Saturday, March 31, 2007

Pelosi the fool

Pelosi Going to Syria Despite Objections


http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8O6MTT80&show_article=1&catnum=0

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Bush Cites Upbeat Bloggers From Baghdad

You will not get this from the OLD MEDIA.....

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8O5D1KG2&show_article=1

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

NFL NEWS AND NOTES

The Newark Star-Ledger reports that the Jets and free-agent DE David Bowens have agreed to a three-year deal. The seventh-year veteran will provide depth -- and possibly start -- for the Jets along their defensive line.....


The Providence Journal reports that with Patriots RB Laurence Maroney having shoulder surgery this offseason, the club may be looking into finding another rusher to help Maroney carry the load. Maroney's mother insisted in the Boston Globe that her son was OK and Patriots GM Scott Pioli told Sirius NFL Radio Tuesday that Maroney will be fine. Maroney underwent shoulder surgery that revealed "fairly significant damage," and such an injury explains his lack of production in December and January (four games with single-digit carries). Maroney also suffered torn rib cartilage and a minor knee sprain during his rookie year.....

Broncos WR Brandon Marshall appeared in court Tuesday after being arrested on suspicion of false imprisonment and domestic violence. He appeared before a judge and was released on personal recognizance. Marshall was arrested Monday night after a woman told authorities she and Marshall, whom she identified as her boyfriend, had argued earlier in the day, Heyden said. The woman reported that her boyfriend blocked her taxi with his vehicle as she tried to leave his home. The woman had no injuries. "We are aware of the situation involving Brandon Marshall," the Broncos said in a statement. "The organization takes matters of this type very seriously, and we will continue to gather information before offering further comment."....

The Texans re-signed running back Chris Taylor and quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt. Taylor, an undrafted free agent, spent much of last season on the practice squad before being activated in December. He played in the final four games, rushing for 123 yards on 28 carries. Van Pelt was originally signed in November when backup quarterback Sage Rosenfels was placed on injured reserve. Van Pelt, who was a rookie with the Denver Broncos in 2005, did not play last season.....

According to numerous sources, Raiders coach Lane Kiffin said Tuesday morning at the NFL's owner's meetings that Raiders WR Randy Moss is going to stay with the club. "I think he'll be on our team this year," Kiffin said, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. "I do." Moss' name has been linked to several teams in a trade, but nothing has materialized.....

The Eagles acquired Pro Bowl linebacker Takeo Spikes and quarterback Kelly Holcomb from the Bills on Monday night for defensive tackle Darwin Walker and a conditional draft pick in 2008. A nine-year NFL veteran, Spikes was slow recovering last year from a right Achilles' tendon tear he suffered in Week 3 of the 2005 season. Spikes, a former first-round pick, could be a big upgrade at linebacker for the Eagles, who have struggled at that spot the past few seasons. "Takeo Spikes is a proven playmaker in the National Football League," Eagles GM Tom Heckert said. "He has the ability to play all three linebacking positions and were happy to add him to our defense.".....


Bengals receiver Chris Henry, already facing possible NFL punishment for problems with the law, has been cited by Cincinnati police on three traffic charges including driving with a suspended license. Bengals spokesman Jack Brennan released a statement Tuesday from the team that said, "While the incident involved a minor traffic matter, the club is frustrated that the issue arose at all. ... Chris's overall future with our team can be determined only after this and other pending matters are resolved by the NFL.".....

According to multiple reports, the Giants have signed LB Kawika Mitchell to a one-year deal. Mitchell will compete for a starting spot at one of the two outside LB spots in 2007.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Tests Show Snow's Cancer Has Returned

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8O4KDV80&show_article=1

Clinton requested to testify before House Committee

Former President Clinton requested to testify before House Committee
Mon Mar 26 2007 17:22:23 ET

Washington, D.C. - Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-TX) today asked Former President Bill Clinton if he would be available to testify at the Democrats' Thursday hearing on presidential pardon authority.

"Former President Clinton is no stranger to controversial pardons, most notably the pardon of Marc Rich on his last day in office," stated Ranking Member Smith. "I can think of no better person to address this issue."

At Thursday's hearing of the Judiciary's Crime Subcommittee entitled, "The Appropriate Use of the Presidential Pardoning Power," Democrats are expected to explore what is and is not the appropriate use of pardons, despite a president's plenary power to issue pardons.

President Clinton granted pardons or commuted the sentences of nearly 500 people, including fugitive financier Marc Rich, whose wife donated $450 thousand to the Clinton Library. Other pardons included a person accused of cocaine trafficking and a former Democratic committee chairman indicted on political corruption charges.

The Constitution gives the President the absolute authority to grant clemency, commutation, and remission of fines for offenses. Despite this absolute authority, presidents are not immune from criticism and even congressional attempts to restrict pardon authority.

"Mr. Clinton's exercise of his pardon authority would be of real interest to Members of the Subcommittee," concluded Smith. "I hope he will lend his expertise

Monday, March 26, 2007

NFL NEWS AND NOTES

The Boston Herald reports that second-year RB Laurence Maroney underwent shoulder surgery this offseason that revealed "fairly significant damage." Maroney was unable to last long in games late into the season because of pain in his shoulder (he didn't have more than 18 carries in a game in December through January, with four single-digit carry games). Maroney also suffered torn rib cartilage and a minor knee sprain during his rookie year.....


The Buffalo News reports that a Bills source says the club is close to a trade that would send LB Takeo Spikes to an unnamed team in exchange for a draft pick, with the specifics also not known. Spikes is entering the last year of his contract and likely would have to have a new deal in place before moving on to a new team. Moving out the 30-year-old linebacker would save the Bills nearly $3 million against the salary cap. In 2006, Spikes made it in to 12 games, registering 43 solo tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and three passes defensed. A trade of Spikes would likely mean a starting job for LB Keith Ellison.....


Daunte Culpepper was at the Miami Dolphins training facility around sunrise Friday, ready for another day of rehabilitating his surgically rebuilt knee. When quarterback schools and minicamps start next month, the Dolphins expect Culpepper will be there, too. But Culpepper's status is one of many mysteries surrounding the Dolphins, especially with other NFL starters such as Trent Green and David Carr believed to be under consideration. "Everyone knows our critical issue is our quarterback's level of play, no matter who that quarterback is," coach Cam Cameron said Friday. "I respect those questions.".....


The Packers have re-signed exclusive rights free-agent Tory Humphrey. Humphrey did not record an offensive statistic in 2006. He was inactive for most of the season and was eventually placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. He will be an exclusive rights free agent this offseason.....


The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that the Falcons have contacted free-agent QB Tim Rattay about coming in to compete for a backup job. "We've had some conversations with them, but nothing is imminent right now," said Jim Steiner, Rattay's agent.....

Multiple South Florida papers report that Dolphins PK Olindo Mare is willing to return a $250,000 bonus he received in exchange for his release from the club. Mare wants to find a new team after the Dolphins signed PK Jay Feely, but the team won't let him shop himself around as they'd like to get something for him in trade.....

The Miami Herald reports that the Chiefs have asked the Dolphins for a second-round pick and another choice for veteran QB Trent Green. The Dolphins have offered a seventh-round pick for him. "Trent is a Pro Bowl quarterback, he's thrown for 30,000 yards, he's a quality individual," Chiefs president Carl Peterson said. "He's worth more than a seventh-round pick."....

The Bears have agreed to terms on a four-year contract with former San Francisco defensive tackle Anthony Adams. Adams was a second-round draft pick in 2003 and has started 34 games in four seasons with the 49ers, where he struggled last season to fit into a 3-4 scheme. The Penn State product had 155 tackles, including six sacks in 58 games.....


NFL DRAFT 2007

After a slow weekend in Pro Day news and NFL moves, things will start to heat up again tomorrow when Louisville and 19-year-old sensation DT Amobi Okoye show off their stuff for NFL bigwigs. Also on the dock tomorrow are: Cal-Poly, Central Connecticut State II, Colorado State and Kansas State. USC will be the big workout on Wednesday when everyone wants to see how WR Dwayne Jarrett runs. His 40 time could have a big effect on the first round. He appears to be sliding but a good 40 could push him back up the board. Interestingly, his teammate WR Steve Smith seems to be picking up steam and he could be drafted surprisingly high if he runs well ... Stay tuned for results from Saturday's workout at Miami of Hurricanes TE Greg Olsen and Michigan State QB Drew Stanton. Olsen figures to be the top TE drafted and Stanton hopes to move up in the first day ... Oklahoma RB Adrian Peterson has visits planned for Washington and Cleveland this week. Peterson was almost a lock to go to the Browns at No. 3 before they signed Jamal Lewis. Still, Lewis can't be considered a long-term answer and the combination of Lewis and Peterson could really take pressure off young Charlie Frye. In Washington, Clinton Portis has had his share of injuries and backup Ladell Betts is more of banger than a breakaway runner ... Keep an eye on the Packers as the draft approaches. There is rumor out there that Green Bay may be trying to deal for San Diego backup RB Michael Turner. Many mock drafts have the Pack drafting California RB Marshawn Lynch in Round 1. A trade for Turner would certainly alter that.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Socialists Upset With Obama

Presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama has been attracting plenty of support from the left, but that enthusiasm doesn’t extend to many on the far left — the socialists.

“A more careful examination of [Obama’s] politics reveals a mainstream corporate politician who behind skillful rhetoric about ‘change’ and ‘vision’ makes a calculated effort to appeal to the corporate elite, the media, and the Hollywood liberals,” Alan Jones writes for the Web site SocialistAlternative.org.

Jones notes that Obama opposed the invasion of Iraq when he was a state senator in Illinois. But after his election to the Senate in 2004, Obama voted along with the Democratic Party leadership for all military appropriation bills to fund the war.

Jones also charged Obama with endorsing cuts in welfare spending that “have devastated entire poor communities, especially predominantly black and Latino urban centers.”

And Obama’s call for a “phased redeployment” of U.S. troops in Iraq is a strategy that “will lead to more war, death, and destruction” in Iraq, said Jones, who concludes: “Iraq is a quagmire, the trade deficit and foreign debt are exploding, good jobs are getting destroyed, the environment is faced with a colossal disaster, and the private system of health care is bankrupting both working people and the country.

“On all the key issues, the policies promoted by Barack Obama — behind a façade of ‘new ideas’ — do not in any way represent anything more than a skillful repackaging of the kind of policies that have caused the crisis working people face.”

House Is Undermining the Troops

Democrats hate the military and this country.


http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070325/D8O34U880.html

Saturday, March 24, 2007

NFL NEWS AND NOTES

According to numerous sources, the Texans have released QB David Carr. He was expendable after the club traded for Falcons QB Matt Schaub. In five seasons, Carr threw for 13,391 yards, 59 touchdowns and 65 interceptions, and was sacked 249 times.....

Matt Hasselbeck's recovery is ahead of schedule and the Seahawks quarterback may be on the field for Seattle's first minicamp following the NFL draft April 28-29. The quarterback had surgery in January to repair torn labrum cartilage in his left (non-throwing) shoulder. "I have been told he's ahead of schedule," Seattle president of football operations Tim Ruskell said this week. "I think he could throw a Nerf ball right now, and he probably does with his kids."....


The Canton Repository reports that Browns GM Phil Savage expects TE Kellen Winslow to be healthy and "good to go in June or July." Winslow had microfracture surgery on his knee this offseason, and reports have speculated that he could miss part or all of the 2007 season. "There's never been any talk about (Winslow missing 2007) that I'm aware of," Savage said. "We've never even given a second thought he wouldn't be back with us for this next season."....

NFL Network reports that FB Terrelle Smith, released by the Browns, has agreed to terms with the Cardinals on a two-year deal.....

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that the agent for Chiefs QB Trent Green says his client wants to play for the Dolphins in 2007. Green has been given permission by Kansas City to seek a trade. "Trent would like to be there," agent Jim Steiner said. "He has a relationship with (head coach) Cam Cameron that goes back 10 years ago when both were with the Washington Redskins. It's an offense he's familiar with and there would be an excellent working relationship. It's a team that has a great defense that with a few tweaks on offense would have a pretty good darn chance of succeeding this season."....

The Ft. Worth Star-Telegram reports that the Cowboys have signed strong safety Ken Hamlin to a one-year deal. Hamlin will add a lot of talent to a physical defense that already boasts FS Roy Williams and LB DeMarcus Ware.....

The New York Daily News reports that the Texans have matched the Giants' offer for FB Vonta Leach, keeping him in Houston. Leach will most likely start at fullback for the Texans, opening up holes for Ahman Green.....

The Seattle Seahawks have re-signed Bobby Engram to a multiyear contract even though they already have a stable of younger receivers in place. Engram, the Seahawks' leading receiver in 2005, played in just seven games last season after a virus and Graves' disease in October caused a thyroid condition, an accelerated heart rate, debilitating fatigue and weight loss. "We are glad to retain Bobby," GM Tim Ruskell said. "He has been an integral part of this offense in recent seasons and will continue to bring veteran leadership in the locker room."....


NFL DRAFT 2007


Penn State prospects took center stage as three possible first rounders worked out for NFL brass. All 32 teams were on hand as LB Paul Posluszny (6-1 ¼, 236) ran his 40s in 4.58 and 4.62. He also looked good in all the drills and is a first-round lock. OT Levi Brown, considered the No. 2 OT available, stood on his Combine results. RB Tony Hunt (6-1 5/8, 234) ran his 40s in 4.68 and 4.71. He also had a 31 ½-inch vertical, 9-foot-2 long jump, 4.72 short shuttle and a 7.39 three-cone drill. He's no speedster but he is productive. LB Tim Shaw (6-1 ¼, 233 pounds) continues to impress scouts with his speed. He ran his 40s in 4.46 and 4.47. He also had a 10-foot-6 long jump, 4.28 short shuttle and a 6.90 three-cone drill ... At Houston, QB Kevin Kolb didn't do drills but did throw the ball and looked good doing it. He is working with NFL coaching guru Jerry Rhome to improve his stuff. Some people believe Kolb could be a better pro than Brady Quinn. RB Jackie Battle (6-2, 235 pounds) showed off his great size/speed ration, running his 40s in 4.42 and 4.43. He also had a 41-inch vertical jump, 10-foot-11 long jump, 4.11 short shuttle, 6.51 three-cone drill and 19 bench presses. Tiny WR Vincent Marshall (5-7 3/8, 165 lbs) ran his 40s in 4.36 and 4.38. He also had a 36-inch vertical jump, 10-foot long jump, 4.14 short shuttle, 6.77 three-cone drill and 11 bench presses. He'll be looking to break into the NFL as a return man ... Over at Deleware, TE Ben Patrick (6-4, 250 lbs) ran his 40s in 4.75 and 4.75. He also ran a variety of drills and caught passes and impressed all who watched ... Northern Illinois RB Garrett Wolfe (5-7 ¼, 183 lbs) ran fast 40s in 4.39 and 4.43. He stood on everything else. Wolfe is small and has durability questions but that speed and his pass receiving ability could make him a nice third-down back.....

Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn worked out once again for NFL coaches and personnel people. He ran his 40s faster than expected (4.82 and 4.73). He also ran the short shuttle in 4.22 seconds and the three-cone drill in 6.79. He also had a 36-inch vertical and a 9-foot-7 broad jump. This workout coupled with his previous pro day experience where he looked good throwing should give NFL staff plenty to go on for Quinn. His ultimate slot in this draft is still very much in the air with questions about his ability to play big in big games but there is no denying his work ethic, physical skills and game preparation.

TREASON

"If you want peace, stop funding this war," said Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8O20KLO2&show_article=1

Friday, March 23, 2007

Did Valerie Plame Lie?

Where is the old media on this one?


http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=11171

Iran seizes British navy personnel in Iraqi waters

Its time to break out the Ohio Class Submarines in the Pershing Gulf.


http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2007-03-23T124131Z_01_COL331821_RTRUKOC_0_US-IRAQ-IRAN-BRITAIN.xml&src=rss&rpc=22


http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1257281,00.html


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6484279.stm

NFL NEWS AND NOTES

NFL.com reports that former Colts and Rams running back Marshall Faulk has chosen to retire instead of come back from a major knee injury that kept him out for all of 2006. "It has been an honor and pleasure to play in the National Football League," Faulk said in a statement. "I'd like to thank all my teammates and coaches with whom I've been associated over the past 13 seasons as well as the fans who supported me throughout the years. I gave the game my passion, and it gave me a wonderful career and memories that I will always be thankful for."....

The Kansas City Star reports that the Chiefs are planning to ease the burden on Larry Johnson's shoulders this year, letting backup RB Michael Bennett and a third running back to be determined to take some carries away from Johnson. Last year, Johnson had 416 regular-season carries, an NFL record. "You don't want to make one guy run the ball 400 times," coach Herm Edwards said. "You won't see that anymore. You won't see it. We'll get Michael Bennett in the mix, and you might have to get another back. There might be three backs. You need three backs. (With two backs) as soon as you get one nicked, then you only have one. You're out of business all of a sudden. You have to change your offense.".....


Texans GM Rick Smith confirmed Thursday that QB David Carr is being shopped around and that a deal is expected to be made as soon as Thursday. Possible suitors include Cleveland, Detroit, Miami, Minnesota and Oakland. In the same breath, Smith named Matt Schaub, whom the Texans traded for from Atlanta, the team's starting quarterback.....

The Titans continue to stay busy this offseason, signing safety Bryan Scott to a one-year deal. Once a starter in Atlanta and New Orleans, Scott is expected to compete for a starting job opposite Chris Hope, or will end up working on special teams and providing depth.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

NFL NEWS AND NOTES

The Palm Beach Post reports that a reworked contract is the only thing holding back Trent Green from being traded from Kansas City to Miami. The Dolphins would reportedly give up their second seventh-round pick in exchange for Green. The 36-year-old Green is very familiar with the offense in place in Miami, built by head coach Cam Cameron and assisted by Terry Shea, both of whom have worked with Green.....


The Florida Times-Union reports that Jaguars QB Byron Leftwich has not asked for a trade, according to his agent, and expects to head into training camp as the Jaguars' starting quarterback, something coach Jack Del Rio has already said. His agent did not say whether or not his client would show up for the offseason workouts and minicamps in Jacksonville.....

The Newark Star-Ledger reports that the Jets have reached an agreement in principle with backup QB Marques Tuiasosopo. The man they call "Tui" will likely serve as the No. 3 QB for the Jets behind starter Chad Pennington and second-year signal-caller Kellen Clemens.....

The Denver Post reports that the Broncos and WR Rod Smith have agreed to a restructured deal that will keep the veteran in Denver through 2008. "We're all very happy that this was the outcome," Smith's agent said. "The most important part is Rod is satisfied and excited about it." Smith will be sidelined for a majority of the Broncos' offseason conditioning program as he recovers from surgery on his left hip.....

The Kansas City Star reports that the Chiefs have released SS Sammy Knight, opting to have a training camp battle between Jarrad Page and Bernard Pollard for the starting gig. Knight finished second on the team last year with 83 tackles (74 solo) with two sacks, three passes defensed, a forced fumble and an interception.....

With safety Adam Archuleta on the way out, the Washington Redskins signed free agent Omar Stoutmire to take his place Wednesday. Stoutmire, a 10-year veteran, played for the Redskins in 2005 and spent last season with New Orleans. He joins Vernon Fox and Reed Doughty as the safeties expected to compete for playing time behind starters Sean Taylor and Pierson Prioleau. Stoutmire has also played with Dallas, the New York Jets and New York Giants.....

The Houston Chronicle reports that RB Ron Dayne agreed to a new contract on Friday with the Texans and will compete for a backup role behind starter Ahman Green this season. Dayne had 151 carries for 612 yards in 2006 with five rushing touchdowns along with 77 receiving yards. Of those 612 yards and five TDs, 247 yards and three scores came in Weeks 15 and 16 when he started for Houston late in the season.

John Edwards to Suspend Campaign

The slip and fall ambulance chasing lawyer is out....


http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0307/Edwards_to_Suspend_Campaign.html

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

NFL NEWS AND NOTES

According to numerous reports, the Atlanta Falcons are expected to trade backup QB Matt Schaub to the Houston Texans for a second-round draft pick, and there could be other compensation involved. The Texans would now have their QB of the future, which David Carr no longer is. The Texans will be acquiring a QB that has thrown only 161 career passes, 81 of which were completed, with six touchdown passes and six interceptions. But Schaub long has been considered a quarterback worthy of starting, and he was the top bargaining chip the Falcons have.....

Jerramy Stevens' days with the Seahawks are done. Seahawks general manager Tim Ruskell confirmed what was quickly becoming a foregone conclusion in Seattle. "I would say it's probably a time for a change of scenery and to move on," Ruskell said Tuesday. Speaking at the muddy worksite of the Seahawks' new headquarters, scheduled to open in the summer of 2008, Ruskell verified Seattle's lack of interest in retaining the tight end, an unrestricted free agent who spent his first five seasons with the Seahawks. That interest disappeared last week when Stevens was arrested for investigation of driving under the influence and possession of marijuana in Scottsdale, Ariz. A Scottsdale police officer noticed Stevens driving erratically around 2:15 a.m., and Stevens reportedly told the officer he had "four of five margaritas" at Salty Seniorita, a downtown Scottsdale bar.....

The New England Patriots added depth to their receiving corps by resigning restricted free agent Bam Childress on Tuesday. The 24-year-old Childress spent most of the past two seasons on the Patriots practice squad. He has played in three games over two years and caught five passes for 39 yards. The Patriots have been looking for receivers since trading 2005 Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch to Seattle during his contract holdout last September. Reche Caldwell led New England with 61 catches for 760 yards and four touchdowns last season; no one else caught as many as 50 passes. New England has already added free agent receivers Donte' Stallworth and Kelley Washington this offseason.....

Former Indianapolis Colts receiver Brandon Stokley has agreed to a free agent deal with the Denver Broncos. Stokley's agent, Rick Smith, confirmed the deal Tuesday. Various reports said it's a one-year deal. Smith didn't reveal how much the deal was worth, and the Broncos said they couldn't comment on the agreement. Stokley, who was injured much of last season, was released March 2 by the Colts. Stokley played in just four games, catching eight passes for 85 yards and one touchdown last season. He was hampered by ankle and knee injuries and ruptured his right Achilles' tendon on Dec. 10 at Jacksonville, ending his season.....

ClevelandBrowns.com reports that Browns TE Kellen Winslow continues to rehab from offseason knee microfracture surgery and expects to be ready for the start of the 2007 season. Winslow is also excited about the return of offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski, who coached the offense at Miami when Winslow was there. Winslow anticipates to be used in a number of different ways next season. He also disputes an Internet report that said he'd miss all of 2007. "I love to prove people wrong. That's fuel for me," he said. "I'll be back. People continue to count me out, and that lights my fire.".....

The Miami Herald reports that Trent Green's agent says the Dolphins are still interested in trading for Chiefs QB Trent Green, but admits it's been slow moving. The Chiefs have given Green permission to seek a trade since the veteran passer isn't sure he's going to be their starter in 2007.....


NFL DRAFT 2007

Louisville RB Michael Bush had surgery for a second time on the right leg he broke in the season opener against Kentucky last year. The old rod in his leg was removed and a new one put in which should help him heal faster. It is unclear how long it will take Bush to recover from this surgery, but he won’t be able to participate in Louisville's pro day next Monday or be able to work out for NFL scouts prior to the April 28 draft. Bush is a real wildcard in this draft. Before his injury he was a legitimate Heisman candidate and considered a top RB prospect. Now, no one is sure what is worth might be until his leg is fully healed.....

All eyes will be on Texas later today when the Longhorns work out for NFL brass. But they are not the only ones going today. Here is a full list of schools working out: Alabama, Boston College, Brown, BYU, Connecticut, Georgia Southern, James Madison, Missouri Western, Montana, North Carolina A&T I, Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, San Diego State, San Jose State, South Dakota State, Temple, Tennessee, Texas State and William & Mary. Stay tuned for results.....


Stanford QB Trent Edwards worked out Tuesday in rainy conditions and from all reports he was in excellent form. Edwards completed 57-of-60 passes in front of several coaches and front office staff, including Bill Walsh, Lions offensive co-ordinator Mike Martz, Ravens offensive co-ordinator Rick Neuheisel, Kansas City assistant head coach Dick Curl, six quarterback coaches and four coaches from the Cleveland Browns. Edwards is considered by many to be the No. 3 QB in this draft behind JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn with injury questions the only red flags about him

OFFICIALS FORCIBLY REMOVE HILLARY PROTESTER AT FUNDRAISER

Satanist tactics used by Hillary.....


http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=960_1174488595&p=1

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

THE TRUTH ABOUT MAN MADE GLOBAL WARMING

Czech hits global warming movement

http://washingtontimes.com/world/20070309-102406-2572r.htm

Copperheads, Then and Now

Same old party.....


http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YjAxOWZhOWQ1YWMwNDEwMDIyYmQ0MjQwZjgyOGFkZTU=

NFL NEWS AND NOTES

StLouisRams.com reports that free-agent RB Travis Minor signed with the Rams on a one-year deal. Minor could work as a third-down specialist for the Rams as well as on kickoffs.....

The Dallas Morning News reports that Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones likes his backfield the way it is and won't try and trade Julius Jones this offseason. Rumors late last week surfaced that the Cowboys were dangling Jones in a trade. "I don't see that happening," Jerry Jones said. "We have got a team that's going to need some great plays from that position, and I like what we've done there with [Marion] Barber. More than likely, unless we have an opportunity in the draft to do something, we'll be going with the running back group we ended the season with. Hopefully we can have [Tyson] Thompson there that could give us a third back.".....

The Cleveland Browns signed offensive lineman Seth McKinney to a one-year deal Wednesday, when they also terminated fullback Terrelle Smith's contract before he was due a roster bonus at the end of the week. Smith, originally an unrestricted free agent out of Arizona State, played four seasons in New Orleans. He blocked for a 1,000-yard rusher in each season there - Ricky Williams in 2000 and 2001, and Deuce McAllister in 2002 and 2003.....


The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that QB Drew Henson has re-signed with the Vikings for the league minimum, according to NFL Network. Henson was on the Vikings' practice squad last season.....


The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that free-agent RB Ron Dayne will visit with the Eagles on Thursday. If signed, he'd be a backup to Brian Westbrook with an outside shot at being a goal-line back.....

The Falcons have signed reserve WR Derrick Hamilton. The former Clemson Tiger has only been in two NFL games, spending 2005 on the PUP list with a knee injury and off NFL rosters last year.....


The Jaguars have agreed to a deal with kicker/punter Tony Yelk. Yelk was formerly a kicker but will try his hand at punting with the Jags.....

NFL DRAFT 2007


Virginia hopefuls got their chance to show off their skills yesterday. FB Jason Snelling ran 4.85 and 4.73 40s and did 15 reps on the bench. Snelling is considered a top prospect at a position that of late has been a lost one in the NFL. With more teams coming back to the two-back sets, Snelling should garner some second day interest. RB/KR Michael Johnson (5-8¾, 195) ran his 40s in 4.55 and 4.53 seconds, the short shuttle in 4.25 and the three-cone drill in 7.16. He also had a 33-inch vertical jump, a 8-foot-11 broad jump and 20 bench presses. He's considered a long shot. QB Christian Olsen (6-3, 226) is an older brother of Miami TE Greg Olsen. He worked out March 3 at Miami's Pro Day. He ran his 40s in 4.77 and 4.78, the short shuttle in 4.55 and the three-cone drill in 7.44. He also had a 34½-inch vertical jump and an 8-foot-11 broad jump. Christian is not near the prosepct his brother is.


The results from Friday's pro day workout of Pitt Panther star CB Darrelle Revis are finally in. Revis, considered one of the top corners in the upcoming draft, ran two fast 40s in 4.41 and 4.39. He also notched a 38-inch vertical, a 10-foot-5 broad jump, a 4.08 short shuttle and a 6.56 three-cone drill. The workout probably made Revis some cash and he should hear his name called in the middle of Round 1. LB H.B. Blades, son of former Lions star Bennie Blades, also worked out and ran the 40 in 4.69 and 4.72. He also notched a 32-inch vertical, a 9-foot-5 broad jump, a 4.36 short shuttle and a 6.98 three-cone drill. Blades is not considered an elite prospect like his dad was, but should be a good fit for someone as a top reserve and special teamer. Pitt QB Tyler Palko didn't work out and will stand on his Combine results.

Valerie Plame

How secret was the identity of Valerie Plame, the blonde-bombshell top-secret superspy at the center of the kerfuffle of the century? So secret, she still doesn't know it herself! The Associated Press reports on Plame's star turn before a House committee Friday:

Plame also repeatedly described herself as a covert operative, a term that has multiple meanings. Plame said she worked undercover and traveled abroad on secret missions for the CIA.

But the word "covert" also has a legal definition requiring recent foreign service and active efforts to keep someone's identity secret. Critics of [Patrick] Fitzgerald's investigation said Plame did not meet that definition for several reasons and said that's why nobody was charged with the leak.

Also, none of the witnesses who testified at Libby's trial said it was clear that Plame's job was classified. However, Fitzgerald said flatly at the courthouse after the verdict that Plame's job was classified.

Rep. Tom Davis, the ranking Republican on the committee, said, "No process can be adopted to protect classified information that no one knows is classified. This looks to me more like a CIA problem than a White House problem."

Plame said she wasn't a lawyer and didn't know what her legal status was but said it shouldn't have mattered to the officials who learned her identity.

Plame also described the so-called leak as having been done "carelessly and recklessly," which is a far cry from her husband's insistence that it was a deliberate effort to harm her.

Monday, March 19, 2007

'Hillary 1984'

Clinton Inc. is after you!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/18/MNGHNONEPS1.DTL&feed=rss.news

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Iraqis: life is getting better

This poll will not be reported by the old media.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article1530762.ece

NFL NEWS AND NOTES

The Bucs signed Colts LB Cato June to a three-year deal worth around $12 million. June, who is considered a perfect fit for the Tampa-2 defense, received surprisingly little interest early in the free agent signing period. June's speed and pass coverage skills should be a big help for a slumping Bucs defense.....

Houston re-signed former Heisman winner Ron Dayne to backup Ahman Green. Dayne was also courted by the Eagles but interest waned after Philly re-signed Correll Buckhalter ... The Chiefs signed Bears DT Alfonso Boone to help shore up the middle of their defense.The deal is for four years for $7-8 million. Boone's signing comes just one day after K.C. re-signed DT Ron Edwards ... And sticking with the DT theme, the Bengals decided not to match Cleveland's offer sheet to restricted FA Shaun Smith. Smith's four-year deal is believed to be worth $8 million. Since Smith came into the league as a free agent and he received the lowest tender from the Bengals, no compensation was awarded ... Looking for a big WR to replace the departed Drew Bennett, the Titans signed Bears WR Justin Gage.....


In an effort to shore up an aging defense, Tampa Bay has had Saints Pro Bowl DE Charles Grant in for a visit. Grant has been francised by New Orleans and signing him would cost Tampa two first-round picks. Of course, the teams could always work out other compensation via a sign-and-trade deal. You have to wonder if the Bucs would pass up an opportunity at drafting Calvin Johnson to sign Grant. Tampa has also had LB Chris Draft in for a look.....

Saturday, March 17, 2007

NFL NEWS AND NOTES

The Wisconsin State Journal is one of many papers reporting that a trade between Oakland and Green Bay involving WR Randy Moss and QB Aaron Rodgers is not imminent, as stated by the Boston Herald on Thursday. Packers GM Ted Thompson, whom such a trade would have to go through, released a statement saying, "we dismiss this report as wild speculation." Rodgers, meanwhile, told reporters that he was advised not to comment on the trade. The deal was reportedly Moss for Rogers, with the Raiders adding TE Courtney Anderson and a conditional pick in 2009 and the Packers adding a late-round pick in 2008.....

The Baltimore Sun reports that Ravens return specialist B.J. Sams had the screws inserted into his right ankle taken out and is expected to continue his rehab within a week. Sams expects to be ready for training camp.....


The latest player the Browns added this offseason is DL Shaun Smith, signed as a restricted free agent from Cincinnati. Smith, 6-foot-2, 325 pounds, played in 13 games last year in his third season with Cincinnati and had 14 tackles. "We wish Shaun well with his new opportunity," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said on Bengals.com. "For our offseason and future planning, we have chosen to allocate our cap resources in a different direction.".....


NFL Network's Adam Schefter reports that the Eagles have re-signed RB Correll Buckhalter to a two-year deal, eliminating the chance that Ron Dayne will sign with them. Buckhalter rushed for 345 yards and two TDs, adding 24 catches for 256 yards and another score last year, finally logging his first 16-game season in his six-year career.....


Cornerback Chidi Iwuoma signed a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday. Iwuoma, 29, was a member of the Steelers from 2002-05, but was released before the start of last season. He re-signed in December and played two games before being placed on the injured reserve with a wrist injury. The 5-foot-9, 184-pound Iwuoma recorded 72 special-teams tackles with the Steelers. He began his NFL career in 2001 as an undrafted free agent with the Detroit Lions.....

The Gaston Gazette reports that free-agent TE Doug Jolley has met with the Panthers and could sign with them soon. Jolley would help the Panthers' tight end corps, which lost Kris Mangum to retirement and Michael Gaines to free agency. "I think Doug would really fit well and get along very well in (new offensive coordinator) Jeff Davidson's system," Jolley's agent said. "So he's very interested in the Panthers.".....

The Kansas City Star reports that the Chiefs and DT Ron Edwards have agreed to a four-year deal between $7 and $8 million. Edwards will be a part of the rotation for the Chiefs and likely start as he started every game last year.....

PhiladelphiaEagles.com reports that free-agent WR Kevin Curtis has agreed to a six-year deal with the Eagles. "I've watched the Eagles in the past and I'd definitely like to be part of a scheme like this," Curtis said last week while visiting the team. "They didn't get real specific about (my role), but they want me to come in right away and help them out at the wideout position."

Friday, March 16, 2007

Prescription For Bias

Networks Downplay Drug Costs,
Treat Medicine as Entitlement

http://www.businessandmedia.org/specialreports/2007/PrescriptionForBias/PrescriptionForBias_execsum.asp

Poll: Bias 'alive and well' in press

The vast majority of American voters detect the presence of political bias in the mainstream news media, according to a Zogby poll released yesterday in conjunction with the George Washington University Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet.
Sentiment is strong: 83 percent of likely voters think bias is "alive and well." Of that number, 64 percent said the press leans left, while slightly more than a quarter -- 28 percent -- said there was a conservative bias.
Naturally, there's a partisan divide, and a pronounced one. Among Republican respondents, 97 percent said the press was liberal. Two-thirds of political independents agreed with them, with less than a quarter of the independents -- 23 percent -- saying there was a conservative bias.
Democratic respondents revealed a spectrum of perceptions.
"Democrats, while much more likely to perceive a conservative bias than any other group, were not nearly as sure the media was against them as were the Republicans," the survey said. "While Republicans were unified in their perception of left-wing media, just two-thirds of Democrats were certain the media skewed right -- and 17 percent said the bias favored the left."
Such wavering sentiment may not align with the thinking of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. In a speech Tuesday, the New York Democrat insisted that the "vast, right-wing conspiracy" -- the so-called alliance between conservative point men and journalists that once vexed her husband, former President Bill Clinton -- was fully operational.
Meanwhile, the Zogby findings also revealed a trend that may sober the enthusiasm of broadcasters, magazines and newspapers that have rushed to establish an Internet presence, complete with snappy blogs, message boards and interactive features.
"American voters remain skeptical of major news outlets diving in the blog pool -- 26 percent speculated that the reason news organizations are placing blogs on their Web sites is that 'blogs give news organizations a chance to promote a political agenda they could not promote in regular broadcasts, cablecast or publications,' " the survey stated.
The poll of 1,757 likely voters nationwide was conducted Feb. 20 to 26, and had a margin of error of two percentage points.
Other research confirms public skepticism.
"The State of the News Media 2007," a 700-page analysis released Monday by the Project for Excellence in Journalism, found that 68 percent of respondents preferred getting news from sources without "a particular point of view." Still, less than half gave positive reviews of credibility and trustworthiness in the press itself. The presence of liberal bias was cited by 28 percent, up from 19 percent in 1996.
"Perceptions of bias and the partisan divide of media, appear to be on the rise," the study said, though it also noted the rise of a new "answer culture" over the long dominant "argument culture" in the press, marking "an appeal more idiosyncratic and less ideological."

Thursday, March 15, 2007

CNN BARS CANDIDATE FROM DEBATE, CENSORSHIP CHARGED

CNN BARS CANDIDATE FROM DEBATE, CENSORSHIP CHARGED
Wed Mar 14 2007 16:41:53 ET

He spoke at the DNC winter meeting standing next to Howard Dean and was at the Nevada candidate's forum with Hillary Clinton, Edwards and the others and he's been invited to ABC's debates, but CNN has barred former U.S. Senator Mike Gravel from their New Hampshire debate, without giving a reason.

Gravel is to put out this press release tomorrow:

CNN AND LOCAL NEW HAMPSHIRE MEDIA IMPOSE CENSORSHIP AND TRASH FAIRNESS IN THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES

March 15, 2007 - Washington, D.C. – CNN, the Manchester Union Leader and the Hearst-owned WMUR-TV have formally decided to exclude Democratic Presidential Candidate Senator Mike Gravel from the debates they will be sponsoring in New Hampshire.

This decision calls into question media censorship and goes against a fundamental American belief in “Fairness,” which is especially critical in the political process.

The Senator said, “By denying me the same opportunity afforded to other presidential candidates to discuss in public debate the major issues that confront our nation, the sponsoring media outlets––CNN, The Manchester Union Leader and the Hearst-owned WMUR-TV––are exercising censorship, unbecoming in a free society. They are dictating whose political voice they will permit New Hampshire and American citizens to hear.”

“These media outlets are depriving the people the right to hear a voice they may very well want to hear, and in my case, a voice with some new and different ideas not expressed by other candidates––not ‘politics as usual.’ This amounts to denying the people the right to an informed choice from among all the declared and legitimate candidates, not just those deemed worthy by a few media organizations.”

The Senator continued, “It is not CNN’s, the Manchester Union Leader’s or Hearst’s WMUR-TV’s place to decide whose voice should and should not be heard in a debate between legitimate and qualified presidential candidates for the nomination of their political parties. When my staff inquired as to why I was being barred from participating in the debate, they received the Orwellian response that my candidacy did not meet certain criteria––a criteria that the media organizations refused to divulge when asked.”

A poll of political scientists and speech specialists in Nevada rated Senator Gravel the third most effective presenter at the debate/forum sponsored by ABC, AFSCME, and the Nevada Democratic party in Carson City last month.

The Senator concluded, “In short, this action is an insidious form of censorship that injures the American people and its political process, already compromised by the corrupting and excessive influence of money, while seriously eroding the concept of fairness so central to the American ethos and culture.

The actions of CNN, The Manchester Union Leader and Hearst’s WMUR-TV set a dangerous precedent and are more akin to totalitarian tyrannies than the world’s greatest democracy, particularly in a state with the motto: “Live Free of Die.” We can only wonder what is behind such inappropriate intervention in our political process that does not let the people decide.”

Mike Gravel, a resident of Virginia, is a former two-term Senator from Alaska with a distinguished record that includes successfully ending the military draft with a five-month filibuster, releasing the Pentagon Papers risking both prosecution and jail, playing the leading role in making the Alaska pipeline a reality, and ending nuclear testing in Alaska. He is the driving force and author of the National Initiative for Democracy, a proposal to bring the ballot initiative lawmaking process––already proven in many states as an effective and necessary check on unresponsive representative government––to the Federal level.

END

Baghdad security crackdown seriously curbs killings of US soldiers

MIL-IRAQ-US SOLDIERS
Baghdad security crackdown seriously curbs killings of US soldiers

BAGHDAD, March 14 (KUNA) -- The rate of killings of US troops in Iraq has been on the decline, down by 60 percent, since the launch of the new security measures in Baghdad, according to statistics revealed by the Multi-National Force -Iraq Combined Press Information Centre.

Only 17 members of the US military in Iraq have been killed since February 14 till March 13, compared to 42 from January 13 to February 13; the rate was on the decline during the first month of the security crackdown, compared to a month before.

Two of the 17 soldiers died at US Baghdad camps of non-combat causes.

The remarkable decrease in killings among the US troops came at a time when more of these troops were deployed in the Iraqi capital, especially in districts previously regarded as extremely hazardous for them such as Al-Sadr City, Al-Azamiyah, and Al-Doura.

Meanwhile, US attacks on insurgent strongholds north of Baghdad curbed attacks against helicopters. Before the new security plan, many such craft were downed leaving 20 soldiers dead.

The US army in Iraq had earlier said that sectarian fighting and violence in Baghdad had dropped sharply, by about 80 percent, since the launch of the plan.

The statistics excluded US troops killed in other governorates such as Al-Anbar, Diyala, and Salahiddin.

As to the latest human losses, the US army announced Wednesday that two American soldiers had been killed, one in southern Baghdad and the other northeast of the capital.(end) ahh.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

NFL NEWS AND NOTES

The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that Vikings WR Troy Williamson went to Nike's headquarters in Oregon to get his eyes checked out. The team and Williamson are trying to account for why he has had so many drops over his career, and he was subjected to a number of tests that checked out his hand-eye coordination, the strength of each eye, how well he sees in different lighting and how he judged balls coming at him at different angles. "The Vikings went above and beyond the call of duty," Williamson's agent said. "This shows how supportive the team is of Troy. This is not the normal eye doctor you would deal with. This is all encompassing. … It's tremendous they were willing to do all this.".....

The Washington Post reports that TE Todd Yoder has agreed to a deal to stay in Washington and back up starter Chris Cooley. Yoder caught one pass in 2006 -- a four-yard pass -- that was good for a touchdown.....

The Rocky Mountain News reports that the Broncos brought in WR Brandon Stokley for a visit on Tuesday. If signed, Stokley would compete for the No. 3 WR job with Rod Smith, who is recovering from hip surgery this offseason. Stokley has also visited with the Saints, who would likely use him in the same capacity.....


Nick Harper is going from the Super Bowl champion Colts to a division rival, the Tennessee Titans. The free-agent cornerback agreed to a three-year deal with the Titans on Tuesday, agent Ian Greengross said. "Nick was impressed with what he saw when the Colts played the Titans," Greengross said. "They played the Colts close the first time and beat the Colts the second time. He likes where they are heading." The 5-foot-10 Harper spent the past six seasons with Indianapolis. The 32-year-old had three interceptions and 58 tackles last season as a starter. Harper will either pair up with or replace CB Pacman Jones, depending on his status for the 2007 season.....

The Saints signed safety Kevin Kaesviharn to a four-year contract on Tuesday. Last year he led the Bengals with six interceptions, adding 58 tackles, a career-high four sacks and a forced fumble. He has 15 career interceptions, six sacks, four fumble recoveries, a pair of forced fumbles and 47 pass defenses. "Kevin will be a good addition to our group of safeties from a productivity standpoint on the field, in addition to being a leader for our young players," Saints GM Mickey Loomis said. "He has been a solid, consistent player for the Bengals for several years and a good influence in the locker room. Kevin is the kind of player we were looking for to add to our mix on defense."....

FOXSports.com reports that Bears LB Lance Briggs is refusing to play for the Bears ever again, and is even willing to sit out the whole 2007 season. "I am now prepared to sit out the year if the Bears don't trade me or release me," Briggs said Monday. "I've played my last snap for them. I'll never play another down for Chicago again." Briggs was franchised by the Bears, guaranteeing him an offer of over $7 million for 2007, but without a long-term committment, Briggs won't show up and play. "People think I can't afford to sit out the year, I can take out loans to get me through that year just fine because eventually I'll have a deal somewhere," he said. "There are things I can do to make sure I'm fine financially if I sit out. I can also decide what other course of action I can take as the season gets closer. The Bears have shown I'm not in their long-term plans so if that's the case, I don't want to be here."....

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the Packers are scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss a plan to bring Randy Moss aboard from Oakland. The paper says that the two teams have been in contact, and another source expects something to get done. "They're going to get rid of him," the source said of Oakland. "I think they think they can trade him. And I know Green Bay has interest." Packers GM Ted Thompson has refused to speak publicly about bringing Moss into the fold. The Raiders are reportedly looking for a first-day pick for Moss, but likely want something in the first two rounds. They've also discussed dealing QB Aaron Rodgers, DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila or DT Corey Williams for Moss.

Today is a red letter day on the 2007 draft pro day schedule as LSU QB Jamarcus Russell, potentially the #1 pick at this year’s draft, works out with his teammates in Baton Rouge. Russell, of course, didn’t participate at last month’s combine other than to get weighed and measured. Indeed, pro scouts, especially those from Oakland, which has the top pick this year, may be just as interested in Russell’s weight later today as his on-field performance. Russell showed up about eight pounds over his normal playing weight at the combine, setting off alarm bells about his work ethic and commitment to the game. And Russell won’t be the only top LSU prospect to run for the first time today as both WR Craig Davis and DE Chase Pittman also did not run at the combine. Pro scouts are also hoping to get their first real pre-draft look at Louisville RB Michael Bush whose Cardinals also work out later today. Bush hasn’t played since the opening minutes of Louisville’s season opener last September because of a broken leg. There is a good chance though that Bush will choose to run later this spring before the draft.....

Oklahoma junior RB Adrian Peterson took an unusual approach when he worked out at the Sooners’ pro day yesterday. Peterson, who had a strong combine performance last month, spent much of the workout catching passes, something he did little of in his three seasons as a player. Indeed, Peterson spent much of the day lining up either as a wide out or slot receiver and, by all accounts, caught the ball reasonably well. Meanwhile, Arkansas junior DE Jamaal Anderson, another potential top 10 pick at this April’s draft, posted some good numbers at the Razorbacks’ pro day. Anderson, who weighed in at 284 pounds, ran an adequate 40 clocking in the 4.75-4.80 range. Anderson, though, was much quicker in the agility drills, clocking a 4.22 time in the short shuttle and 6.88 in the 3-cone drill. Both would have been the second fastest times at the combine among defensive linemen.....

Hillary Clinton knows all about sacking U.S. Attorneys

The Hubbell Standard
Hillary Clinton knows all about sacking U.S. Attorneys.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007 12:01 a.m.

Congressional Democrats are in full cry over the news this week that the Administration's decision to fire eight U.S. Attorneys originated from--gasp--the White House. Senator Hillary Clinton joined the fun yesterday, blaming President Bush for "the politicization of our prosecutorial system." Oh, my.
As it happens, Mrs. Clinton is just the Senator to walk point on this issue of dismissing U.S. attorneys because she has direct personal experience. In any Congressional probe of the matter, we'd suggest she call herself as the first witness--and bring along Webster Hubbell as her chief counsel.

As everyone once knew but has tried to forget, Mr. Hubbell was a former partner of Mrs. Clinton at the Rose Law Firm in Little Rock who later went to jail for mail fraud and tax evasion. He was also Bill and Hillary Clinton's choice as Associate Attorney General in the Justice Department when Janet Reno, his nominal superior, simultaneously fired all 93 U.S. Attorneys in March 1993. Ms. Reno--or Mr. Hubbell--gave them 10 days to move out of their offices.

At the time, President Clinton presented the move as something perfectly ordinary: "All those people are routinely replaced," he told reporters, "and I have not done anything differently." In fact, the dismissals were unprecedented: Previous Presidents, including Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter, had both retained holdovers from the previous Administration and only replaced them gradually as their tenures expired. This allowed continuity of leadership within the U.S. Attorney offices during the transition.

Equally extraordinary were the politics at play in the firings. At the time, Jay Stephens, then U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia, was investigating then Ways and Means Chairman Dan Rostenkowski, and was "within 30 days" of making a decision on an indictment. Mr. Rostenkowski, who was shepherding the Clinton's economic program through Congress, eventually went to jail on mail fraud charges and was later pardoned by Mr. Clinton.

Also at the time, allegations concerning some of the Clintons' Whitewater dealings were coming to a head. By dismissing all 93 U.S. Attorneys at once, the Clintons conveniently cleared the decks to appoint "Friend of Bill" Paula Casey as the U.S. Attorney for Little Rock. Ms. Casey never did bring any big Whitewater indictments, and she rejected information from another FOB, David Hale, on the business practices of the Arkansas elite including Mr. Clinton. When it comes to "politicizing" Justice, in short, the Bush White House is full of amateurs compared to the Clintons.





And it may be this very amateurism that explains how the current Administration has managed to turn this routine issue of replacing Presidential appointees into a political fiasco. There was nothing wrong with replacing the eight Attorneys, all of whom serve at the President's pleasure. Prosecutors deserve supervision like any other executive branch appointees.
The supposed scandal this week is that Mr. Bush had been informed last fall that some U.S. Attorneys had been less than vigorous in pursuing voter-fraud cases and that the President had made the point to Attorney General Albert Gonzales. Voter fraud strikes at the heart of democratic institutions, and it was entirely appropriate for Mr. Bush--or any President--to insist that his appointees act energetically against it.

Take sacked U.S. Attorney John McKay from Washington state. In 2004, the Governor's race was decided in favor of Democrat Christine Gregoire by 129-votes on a third recount. As the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and other media outlets reported, some of the "voters" were deceased, others were registered in storage-rental facilities, and still others were convicted felons. More than 100 ballots were "discovered" in a Seattle warehouse. None of this constitutes proof that the election was stolen. But it should have been enough to prompt Mr. McKay, a Democrat, to investigate, something he declined to do, apparently on grounds that he had better things to do.

In New Mexico, another state in which recent elections have been decided by razor thin margins, U.S. Attorney David Iglesias did establish a voter fraud task force in 2004. But it lasted all of 10 weeks before closing its doors, despite evidence of irregularities by the likes of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or Acorn. As our John Fund reported at the time, Acorn's director Matt Henderson refused to answer questions in court about whether his group had illegally made copies of voter registration cards in the run-up to the 2004 election.





As for some of the other fired Attorneys, at least one of their dismissals seemed to owe to differences with the Administration about the death penalty, another to questions about the Attorney's managerial skills. Not surprisingly, the dismissed Attorneys are insisting their dismissals were unfair, and perhaps in some cases they were. It would not be the first time in history that a dismissed employee did not take kindly to his firing, nor would it be the first in which an employer sacked the wrong person.
No question, the Justice Department and White House have botched the handling of this issue from start to finish. But what we don't have here is any serious evidence that the Administration has acted improperly or to protect some of its friends. If Democrats want to understand what a real abuse of power looks like, they can always ask the junior Senator from New York.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

KOOK GORE..... COOL IT!

March 13, 2007
From a Rapt Audience, a Call to Cool the Hype
By WILLIAM J. BROAD
Hollywood has a thing for Al Gore and his three-alarm film on global warming, “An Inconvenient Truth,” which won an Academy Award for best documentary. So do many environmentalists, who praise him as a visionary, and many scientists, who laud him for raising public awareness of climate change.

But part of his scientific audience is uneasy. In talks, articles and blog entries that have appeared since his film and accompanying book came out last year, these scientists argue that some of Mr. Gore’s central points are exaggerated and erroneous. They are alarmed, some say, at what they call his alarmism.

“I don’t want to pick on Al Gore,” Don J. Easterbrook, an emeritus professor of geology at Western Washington University, told hundreds of experts at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America. “But there are a lot of inaccuracies in the statements we are seeing, and we have to temper that with real data.”

Mr. Gore, in an e-mail exchange about the critics, said his work made “the most important and salient points” about climate change, if not “some nuances and distinctions” scientists might want. “The degree of scientific consensus on global warming has never been stronger,” he said, adding, “I am trying to communicate the essence of it in the lay language that I understand.”

Although Mr. Gore is not a scientist, he does rely heavily on the authority of science in “An Inconvenient Truth,” which is why scientists are sensitive to its details and claims.

Criticisms of Mr. Gore have come not only from conservative groups and prominent skeptics of catastrophic warming, but also from rank-and-file scientists like Dr. Easterbook, who told his peers that he had no political ax to grind. A few see natural variation as more central to global warming than heat-trapping gases. Many appear to occupy a middle ground in the climate debate, seeing human activity as a serious threat but challenging what they call the extremism of both skeptics and zealots.

Kevin Vranes, a climatologist at the Center for Science and Technology Policy Research at the University of Colorado, said he sensed a growing backlash against exaggeration. While praising Mr. Gore for “getting the message out,” Dr. Vranes questioned whether his presentations were “overselling our certainty about knowing the future.”

Typically, the concern is not over the existence of climate change, or the idea that the human production of heat-trapping gases is partly or largely to blame for the globe’s recent warming. The question is whether Mr. Gore has gone beyond the scientific evidence.

“He’s a very polarizing figure in the science community,” said Roger A. Pielke Jr., an environmental scientist who is a colleague of Dr. Vranes at the University of Colorado center. “Very quickly, these discussions turn from the issue to the person, and become a referendum on Mr. Gore.”

“An Inconvenient Truth,” directed by Davis Guggenheim, was released last May and took in more than $46 million, making it one of the top-grossing documentaries ever. The companion book by Mr. Gore quickly became a best seller, reaching No. 1 on the New York Times list.

Mr. Gore depicted a future in which temperatures soar, ice sheets melt, seas rise, hurricanes batter the coasts and people die en masse. “Unless we act boldly,” he wrote, “our world will undergo a string of terrible catastrophes.”

He clearly has supporters among leading scientists, who commend his popularizations and call his science basically sound. In December, he spoke in San Francisco to the American Geophysical Union and got a reception fit for a rock star from thousands of attendees.

“He has credibility in this community,” said Tim Killeen, the group’s president and director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, a top group studying climate change. “There’s no question he’s read a lot and is able to respond in a very effective way.”

Some backers concede minor inaccuracies but see them as reasonable for a politician. James E. Hansen, an environmental scientist, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies and a top adviser to Mr. Gore, said, “Al does an exceptionally good job of seeing the forest for the trees,” adding that Mr. Gore often did so “better than scientists.”

Still, Dr. Hansen said, the former vice president’s work may hold “imperfections” and “technical flaws.” He pointed to hurricanes, an icon for Mr. Gore, who highlights the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and cites research suggesting that global warming will cause both storm frequency and deadliness to rise. Yet this past Atlantic season produced fewer hurricanes than forecasters predicted (five versus nine), and none that hit the United States.

“We need to be more careful in describing the hurricane story than he is,” Dr. Hansen said of Mr. Gore. “On the other hand,” Dr. Hansen said, “he has the bottom line right: most storms, at least those driven by the latent heat of vaporization, will tend to be stronger, or have the potential to be stronger, in a warmer climate.”

In his e-mail message, Mr. Gore defended his work as fundamentally accurate. “Of course,” he said, “there will always be questions around the edges of the science, and we have to rely upon the scientific community to continue to ask and to challenge and to answer those questions.”

He said “not every single adviser” agreed with him on every point, “but we do agree on the fundamentals” — that warming is real and caused by humans.

Mr. Gore added that he perceived no general backlash among scientists against his work. “I have received a great deal of positive feedback,” he said. “I have also received comments about items that should be changed, and I have updated the book and slideshow to reflect these comments.” He gave no specifics on which points he had revised.

He said that after 30 years of trying to communicate the dangers of global warming, “I think that I’m finally getting a little better at it.”

While reviewers tended to praise the book and movie, vocal skeptics of global warming protested almost immediately. Richard S. Lindzen, a climatologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a member of the National Academy of Sciences, who has long expressed skepticism about dire climate predictions, accused Mr. Gore in The Wall Street Journal of “shrill alarmism.”

Some of Mr. Gore’s centrist detractors point to a report last month by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a United Nations body that studies global warming. The panel went further than ever before in saying that humans were the main cause of the globe’s warming since 1950, part of Mr. Gore’s message that few scientists dispute. But it also portrayed climate change as a slow-motion process.

It estimated that the world’s seas in this century would rise a maximum of 23 inches — down from earlier estimates. Mr. Gore, citing no particular time frame, envisions rises of up to 20 feet and depicts parts of New York, Florida and other heavily populated areas as sinking beneath the waves, implying, at least visually, that inundation is imminent.

Bjorn Lomborg, a statistician and political scientist in Denmark long skeptical of catastrophic global warming, said in a syndicated article that the panel, unlike Mr. Gore, had refrained from scaremongering. “Climate change is a real and serious problem” that calls for careful analysis and sound policy, Dr. Lomborg said. “The cacophony of screaming,” he added, “does not help.”

So too, a report last June by the National Academies seemed to contradict Mr. Gore’s portrayal of recent temperatures as the highest in the past millennium. Instead, the report said, current highs appeared unrivaled since only 1600, the tail end of a temperature rise known as the medieval warm period.

Roy Spencer, a climatologist at the University of Alabama, Huntsville, said on a blog that Mr. Gore’s film did “indeed do a pretty good job of presenting the most dire scenarios.” But the June report, he added, shows “that all we really know is that we are warmer now than we were during the last 400 years.”

Other critics have zeroed in on Mr. Gore’s claim that the energy industry ran a “disinformation campaign” that produced false discord on global warming. The truth, he said, was that virtually all unbiased scientists agreed that humans were the main culprits. But Benny J. Peiser, a social anthropologist in Britain who runs the Cambridge-Conference Network, or CCNet, an Internet newsletter on climate change and natural disasters, challenged the claim of scientific consensus with examples of pointed disagreement.

“Hardly a week goes by,” Dr. Peiser said, “without a new research paper that questions part or even some basics of climate change theory,” including some reports that offer alternatives to human activity for global warming.

Geologists have documented age upon age of climate swings, and some charge Mr. Gore with ignoring such rhythms.

“Nowhere does Mr. Gore tell his audience that all of the phenomena that he describes fall within the natural range of environmental change on our planet,” Robert M. Carter, a marine geologist at James Cook University in Australia, said in a September blog. “Nor does he present any evidence that climate during the 20th century departed discernibly from its historical pattern of constant change.”

In October, Dr. Easterbrook made similar points at the geological society meeting in Philadelphia. He hotly disputed Mr. Gore’s claim that “our civilization has never experienced any environmental shift remotely similar to this” threatened change.

Nonsense, Dr. Easterbrook told the crowded session. He flashed a slide that showed temperature trends for the past 15,000 years. It highlighted 10 large swings, including the medieval warm period. These shifts, he said, were up to “20 times greater than the warming in the past century.”

Getting personal, he mocked Mr. Gore’s assertion that scientists agreed on global warming except those industry had corrupted. “I’ve never been paid a nickel by an oil company,” Dr. Easterbrook told the group. “And I’m not a Republican.”

Biologists, too, have gotten into the act. In January, Paul Reiter, an active skeptic of global warming’s effects and director of the insects and infectious diseases unit of the Pasteur Institute in Paris, faulted Mr. Gore for his portrayal of global warming as spreading malaria.

“For 12 years, my colleagues and I have protested against the unsubstantiated claims,” Dr. Reiter wrote in The International Herald Tribune. “We have done the studies and challenged the alarmists, but they continue to ignore the facts.”

Michael Oppenheimer, a professor of geosciences and international affairs at Princeton who advised Mr. Gore on the book and movie, said that reasonable scientists disagreed on the malaria issue and other points that the critics had raised. In general, he said, Mr. Gore had distinguished himself for integrity.

“On balance, he did quite well — a credible and entertaining job on a difficult subject,” Dr. Oppenheimer said. “For that, he deserves a lot of credit. If you rake him over the coals, you’re going to find people who disagree. But in terms of the big picture, he got it right.”

Sunday, March 11, 2007

NFL COMBINE

With Ted Ginn still sidelined by a foot injury, the focus at Ohio State’s on-campus workout Saturday shifted to QB Troy Smith. And the Heisman Trophy winning QB had what is being reported as a solid workout although how much it will help his overall draft grade remains to be seen. Working out in front of an estimated 70-75 pro personnel people, Smith ran two 40s in 4.65 and 4.71 seconds; the Ohio State track is very fast, however, and NFL teams likely added a tenth to those times. Smith also posted a 36½-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot, 2-inch broad jump both of which would have been the best among QBs at the combine. Smith also went through a full passing program and drew generally favorable reviews for his arm strength and accuracy. There were also several comments that Smith had improved his mechanics. Meanwhile, WR Roy Hall also had a strong outing. The 6-3, 238-pound Hall, who totaled just 52 catches in his college career, ran in the low 4.3s, although again that will be factored up to the low 4.4s, but impressive for a player that size. For the record, Ginn was quoted as saying he hopes to finally run at a private workout early in April, but it does not appear anything has been formally scheduled at this point......

Denver DT Dan Wilkinson, who was traded to the Broncos from Miami for a sixth-round draft pick, is considering retirement. Should Wilkinson retire, the Dolphins likely would have to return the pick to the Broncos. Meanwhile, Baltimore Pro Bowl LT Jonathan Ogden is contemplating whether he will come back for another season. Ogden has said he will let the team know about his plans before the draft in April, in case the team has to select a replacement. However, whether Ogden returns for another season or not the Ravens are expected to have to look at the offensive front at this year's draft after RT Tony Pashos left for free agency, while OG Edwin Mutilalo, Ogden's long-time partner on the right side, was released last week......

Multiple sources report that the Giants and Browns have struck a deal where RB Reuben Droughns will go to New York in exchange for WR Tim Carter. Droughns was expendable after the Browns signed Jamal Lewis. In 14 games last year, the 28-year-old Droughns had 220 carries for 758 yards and four touchdowns with 169 receiving yards on 27 catches. "Reuben rushed for 1,200 yards in '04 and '05 and 750 last year," Giants GM Jerry Reese said. "We think he gives us a nice veteran presence and compliments Brandon Jacobs and the rest of our running back group nicely.".....


The Newark Star-Ledger is among those reporting that a source close to the negotiations confirms that free-agent RB Dominic Rhodes has agreed to terms on a contract with the Raiders. It's believed to be a two-year deal.....

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Dolphins RB Ricky Williams plans on asking for reinstatement into the NFL and would like to continue his football career. Last year, he sat out of the NFL while playing for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.....

GO! HOGS! GO!

Gary Ervin, playing against his former team, scored 15 points and Charles Thomas added a double-double to lead Arkansas past Mississippi State 81-72 on Saturday and into the SEC tournament championship game.

Thomas had 18 points and a career-high 18 rebounds. Sonny Weems also had 18 points for Arkansas.

Arkansas will play in Sunday's Southeastern Conference tournament final against the winner of Saturday's Florida-Mississippi game.

Arkansas (21-12) may have played its way into the NCAA tournament field with the win. The Arkansas pep band chanted ``Going to the show'' in the final seconds.

Ervin, who played his first two seasons at Mississippi State before transferring to Arkansas, was in the spotlight for the Razorbacks for the second straight day.

Ervin hit the game-winning driving jumper for Arkansas in its 72-71 win over Vanderbilt on Friday, and on Saturday he helped push the Razorbacks into their first SEC tournament final since 2000.

Mississippi State (18-13) shot only 41.7 percent from the field. Jamont Gordon made only 3 of 13 shots for 11 points. Ben Hansbrough led the Bulldogs with 12 points. Dietric Slater had 11 and Reginald Delk added 10.

Slater, bothered by sore toes and wearing a splint on his injured left middle finger, was considered questionable to start. The senior swingman showed no sign of being slowed by the injuries as he had nine first-half points.

Following a 33-33 tie, a driving basket by Slater gave the Bulldogs the lead. Mississippi State made six 3-pointers in the half, including one by Reginald Delk with 18 seconds left for a 40-39 lead at the break.

Slater and 3-point specialist Barry Stewart each had three fouls in the half. Slater had to sit after drawing his fourth foul about six minutes into the second half; Stewart's fourth came only six seconds later, and he followed Slater to the bench.

Slater wasn't the only member of the Mississippi State team who was dealing with an injury. Coach Rick Stansbury wore white sneakers with extra cushion after bruising his heels stomping on the sideline in Friday's overtime win over Kentucky.

Meltdown over Fox

Mar. 10, 2007
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

EDITORIAL: Meltdown over Fox

Network co-sponsors state Democratic debate -- oh my!


Hard-core liberals can't stand the Fox News Channel. Passing a television that's tuned to the conservative favorite forces many of them to close their eyes, cover their ears and scream, "La la la la la la la la la!" Then they dash to their computers and fire off 2,500 e-mails condemning the outlet, none of which are ever read.

But liberals' aversion to Fox News has finally gone over the top. The Nevada Democratic Party had agreed to let the right-tilting network co-sponsor, of all things, an August debate in Reno between Democratic presidential candidates. Party officials were serious about drawing national attention to the state's January presidential caucus, the country's second in the 2008 nominating process. What better way for the party to reach conservative and "values" voters who might consider changing allegiances?

Advertisement




But the socialist, Web-addicted wing of the Democratic Party was apoplectic. The prospect of having to watch Fox News to see their own candidates would have been torture in itself. So they set the blogosphere aflame with efforts to kill the broadcast arrangement, or at least have all the candidates pull out of the event. Before Friday, the opportunistic John Edwards was the only candidate to jump on that bandwagon.

You'd think the deal called for having Sean Hannity and Ann Coulter mock the candidates between comments. No, even unfiltered, unedited, live debate between loyal Democrats couldn't be entrusted to Fox News.

The approach of outfits such as MoveOn.org is so juvenile it's laughable. Imagine if every political organization created litmus tests for news organizations before agreeing to appear on their programming. Republicans would have boycotted PBS, CBS, NBC, ABC, National Public Radio and The Associated Press decades ago.

This hyperventilation results from the fact that far-left Democrats have no comparable media outlet, nor any widespread national appeal, for their radical views in favor of heavy-handed regulation, wealth redistribution, diplomatic capitulation and economic protectionism. So they attack their rivals' messenger with a reckless barrage of rhetoric that cuts down their own allies with friendly fire.

By Friday, the Nevada Democratic Party caved in to the lunatic fringe and beganseeking a more "appropriate" television partner.

Comedy Central, perhaps?

Friday, March 09, 2007

GET A JOB!

Unemployment Rate Drops to 4.5 Percent

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070309/D8NOMJJO0.html

US trade deficit shrinks to 59.1 billion dollars

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2007/03/09/070309142115.84ch37t1.html


NFL NEWS AND NOTES


The Newark Star-Ledger is among those reporting that a source close to the negotiations confirms that free-agent RB Dominic Rhodes has agreed to terms on a contract with the Raiders. It's believed to be a two-year deal.....


The Ravens announced that pending a physical, they have acquired RB Willis McGahee from Buffalo in exchange for three draft picks, reported to be a third- and seventh-round pick this year and a third-round pick next year. The team is already in negotations with McGahee on an extension. "We're getting a dynamic back who has the potential to diversify our running game," coach Brian Billick said. "We've studied him, and he brings the same passion and preparation that is common to Miami players, like our Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. Getting a player as good as Willis is another example of how Ozzie (Newsome, the team's GM) and his department size up the market and use our resources well.".....


The Dolphins have re-signed wide receiver Kelly Campbell. He was in camp with them last year but didn't make the final cut.....

The Tennessean reports that second-year RB LenDale White will be in the Titans' mix at running back. However, according to coach Jeff Fisher, he won't be in it alone. Philosophically, the Titans don't want to let one runner carry the load. "We drafted LenDale for a reason," Fisher said. "We feel like he has a chance to be a very productive back. ... With that said, we expect to have two that we can call upon, at least.".....


A mature veteran in the twilight of an 11-year career, new Falcons WR Joe Horn wants to show Michael Jenkins and Roddy White what it takes to become a Pro Bowl receiver. Horn earned four invitations to the NFL's annual all-star game as a Saint, and he sees no reason why Jenkins, the 29th overall draft pick of 2004, and White, picked No. 27 in 2005, should set low expectations for their careers. "I'm going to call them cats and talk to them," Horn said. "I want to get some words across to them and let them know where my heart is first. I want them to know -- 'I'm not here to shine on you, man. I came here to help. I came here to be a part of something new, something that's going to take off to the next level.'".....


The Rams have announced the signing of TE Randy McMichael. The two sides agreed to a three-year deal. A solid receiving tight end, McMichael has posted 60-plus catches in each of the last three seasons, averaging around 10 yards per catch each year with 12 scores. He has never missed an NFL game. "This has been in the works for a while," said Rams coach Scott Linehan. "We even considered trading for him. He is an every-down tight end and a proven starter in the league. He does a lot of things well.".....

The Saints entertained free-agent WR Brandon Stokley. The team is considering signing him to boost its receiving corps....

Thursday, March 08, 2007

NFL NEWS AND NOTES

The Tennessean reports that the Titans have become interested in acquiring RB Willis McGahee from the Bills. The team lost RB Travis Henry last week in a salary cap move, and he signed with Denver. That said, the Ravens appear to be the front-runner to get McGahee, according to numerous sources, and they should step up their efforts now that their starter, RB Jamal Lewis, has signed with the Browns. The Ravens are looking to make that deal happen soon and are believed to be in negotiations with McGahee on a contract extension. The Ravens are expected to trade a first-day pick for the Bills' running back.....

AtlantaFalcons.com reports that free agent WR Joe Horn has agreed to a deal with the Falcons and will play for them in 2007. The contract comes a week after the Saints cut Horn in a salary cap move. Horn reportedly passed a Falcons physical Tuesday and opted to stick with them instead of visit other teams. Horn, 35, had 37 catches for 679 yards and four touchdowns during the regular season but finished the year on the bench after suffering a serious groin strain.....


Free agent running back Jamal Lewis agreed to a one-year deal with the Cleveland Browns. Lewis was released last week in a salary-cap move by Baltimore, which elected not to pay their career rushing leader a $5 million roster bonus. He'll now join the Browns, Baltimore's AFC North rival, who were last in the league in rushing in 2006. "We are pleased to add Jamal Lewis to our team," Browns GM Phil Savage said. "He is a proven NFL back who brings a toughness and demeanor to the game that his teammates and our fans will appreciate."....


Chargers WR Malcom Floyd agreed to his one-year tender offer, remaining with the team next year. He was an exclusive-rights free agent, which meant that he couldn't sign elsewhere if he wanted to. The tall, lanky wideout caught 15 passes for 210 yards and three scores, with 109 yards and a score in Week 13 against the Bengals. He ended the year on injured reserve with a high-ankle sprain.....


The Rocky Mountain News reports that Dre Bly's agent says his client is happy in Denver and doesn't want to be traded. "Obviously, he's very excited to be there and has not expressed anything else," the agent said. There were reports earlier in the week that Bly didn't want to be in Denver and wanted to play in Washington, where the Redskins would have extended his contract, something the Broncos aren't doing.....

Placekicker Jay Feely has agreed to a three-year deal with the Dolphins, reports Newsday, citing someone close to the negotiations. The Dolphins will cut Olindo Mare to make room for Feely.....

QB Patrick Ramsey has agreed to a two-year, $4.5 million deal with the Broncos, where he will back up Jay Cutler, reports the Rocky Mountain News. Ramsey was a backup with the Jets last season and spent three years with Washington before that.....

The New Orleans Saints agreed to terms on a one-year contract with free agent tight end Eric Johnson on Wednesday. Johnson, with San Francisco 49ers the last six years, will compete for playing time with Mark Campbell and recently re-signed Billy Miller. "Eric will be a good fit in our offense," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "He has played in a system in the past that has featured the tight end, he has good hands, and he knows how to find the openings in the coverage for the kind of catches that move the chains. He is the type of player we were looking for to plug in at tight end."

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

NFL NEWS AND NOTES

The Bears reached a preliminary agreement to trade RB Thomas Jones to the Jets for a second-round draft pick. A person familiar with the trade told The Associated Press the Jets will give up a second-round draft pick, 37th overall, for Jones, who rushed for 1,210 yards and six touchdowns in helping the Bears make the Super Bowl. The person did not wish to be identified because the trade has not been officially announced. The 28-year-old Jones must pass a physical and agree to a contract extension before the deal is complete. The Jets also would receive Chicago's second-round choice, No. 63 overall, in the trade. New York would surrender the second-rounder it received from Washington in a previous deal.....

NFL Network's Adam Schefter reports that the Broncos and RB Travis Henry have agreed to a five-year contract with $12 million guaranteed. Henry was scheduled to visit the Packers, Giants and Raiders, but has signed with the Broncos and is expected to be their starting tailback in 2007.....


The Houston Texans agreed to terms with free agent running back Ahman Green. The 30-year-old former Green Bay Packer will likely become the starter for a team that struggled at the position last season after Domanick Williams (formerly Davis) missed the year with knee problems. It is believed to be a four-year deal. In 2006, Green rushed 266 times for 1,059 yards and five touchdowns, adding 46 catches for 373 yards and another score while playing in 14 games. "Ahman's a complete back who's been to the Pro Bowl and has been successful in this league for a long time," Texans GM Rick Smith said. "We're going to give him the ball and let him run. We're going to hitch our wagon to him."......

The Bears reached a preliminary agreement to trade RB Thomas Jones to the Jets for a second-round draft pick. A person familiar with the trade told The Associated Press the Jets will give up a second-round draft pick, 37th overall, for Jones, who rushed for 1,210 yards and six touchdowns in helping the Bears make the Super Bowl. The person did not wish to be identified because the trade has not been officially announced. The 28-year-old Jones must pass a physical and agree to a contract extension before the deal is complete. The Jets also would receive Chicago's second-round choice, No. 63 overall, in the trade. New York would surrender the second-rounder it received from Washington in a previous deal.....

Texans GM Rick Smith confirmed Monday that running back Domanick Williams (formerly Domanick Davis) suffered a setback in his rehab from a knee injury and will have a procedure done on his knee in the coming weeks. The announcement came during Ahman Green's introductory press conference with the Texans. Green is expected to be the primary running back for Houston in 2007......

The Boston Herald reports that Patriots coach Bill Belichick has been a fan of wide receiver Randy Moss and is considering the possibility of bringing him aboard the Patriots, says a league source. Belichick has brought in supposed problem players before and helped them become more than competent without any off-the-field issues. The Raiders are looking for a first-round pick for Moss; the Packers also appear interested in the 30-year-old receiver, and have reportedly offered QB Aaron Rodgers for him.....

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that free agent WR Donte Stallworth is in the NFL's substance abuse program, which has made teams wary of signing him this offseason. If he were to violate the terms of the program again, he'd be suspended four games.....

New England has reportedly acquired restricted free agent WR Wes Welker from division-rival Miami In exchange, Miami is believed to have received second- and seventh-round picks at the 2007 draft. There had been reports that the Patriots were on the verge of signing Welker to an offer sheet over the weekend which the Dolphins could have matched; however, had they not matched the Dolphins would have received the second rounder as compensation.

Monday, March 05, 2007

GOVERMENT HEALTH CARE

The future of your health care........

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/04/AR2007030401394_pf.html

Sunday, March 04, 2007

NFL NEWS AND NOTES

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed free-agent quarterback Jeff Garcia on Saturday and obtained the rights to Jake Plummer from Denver, adding two quarterbacks to compete with Chris Simms next season. Plummer, who reportedly was thinking of retiring if he was traded, was sent to the Buccaneers for a conditional 2008 draft choice, the Broncos said. The 37-year-old Garcia, who last year led Philadelphia to the playoffs filling in for the injured Donovan McNabb, agreed to terms a day after talking with the Oakland Raiders. The signing was reported on the Bucs' Web site.....

Wide receiver Drew Bennett signed a six-year contract with the St. Louis Rams on Saturday. Bennett led the Titans with 46 receptions for 737 yards last season and ranks ninth on the team's career list with 273 catches for 4,033 yards and 25 touchdowns. He played his first six seasons with Tennessee after breaking in as an undrafted player.....

The Tennessee Titans released Travis Henry on Saturday after negotiations failed to rework a contract that contained an $8.3 million bonus due Monday. The Titans and Henry's agent had been negotiating over the past few days, trying to rework the bonus into a longer deal. Reinfeldt said Friday it might be good if Henry checked out the market to see what he would bring. "I still would be optimistic that he would return," Reinfeldt told The Tennessean. "Sometimes you need to look at the market and see what all is out there. I'm not sure that's a terrible thing."......

Linebacker Adalius Thomas signed with New England on Saturday, giving the Patriots one of this season's top free agents and a versatile pass-rushing outside linebacker who can do for the team what Willie McGinest once did. Thomas led Baltimore with 11 sacks last year and played in the Pro Bowl, where the Patriots' Bill Belichick was his coach for the AFC.....

According to published reports, the 49ers have agreed to a eight-year, $80 million contract with free-agent DB Nate Clements. Clements had 70 tackles and three interceptions playing for the Bills in 2006.....

The Patriots have officially released RB Corey Dillon, who asked for his release before the start of free agency. He ran for 812 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2006. The Patriots' running back job appears to belong all to second-year RB Laurence Maroney.....

Free agent WR Joe Horn has already drawn interest from the Atlanta Falcons, reports the Atlanta Journal Constitution. The Falcons and Horn's agent have had preliminary discussions about bringing Horn to Atlanta, and a meeting is being set up. "We're not sure where it's going yet," Horn's agent said. "They were the first team I spoke with. He'd be a perfect fit with those young guys. ... We are very interested and they seem to be too.".....

In a move that should certainly impact their approach to the 2007 draft, Jacksonville has reportedly signed former Cleveland UFA WR Dennis Northcutt. Prior to the signing the Jaguars had listed a speed receiver as one of their top 1-2 needs to fill at the upcoming draft.....

In one of the most anticipated on-campus workouts leading up to the draft, Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn will workout at the first of two Irish pro days later today in South Bend. According to NFL.com, though, Quinn will not do a full workout; Quinn will go through passing drills, but reportedly will not run or do interviews. Quinn has been recovering from a minor knee injury and may still run at Notre Dame’s second pro day on March 22nd.....

Coming off a strong performance at last month’s scouting combine, Miami TE Greg Olsen may have put a lock on the top grade among 2007 draft prospects at the position when he ran a 4.41 40 at the Hurricanes pro day on Saturday. Miami S Brandon Meriweather also improved his 40 clocking by a tenth as he also timed out at just over 4.4 seconds in his 40. While the Hurricanes ran on a track described as fast, none of the other Hurricanes who worked out at the combine made significant gains in their 40 times. It wasn’t quite as good day for Miami DT Kareem Brown, the one former Hurricane who did not run in Indianapolis. The 290-pounder only averaged a rather pedestrian 5.40 seconds in his two 40s. Brown, though, was a little quicker in the short shuttle where his time was about average for players at the position at the combine. Meanwhile, over at the Texas A&M pro day, safety Melvin Bullitt put on an athletic, combine worthy performance. Running at 201 pounds, Bullitt ran in the 4.5 range in the 40; had a 40.5 vertical leap and beat the gold standards in both the short shuttle (sub-4.0) and three cone drill (sub-7.0). RB Courtney Lewis also timed in the 4.5 range, but weighed in at only 190 pounds. Former Aggie DE Jason Jack, though, had to be disappointed as the 265-pounder struggled to break the 4.90 mark in the 40. Same story for MLB Justin Warren who was hoping to improve on a 4.92 official 40 time at the combine when he pulled up with a tweaked hamstring, but again times out in close to 4.90 seconds.....

New England is reportedly close to signing Miami restricted free-agent WR Wes Welker. If Welker indeed signs the offer sheet, the Dolphins will have seven days to match it. If they decide not to, they would get the Patriots' second-round draft pick a s compensation.....


Day two of the NFL’s free agent signing period was reasonably busy with more unrestricted free agents coming to terms. The biggest name to sign Saturday, though, may have been San Diego OG Kris Dielman who resigned with the Chargers after visiting Seattle. Other players of note to sign yesterday include Atlanta WR Ashley Lelie with San Francisco; Miami OT Damion McIntosh with Kansas City; and Minnesota CB Fred Smoot who returns to Washington. There have also been conflicting reports about Tampa Bay DE Dewayne White signing with Detroit. Late reports indicate though that White still hasn’t officially signed although he reportedly is still in Detroit as we go to press. Elsewhere Tennessee has released RB Travis Henry rather than pay his a roster bonus.....

Miami has acquired a 6th round pick from Denver in exchange for veteran DT Dan Wilkinson. In exchange for Wilkinson, the Dolphins will get Denver's own pick in the latter part of the 6th round rather than the 6th round which Denver acquired from Detroit yesterday as part of the deal involving CB Dre Bly.

Saturday, March 03, 2007

Expert on Russian Intelligence Shot Outside Home

ADELPHI, Md. - Police are investigating a shooting that wounded a prominent intelligence expert. Fifty-three-year-old Paul Joyal was shot Thursday night outside his house in the 2300 block of Lackawanna Street in Adelphi. Joyal is known for his expertise on intelligence and terrorism and his contacts in the former Soviet Union.
He has also been a long-time critic of the the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The shooting came four days after he told "Dateline NBC" that he believes the Russian government was involved in the fatal poisoning of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko in London.

Friday, March 02, 2007

NFL NEWS AND NOTES

A trade that was to send QB Jake Plummer from Denver to Tampa Bay in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick has been nullified because of Jake Plummer's decision to retire, reports NFL Network's Adam Schefter. It was initally believed that Plummer would compete with Chris Simms as the starter in Tampa Bay, but this report suggests that Plummer would rather not play football than join another team.....

CBS SportsLine Senior NFL Writer Clark Judge reports that Trent Green will meet with the Chiefs to discuss his future, according to his agent, Jim Steiner. Kansas City would like to restructure Green's contract as he is scheduled to make over $7 million this year. The Chiefs may release or trade Green if they cannot come to an agreement. "It's something that's been in the works for several weeks," said Steiner. "But they just haven't been able to get together. ... He'd like to know exactly what their plans are."


Veteran wide receiver Joe Horn, who was released on Thursday, criticized the Saints for not wanting him around Thursday just as free agency was about to begin. "Right now it's going around that (the Saints) wanted to restructure my contract and I asked to be released, but this has nothing to do with money," Horn told The Fayetteville Observer. "I wanted to retire as a Saint. I've been through hell and back for that city and that organization. If I wanted out of New Orleans that bad, I would have just kept my mouth shut and let them move the team to San Antonio. I just don't think Sean Payton wanted me back. I asked to be released because I felt betrayed by a head coach who wanted to prove he could win without Joe Horn." He had 37 catches for 679 yards and four touchdowns during the regular season. He missed several games -- including both of the Saints' playoff games -- with a groin injury.....


The Steelers decided not to pursue a free agent running back to complement Willie Parker, choosing instead to re-sign Najeh Davenport to a $2 million, two-year contract. Davenport joined the Steelers a game into last season after Green Bay released him, and eventually became Parker's backup. The 6-foot-1, 247-pound Davenport gained 221 yards on 60 carries. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said recently he preferred using a two-back system like many other teams are employing, creating speculation the Steelers might look elsewhere for Parker's backup.....

Free agent defensive end Juqua Thomas re-signed with the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday, the first day of free agency. Thomas' playing time increased last year when three-time Pro Bowler Jevon Kearse suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2. He responded by posting career highs of 47 tackles and six sacks. Thomas originally signed with Tennessee as a rookie free agent out of Oklahoma State. He played four season with the Titans before signing with the Eagles during training camp in 2005. For his career, Thomas has recorded 128 tackles and 11 sacks in 73 games.....


The Redskins re-signed safety Vernon Fox, keeping him off the free agent market, and gave multiyear contract extensions to guard Randy Thomas and fullback Mike Sellers.....

The Dolphins have released DE Kevin Carter after Carter's agent and the team couldn't agree to terms on a restructured contract. "There are two reasons to release a player. One is the salary cap and the other is evaluation," agent Harold Lewis said. "They said it was evaluation and we disagreed. Kevin was better at 33 than he was at 32. He hasn't missed a game or practice his entire career." Carter had 5.5 sacks last year, his 12th in the NFL.....

The Washington Post reports that the Redskins will meet with LB London Fletcher-Baker and could sign him as soon as Friday. The paper also reports that the team may re-sign CB Fred Smoot, who left the team to sign with Minnesota in 2005.