram account. Disgraceful.

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The Roosevelts: stark reminder of better times?

Excerpt from Ken Burns’ ‘The Roosevelts’ Reveals Everything Wrong With Our Current Political Class’  by Joseph Palermo

huffingtonpost.com:

Ken Burns’ seven-part PBS series on the lives of Theodore, Franklin, and Eleanor Roosevelt, The Roosevelts: An Intimate History, is a remarkable achievement. Burns sheds a poignant new light on the personal and public lives of three monumental figures in 20th Century American history. And in doing so, he illustrates the relative rottenness of the hacks, partisans, and plutocrats who make up the political class that rules America today.

By exploring the lives and times of TR, FDR, and ER Burns shows that in our not-so-distant past the governing institutions of this country were actually responsive to the needs and desires of working-class Americans. This superb and moving portrait is a perfect fit for our times. The utter failure of our current “leaders” is glaring by comparison.

Yes, TR was a warmonger, and FDR signed the order that imprisoned innocent Japanese Americans. There are long lists of both presidents’ failures. But we shouldn’t let those flaws bury the fact that both TR and FDR were not afraid to stand up to big corporations and Wall Street if they viewed their actions as damaging to the country. That alone is probably the biggest difference between those leaders of the early decades of the 20th Century and today.

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Pat Robertson blames Mikey (one little Jewish radical)!

rawstory.com:

The Air Force announced on Thursday that the words “so help me God” were an optional part of the oath after an atheist airman crossed out the words on his reenlistment paperwork. Military officials had initially refused to accept the paperwork, but Department of Defense General Counsel eventually ruled that the words could be omitted.

Although the American Humanist Association had represented the airman, Robertson on Thursday blamed Military Religious Freedom Foundation President Mikey Weinstein for the movement against religion in the armed services.

“There’s a left-wing radical named Mikey Weinstein who has got a group about people against religion or whatever he calls it, and he has just terrorized the armed forces,” Robertson opined. “You think you’re supposed to be tough, you’re supposed to defend us, and you got one little Jewish radical who is scaring the pants off of you.”
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Reflections on the McDonnells

The McDonnell trial is over.  They were both found guilty on a majority of the counts.  Both could easily go to prison.  But is prison the best placement for the McDonnells?

I have gone soft.  I admit it.  However, let’s review a few points.  The McDonnells did not break any Virginia laws.  Secondly, I am not sure quid pro quo was clearly established.

For certain the McDonnells were greed, stupid and unethical.  However, there really aren’t laws against those negative behaviors.  Yes, they should have known better and clearly he can’t pile it all on his somewhat silly adolescent-like almost senior citizen wife.

We do have to ask ourselves though, is prison the smartest place for either of them? They just don’t seem like prison material to me.  We also need to dispel the myths that there are “country-club” prisons.  There really is no such thing.  Even federal prisons are filled with dangerous gangsters and drug dealers, for heaven’s sake.

Prisons cost money.  Prison is a billion dollar industry as it is.  Why add to the burden with people who have already been broken.  How about 1500 hours of community service in a community health center for the poor?  I would even like to see teaching English in some school in the low rent district in Richmond for a year–something that humbles, not destroys.  (although there are probably people out there who might disagree about destroys.)

I don’t want to see the McDonnells go to prison.  I want to see Virginia make some laws that deal with ethics and how people are supposed to act while in public office.  Being elected to public office is not a free pass of entitlement.  Virginia lawmakers need to learn this lesson fast.

Disclaimer:  I did not like 95% of Governor McDonnell’s decision while he was in office.  I am certainly not a fan.  I just don’t feel they should go to prison.

Wally Covington appointed a general district court judge

Insidenova.com:

The Virginia General Assembly on Thursday appointed Brentsville District Supervisor Wally Covington a district judge, paving the way for a special election for his seat on the Prince William County Board of Supervisors. Covington has served three terms on the board and is currently vice chairman. He was chosen Friday to fill a vacancy in Prince William General District Court, a position that requires him to resign from his elected office. Two Republicans, Jeanine Lawson and Scott Jacobs, plan to run for the vacant seat in a special election that will be sometime this winter. There won’t be a Democratic contender for the seat. On Oct. 1, the Prince William Republican Committee will hold a mass meeting to nominate one of the two candidates to run in the special election. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Patriot High School.

Congratulations to Supervisor Covington.   Most of us knew that he wanted this position for a long time.  Hopefully he will find the job very rewarding. Now the fun will begin as the two Republican candidates jockey for the vacated supervisors position.  The decision to chose the candidate at a mass meeting pretty much decided the outcome of this election.   Plan for the deck to be stacked. Brentsville District will certainly be rocking this fall.  I am not a Republican and I don’t live in Brentsville District.  We will be watching from a distance. The civility of this race will be remembered.

Hispanic Bar Association Opposes Covington Judicial Appointment

covington

Valawyersweekly.com:

The Hispanic Bar Association of Virginia is opposing a Manassas lawyer nominated for a general district judgeship.

The HBA-VA says W.S. “Wally” Covington III – a Prince William County supervisor – has indicated a bias against immigrants, particularly Latinos.

The group has written to Del. Luke E. Torian, D-Dumfries, opposing Covington’s bid for the judgeship vacated by the retirement of Judge Peter W. Steketee this year.

HBA-VA president Manuel E. Leiva said the effort may be futile, since Torian is a Democrat and Covington reportedly has the support of Republican legislators in the area. Republicans control both houses of the legislature.

Leiva said his group was disappointed that seemingly better qualified candidates who interviewed with bar groups were passed over in favor of Covington. “I just think it’s a slap,” he said.

 

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The Crusades boss, the crusades!

Rightwingwatch.org:

Mike Huckabee closed out his remarks at last night’s “Star Spangled Sunday” event by recounting how, many years ago, he used to watch Arkansas Razorbacks basketball games when they were re-broadcast late at night, especially when he already knew that they had won the game when it was played live earlier in the day because, no matter what the score was at any point, he knew that his team would ultimately win.

Huckabee urged those in attendance to apply this same lesson in response to the threat from radical Islam, saying that they should read the Bible in order to realize that the Christians will defeat the Muslims in the end

The sons of Ishmael? Come on, Huckabee, these aren’t the crusades.

I actually hope that most of the Muslims agree with us and want to get rid of terrorists who insist that only one brand of Islam is practiced. Why would he try to pit the entire Islamic world against Christians!! That really isn’t what this is about.

First he throws down the gauntlet by dividing us clearly into Christians vs Muslim. Then he declares us the victors. Next thing he will be wondering why there are religious wars. What a dumb ass.

 

Adrian Peterson: Was it just a “good switching?”

Was the Adrian Peterson case overkill? Minnesota Viking Peterson was arrested for supposedly beating his 4 year old kid with a tree branch.  Let’s walk this one back a bit.  Could some of these charges be hyperbole?

The classic switching is well known to many kids and adults. Many kids even had to go select their own switch.  Could a switch be also called a “tree branch?”  Of course.  Forsythia probably makes the best switches, especially if you let the shrub grow freely.

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