And to Think: The Dems Don't Want a Fence on Our Border

I guess they'll stop supporting amnesty for illegals and a Swiss-cheese southern border after reading more stories like this:

Montco officials make drug raid
The breakup of a Norristown-based cocaine ring was said to be the biggest bust ever in the county.
By Bonnie L. Cook
Inquirer Staff Writer

Montgomery County officials said yesterday that they had made the biggest drug bust ever in the county by breaking up a cocaine ring operating in and around Norristown.

The bust was announced by District Attorney Bruce L. Castor Jr. during a morning news briefing at which packages of white powder and envelopes stuffed with cash were displayed on a table.

Armed with search warrants, narcotics officers raided nine locations on Wednesday and seized 44 pounds of cocaine worth $2 million, $300,000 in cash, 15 vehicles and various firearms, Castor said.

He said the bust grew from multiple tips received over the summer identifying Norristown resident Mumin Niree Bentley as a major cocaine supplier to drug dealers in the Norristown area.

Investigators obtained a court order last month to eavesdrop on cell phone calls made by Bentley and two others, and used cell-phone chatter and undercover surveillance to piece together how the drug ring worked.

"In large-scale drug operations, they won't deal with people they haven't dealt with before," so the eavesdropping was needed, Castor said.

On Wednesday, detectives received advance word of a drug buy in Upper Merion by intercepting a phone call. They went to the meeting, where they arrested two drug-runners and confiscated two kilograms of cocaine, Castor said.

Simultaneously, investigators executed search warrants on seven locations in Norristown and one each in Upper Merion and Northeast Philadelphia.

Castor said that officers arrested Bentley, 27, Jose Javier Cabrera, 33, Anthony Mendoza, 27, David Ross, 27, and Efrain Lopez-Rodriguez, 28, all of Norristown. They also arrested Abraham Moran-Martinez, 22, of Upper Merion Township, and Steven Anthony, age and address unknown.

The seven were charged with alleged narcotics violations and conspiracy charges. Four of the men - Cabrera, Moran-Martinez, Mendoza and Lopez-Rodriguez - have told police they are Mexican nationals living illegally in the United States.

All failed to post $1 million bail and were being held in the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.

Contact staff writer Bonnie L. Cook at 610-313-8232 or bcook@phillynews.com.
Click here to find out more!

Liberal Racists

Cross-posting this important statement from Freedom Eden:

Liberal Racists: The Blackface Gallery

Wolf Blitzer
Artist: Billmon
(Image from NewsBusters and Hot Air )



Noel Sheppard of NewsBusters posts that the libs are employing their racist tactics again.

He writes:

Daily Kos alumnus Billmon...has used Photoshop to disparagingly blackface someone. In this case, the proprietor of the Whiskey Bar blog has likened CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer to a minstrel...all due to the Situation Room host's reference to Lynne Cheney. The following is taken directly from Billmon’s blog entry on October 29:

BLITZER: I have been covering the Cheneys for many years, including on a day-to-day basis when he was the defense secretary during the first Gulf War and I was CNN’s Pentagon correspondent . . . I was surprised when she came out swinging on Friday, surprised . . . at her sniping at my patriotism.

Wolf Blitzer
CNN Late Edition October 29, 2006

Translation: Oh Lawdy! Massa's wife so mad she even beatin' on us house slaves now. What dis ol' world comin' to?


Why do these libs get a pass when it comes to their overtly racist behavior?

The Washington Post went bonkers for days because George Allen said, "Macaca."

Allen's alleged use of the N-word became The Post's obsession.

Granted, Billmon isn't a candidate for the Senate. The fact that he created a despicable photoshop image isn't worthy of any publication's front page.

However, the Left's racism is definitely a pattern worth noting and should be reported by the oh so enlightened, tolerant liberal media.

Other instances of Leftist creativity:


Michael Steele -- "I's Simple Sambo and I's running for the Big House"
Artist and caption author: Steve Gilliard



"Joe Lieberman"
Artist: Jane Hamsher, posted on The Huffington Post


There are so many examples of the Left's glaring racism.

Here are a few more:

--USA Today doctors a photo of Condoleezza Rice.

--Condoleezza Rice is belittled on a math final at Bellevue Community College.

--Michael Steele is labeled an Uncle Tom and pelted with oreos.

--Former Milwaukee Alderman Michael McGee spews anti-Semitic remarks on the radio.

--Clarence Thomas is deemed "a black man who deserves an asterisk" by The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

--Trey Ellis plays shrink in a racist attack on Claude Allen.

--MoveOn.org hosts anti-Semitic remarks about Joe Lieberman.

--Chris Matthews repeatedly employs ethnic stereotypes to refer to Joe Lieberman.


The fact is a thinly-veiled bigotry routinely runs through the Left's commentary.

Leftists fail to condemn anti-Semites like Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and Louis Farrakhan.

They fail to condemn Howard Dean, Joe Biden, Robert Byrd, Hillary Clinton, etc., for their racial and ethnic slurs. Catholic-bashing is a favorite pastime for them.

Nevertheless, the Left puts on a holier-than-thou attitude and paints the Right as racist.

Go figure.

I guess it's true that the Democratic Party really is a "big tent party."

Racists are welcome, as long as they are radical Leftists.

I'm quite confident that the creator of a blackface Nancy Pelosi image would NOT be sheltered by the Dems' tent.

Strong elements of racism permeate the Left. That is the ugly truth.


HYPOCRITES

The Absorbine, Jr. Mouthwash Award Goes to,...

Senator John Kerry (D-Unce):

Kerry's bitter words for the administration were sparked by his own comments a day earlier to a group of students during a campaign stop at Pasadena City College for California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides.

"You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. And if you don't, you get stuck in Iraq," he said.

Mercifully, our Commander-in-Chief weighed in on the issue:

President Bush weighed in on the slight in remarks at a Georgia Victory 2006 rally scheduled Tuesday evening.

"The senator's suggestion that the men and women of our military are somehow uneducated is insulting and shameful. The members of the United States military are plenty smart and they are plenty brave, and the senator from Massachusetts owes them an apology," Bush said.

"Whatever party you're in in America, our troops deserve the full support of our government," he said.

White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters at his daily briefing Tuesday that Kerry's comments are emblematic of his disdain for the military.


The TrekMedic weighs in with this verbal hand-grenade:

I'd like to personally thank the doddering dickhead from Massachusetts for insulting several of my family members ( my regulars know who they are!)

Are you that f**king stupid, Senator? Is this the face of a Democratic-dominated legislative branch for the next two God-awful years??

Scoring the Inkwaster's Endorsements

It appears the Philly Inkwaster has changed,..er, modified their way of endorsing candidates for an upcoming election.

Based on their system, the TrekMedic is also going to score this year's electoral endorsments.

The scoring will be as follows (based on the Inky's system):

• Close Call = 1 point
• Weak = 2 points
• Strong = 3 points
• No Contest = 5 points

The scoring thus far:

Sunday, October 15th: Robert Menendez for US Senate in New Jersey - minus 1 point
Monday, October 16th: Chaka Fattah for US Congress, PA-02 - minus 5 points
Tuesday, October 17th: Joe Pitts for US Congress, PA-16 - plus 3 points
Wednesday, October 18th: Frank LoBiondo for US Congress, NJ-02 - plus 3 points
Friday, October 20th: Allyson Schwartz for US Congress, PA-13 - minus 5 points
Saturday, October 21st: Chris Smith for US Congress, NJ-04 - plus 5 points
Sunday, October 22nd: Bob Casey, Jr for US Senate in Pennsylvania - minus 3 points
Monday, October 23rd: Mike Fitzpatrick for US Congress, PA-08 - plus 1 point
Tuesday, October 24th: Lois Murphy for US Congress, PA-06 - minus 1 point
Wednesday, October 25th: Joe Sestak for US Congress, PA-07 - minus 2 points
Thursday, October 26th: Rich Sexton for US Congress, NJ-03 - minus 1 point
Sunday, October 29th: Edward Rendell for PA Governor - minus 3 points

Total Score - minus 9 points

Dems Want to Increase Your Taxes and Here's Why That's a BAD Thing!

This is a Red November Initiative Post!!

Don't go measuring the drapes yet, Pelosi!

Charlie on the Turnpike has this excellent posting:

Facts: they can be a stubborn thing to ignore

I am so far behind in both reading and posting, this one almost got away!

Do not believe the recurrent lies that President Bush's tax cut was only for the wealthy. Every person who paid Federal taxes enjoys the benefit of those tax cuts -- all 300-million -- and some of these benefits are outlined below, in a style resembling Harper's Index. Keep this in mind as you head to the polls in a few short days: which candidates are going to vote to make those tax cuts permanent?

As seen at Chronicle of the Conspiracy to Keep you Poor and Stupid :

* $14,374,330,000,000 Total Increase in Household Wealth Since April 2003
* $5,700,000,000,000 Total Increase in Shareholder Wealth Since May 20, 2003
* $863,654,000,000 Total Amount of Tax Cuts Enacted Since Fiscal Year 2003
* $783,890,000,000 Total Amount of Additional Tax Cuts to be Returned to Taxpayers Through 2010
* $625,000,000,000 Total Increase in Federal Tax Revenues Since FY 2003
* $207,788,000,000 Reduction in the Deficit in the Past 29 Months Due to Stronger Economic Growth
* $98,600,000,000 Combined Income Gains for Shareholders From Dividend Increases & Tax Savings 03-05
* $62,000,000,000 Surplus of Capital Gains Tax Revenue Not Accounted For By Revenue Estimators
* $60,000,000,000 Deficit REDUCTION Since the Tax Cut Was Signed Into Law
* 300,001,643 Total Number of Americans benefiting from President Bush’s Tax Cut
* 91,000,000 Number of Individuals Owning Shares of Stock in America
* 23,000,000 Number of Small Businesses Benefiting from Income Tax Reductions
* 6,600,000 Number of Jobs Created Since the Tax Cut Was Signed Into Law
* 12,000 The Magic Number of the Dow Jones Industrial Index is an Arms Length Away has exceeded
* $2,092 Tax Increase for a Family of Four With $50k of Income if Tax Cuts Are Repealed
* 200 Number of House Members Who Voted Against This Growth Generating Tax Cut
* 50 Number of US Senators Who Voted Against This Growth Generating Tax Cut
* 25 Number of Years Dividend Paying Companies Declined Prior to the 2003 Tax Cut
* 164.0% % Increase in the Dividend Tax Rate if the Income and Dividend Tax Cuts Expire
* 123.0% % Increase in Dividend Income and Share Repurchases Since 2003 Tax Cut
* 91.0% % Increase of Stock Ownership in the Bottom Quintile of Income Distribution Since 1995
* 74.0% % Increase in S&P 500 Companies Boosting Their Dividend Since 2002
* 65.0% % of Voters Who Were Investors in the 2004 Elections
* 51.2% % of Total Tax Cut “Cost” That Has Been Recouped From Higher Levels of Growth
* 14.0% % Margin of Victory for Republicans From Investor Voters in 2002 Elections
* 4.6% Unemployment Rate Which Continues To Disprove the Constant Economic Pessimism
* 3.7% % Average Quarterly GDP Growth Since Tax Cut Was Enacted (long run average is 3.3%)

Be sure to have your facts in order the next time you argue for a tax increase!

Preach, Charlie, preach!!!

E-A-G-L-E-S (Declawed)

Cry! Eagles! Cry!
Walk Away from Vic-tor-y!
Why? Eagles, Why?
Can't You Score a Vic-tor-y?
You Don't Score,
'Til Quarter Four!
That West Coast Offense,
We All Abhor!
So,..
Try! Eagles! Try!
To Get One More Vic! Tor! Y!

BTW - Can someone explain something to the TrekMedic?

Was Andy Reid so shell-shocked from the last two games that he somehow thought whoever kicks a field goal with less than a minute left in the game automatically wins??

Hey, Andy, instead of the usual Donovan passes, overthrows it, passes again, gets a breadbasket catch dropped, passes again and gets sacked, try this new concept: A RUNNING GAME! You know - NRR, NRL, SPDN!!!!

Our "Fathers" Must Be Spinning in Their Graves

The TrekMedic was seriously pissed to read this in the Inkwaster today:

Slicing up the pie

Halloween came early at movie theaters as Saw III sliced up the competition with a $34.3 million debut, the best opening yet for the gory horror franchise.

Lionsgate's Saw III easily took over as No. 1 at the box office, bumping off Disney's dueling-magicians saga The Prestige, which slipped to third place with $9.6 million, according to studio estimates yesterday.

Martin Scorsese's mob tale The Departed held strongly again, taking in $9.8 million to place second for the third-straight weekend.

Paramount's Flags of Our Fathers, which cost $90 million to produce, has gotten off to a slow start, raising its 10-day total to $19.9 million. It came in fourth with $6.3 million.

Its pretty sad these days that a film about murder, mayhem and general IQ-lowering dialog trumps a movie about a very real, very violent and tide-turning point in WWII!

FWIW, the TrekMedic went to see "Flags" with a friend the day it was released (along with 20 other people). Sigh,..I guess this is why "reality" TV beats out finely-crafted dramas and comedies these days: we can't seem to handle any REAL reality anymore!

Thanks a f**kin lot, Hollywood!

More Happiness For the Ditzy Chicks

From Drudge:

NBC REFUSES ADS FOR DIXIE CHICKS MOVIE
Thu Oct 26 2006 21:21:10 ET

**Exclusive**

In an Ironic Twist of Events, NBC and The CW Television Network Refuse to Air Ads for Documentary Focusing on Freedom of Speech

NBC Claims that the Network “Cannot Accept These Spots as They are Disparaging to President Bush”

The TrekMedic interjects: This is the same NBC with the rapidly-declining, left-leaning, Studio 60, which was savaged here a few weeks ago.

NBC and The CW Television Network have taken a stand against the Dixie’s Chicks new documentary “Shut Up & Sing” a behind-the-scenes look at the incredible political and media fallout that occurred in 2003 after the Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines said that she was "ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas." “Shut Up & Sing” opens in theaters in NY and Los Angeles on Friday and in theaters nationwide on November 10th.

NBC responded to a clearance report submitted by the Weinstein Company’s media agency saying that the network “cannot accept these spots as they are disparaging to President Bush.”

The CW Television Network responded that it does “not have appropriate programming in which to schedule this spot.”

Famed litigator David Boies stated, “It is disappointing and troubling that NBC and The CW would refuse to accept an otherwise appropriate ad merely because it is critical of President Bush."

Harvey Weinstein, co-chairman of The Weinstein Company stated, “It’s a sad commentary about the level of fear in our society that a movie about a group of courageous entertainers who were blacklisted for exercising their right of free speech is now itself being blacklisted by corporate America. The idea that anyone should be penalized for criticizing the president is sad and profoundly un-American.”

The Weinstein Company is exploring taking legal action.

The rejected commercials for “Shut Up & Post” can be viewed at http://www.shutupandpost.com

Its My Blogoversary!

Yes, two years ago tonight, the TrekMedic set about to "right" the wrongs of our civilization and set forth his own demented view of the world as it should be!

11,750 hits later, and still going strong!

The Red November Initiative WILL prevail!

Did I Miss Something Here?

Once upon a time, our system of government, at both the federal and local levels, was based on a three-part cooperative of separate, but equal governing bodies:

• The Executive branch ran the daily activities of the government in the best interests of the governed.
• The Legislative branch made the laws by which the governed lived.
• The Judicial branch determined the legality and constutionality of the legislature's laws.

Now, however, it appears the judicial branch has taken upon itself to legislate from the bench:

New Jersey High Court Leaves Gay Marriage Rights to Legislature
Thursday, October 26, 2006

TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey's Supreme Court has left it to the Legislature to decide the rules for gay couples who want to marry in the state.

In a 4-3 ruling Wednesday, the court said the state constitution gives same-sex couples the same civil rights afforded to heterosexual couples, but the lawmakers must decide how to grant those rights.

"The Legislature must either amend the marriage statutes to include same-sex couples or create a parallel statutory structure, which will provide for, on equal terms, the rights and benefits enjoyed and burdens and obligations borne by married couples," the court held.

•Click here to read the ruling (pdf).

The court ruled that the state does not have a "legitimate governmental purpose" in denying same-sex couples "the financial and social benefits and privileges given to their married heterosexual counterparts."

Citing the equal protection clause, Article 1, Paragraph 1 of the New Jersey constitution, the court ruled that "committed same-sex couples must be afforded on equal terms the same rights and benefits enjoyed by opposite-sex couples under the civil marriage statutes. The name to be given to the statutory scheme that provides full rights and benefits to same-sex couples, whether marriage or some other term, is a matter left to the democratic process."


Our Commander-in Chief dropped his opinion on this travesty here.

Santorum - "Think"

This is a Red November Initiative Post!

E-A-G-L-E-S (Yeah,..kicked again!)

Fly! Eagles! Fly!
On the Road to Vic-tor-y!

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!!!!

Its F**king Deja Vu All Over Again!!

• No Scoring in the first half! Hey, Andy: 3 cheap points is better than none! And how many did we lose by? Oh, yeah,...2 POINTS
• Dumb-ass penalties kept the final drive going,..again!!
• Donovan,..your receivers were the guys in the GREEN jerseys!

And now,..Donovan's reaction to getting screwed again:

A Terrific Read

Pilfered from AlexC at Three Sources:

A Dialogue with a Liberal
By Arnold Kling : BIO| 13 Oct 2006

"Consider this an invitation. Are these propositions meaningful? Are they helpful? Are they simply wrong? As a liberal, how would you change them or modify the list? As a conservative, how would you draft a similar list for conservatives?"
-- Geoffrey R. Stone, What it Means to be a Liberal

I will take up this invitation University of Chicago law professor Geoffrey Stone, speaking not for conservatism, but for my own brand of libertarianism. First, let me comment on a couple of his propositions.

Stone writes,

Liberals believe individuals should doubt their own truths and consider fairly and open-mindedly the truths of others...Liberals are skeptical of censorship and celebrate free and open debate.

I agree that this is the liberal ideal. In my experience, liberals are not as open-minded as I would like, but open-mindedness is a difficult ideal to uphold. I am pleased to see open-mindedness listed first.

Later, he writes,

Liberals believe government has a fundamental responsibility to help those who are less fortunate. It is liberals who have supported and continue to support government programs to improve health care, education, social security, job training and welfare for the neediest members of society. It is liberals who maintain that a national community is like a family and that government exists in part to "promote the general welfare."

I believe that in reality what has helped the less fortunate is economic growth. Today's elderly are affluent not because of Social Security, but because of all of the wealth created by private sector innovation over their lifetimes. Government involvement in health care and education is an impediment to progress in those fields. Job training and welfare are demonstrable failures. I think that treating a national community like a family is a grave intellectual error. A national unit is an institution that creates a legal framework for a large group of strangers to interact. A family is a small group that interacts on the basis of personal bonds. Strengthening government serves to weaken families and other vital civic institutions. If Professor Stone is truly as open-minded as he says, then he ought to examine what economists have found about the sources of economic growth and the ways that poverty has been alleviated over time.


The TrekMedic rejoices:

A-ha,..so the Clinton-esque Village doesn't raise a family, it really does bring forth another generation of village idiots!

Santorum: Dems Victory a "Disaster"

This is a Red November Initiative Post!


LEBANON
Santorum calls Democratic win 'disaster'
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
BY MONICA VON DOBENECK
Of Our Palmyra Bureau

MYERSTOWN - U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum last night urged the GOP faithful in Lebanon County to man the phones, knock on doors, take time off from work and do everything they can to help re-elect him Nov. 7. The future of the country is at stake, he said.

"I don't want to win this race for me, but for this country. All I ask for is two weeks of sacrifice. ... I need a huge vote out of this county," Santorum told an audience of about 200 at the party's annual fundraising dinner at the Lantern Lodge.

Santorum said as he was leaving the dinner that a Democratic win could be "a disaster for the future of the world."

Polls show Santorum trailing Democrat Bob Casey, while voters nationwide are showing increased disapproval of Bush administration policies and frustration with the war in Iraq. Santorum called the election "sort of the presidential race of 2006," because it is a forum on the Bush administration.

"I want to be senator because this is an important point in our nation's history," he said.

He painted a frightening picture of what would happen should he lose, warning of "Islamic fascism."

Islamic fascists don't mind dying to destroy the United States and "we need the courage to name our enemy. ... But because we're dealing with religion, we cower away," he said.

Santorum said Pennsylvania is a pivotal state in helping Republicans maintain control of Congress.

Santorum said he can still win the election because Republicans in counties like Lebanon are very good at getting out the vote.

"You in Pennsylvania will have a huge role to play," he said.

MONICA VON DOBENECK: 832-2090 or mdobeneck@patriot-news.com


The TrekMedic adds:

If you want to see the definition of disaster as it relates to the Democrats, just google "Jimmy Carter & Iran" or "Bill Clinton & North Korea, or Somalia, or slutty interns"

Philliness and the Family Jewels!

Cash-strapped Philadelphia museum to sell minerals, gems
10/22/2006, 1:08 p.m. ET
The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Trustees of the cash-strapped Academy of Natural Sciences are selling more than 15,000 minerals and gems that haven't been cleaned or displayed for decades in a deal estimated to be worth several million dollars.

Workers began boxing up specimens for an unnamed private dealer after trustees voted Tuesday for the sale, acting academy president Ian Davison told The Philadelphia Inquirer for Sunday's editions.

The city's natural-history museum received permission for the sale from Orphans Court Judge Joseph D. O'Keefe. The academy must return to court for permission to sell its remaining 7,000-odd pieces — including silver, gold, diamonds and everyday quartz — because William S. Vaux, who donated them 123 years ago, requested that they never be sold.

Weldon Shakes Off FBI Probe

This is a Red November Initiative Post!

Courtesy of GrassrootsPA:

Gil Spencer: For GOP, there’s no need to fear
Gil Spencer , Times Columnist

Underdog is here. Here was the Springfield Country Club Friday afternoon. And for those Curt Weldon supporters who worried that the events of the last week had turned their candidate into nothing more frightening than "humble, lovable Shoeshine Boy," Weldon quickly dispelled their concerns.
Hanging over the campaign the last several days was the disclosure of a Justice Department investigation looking into allegations that Weldon helped his daughter and friend, GOP boss Charlie Sexton, get $1 million in lobbying fees for their international consulting firm.

(snip)

For his supporters, the question Friday was which Weldon would show up at the debate: The confident Marcus Hook street fighter or the wounded politician and father.

It didn’t take long for them to find out.

In the house that Charlie built, Weldon came out swinging.

He said that in his 30 years of political campaigning, the last five days have been the worst of his life.

He called the Democrats’ attacks on his family "outrageous and un-American," defended his record of public service and then laid into his opponent.

As a volunteer fireman, Weldon said, "I put myself between a 700-foot-long oil tanker in Marcus Hook and an oil refinery for three days, where 29 people were killed ..I would ask you," he said turning to Sestak, "have you ever faced a similar situation, Joe? Or (were you) always in the admiral quarter drinking out of your wine goblets and being waited on by your sailor servants?"

Weldon just picked up steam from there.

When a baffled Sestak mangled a question from moderator G. Terry Madonna about where he stood on the question of having a regional airport authority, confusing it with the FAA’s controversial redesign plan, Weldon pounced again.

"He doesn’t even understand your question, Terry."

Weldon laid into Sestak again and again, showing his superior knowledge of the district and the issues.

It was Sestak who played the part of Underdog’s alter ego, Shoeshine Boy. He smiled meekly and tolerantly throughout, even when lampooned by Weldon for giving wrong answers to fairly simple questions.

Where Weldon talked specifics, Sestak spoke in fractured generalities.

No wonder at the end of the show, when Madonna said he regretted he didn’t have time to ask more questions, Weldon chirped, "Go ahead, I’ll stay!"

According to the Weldon campaign, Sestak couldn’t even get the details of his own brother’s life straight.

The Absorbine, Jr. Mouthwash Award Goes to,...

Hillary Clinton!

Speaking at a campaign stump for US Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey, the Queen Bitch said:

Speaking to a crowd of 650 Democratic activists at IBEW Local 164, Clinton said Washington "has a dangerous combination of arrogance and incompetence" and urged them to help get out the vote on Election Day.


And the TrekMedic muses:

Which one of those Washington problems are you more familiar with??

Re-Arranging the Deck Chairs in Philly

The pique behind the scenes on DHS
Publicly silent, Mayor Street grew frustrated during days of meetings over child deaths. The result: Two officials gone.
By Marcia Gelbart, Ken Dilanian and John Sullivan
Inquirer Staff Writers

Last Sunday, Mayor Street sent an e-mail to his closest advisers.

He was disturbed, sources said, by The Inquirer's investigation into how his Department of Human Services had handled the cases of children who were later killed.

Day after day, Street said nothing publicly, even as lawmakers were calling for hearings and state regulators were swooping in for a review. Instead, as is his style, he hunkered down in meetings, conducting a methodical examination of child-death cases.

That was where Street grew frustrated, city officials said. He kept hearing that the rules were being followed - as he stared at files detailing the brutal deaths of helpless children. He finally decided he'd had enough.

There was a need, as he later put it, "for fresh eyes and a fresh approach."

On Friday, Street broke his silence in dramatic fashion by announcing the removal of two top officials at the department.

Commissioner Cheryl Ransom-Garner was asked to resign, and her deputy in charge of abuse investigations, John McGee, was fired. Street named Arthur C. Evans, Jr., who directs the city's mental health office, as acting commissioner.

"We think we can do better," Street said at City Hall Friday, in a tone more matter-of-fact than defensive.

And this action was followed by,...

Workers walk in protest
By Kera Ritter
Inquirer Staff Writer

Social workers at the Department of Human Services walked off the job Friday after learning that their boss, Commissioner Cheryl Ransom-Garner, had resigned and Deputy Commissioner John McGee had been fired.

The changes came just days after The Inquirer published stories about children who died after their families had come under the agency's scrutiny.

"The articles that have come out in The Inquirer really haven't told the whole story," said Cathy Scott, president of Local 2187 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents about 1,300 of the agency's 2,000-plus workers.

Employees returned to the building about 5 p.m.

At least 300 DHS workers marched in protest to City Hall, cramming the hallway outside Mayor Street's second-floor office about an hour after he announced the dismissal.

Hundreds of other workers spilled into the streets in midafternoon, blocking traffic. The state Department of Public Welfare, which oversees DHS, put its workers on alert to ensure the city child-abuse hotline was answered. But DHS workers who answer those lines remained on duty, Scott said.

One union official worried aloud that few staffers were at their posts. "We have 1,500 workers in a total uproar," said Rita Urwitz, in the crowd outside City Hall. "Hopefully nothing serious happens to a child this afternoon."

The TrekMedic pundits:

The Department of Human Services (there's a Philly oxymoron for you) is yet another patronage-filled office full of people collecting a paycheck and looking the other way. 40 years of social engineering brought the City to this point and laying off the top heads won't change a single thing!

Holy Hockey Pucks!

Flyers fire Hitchcock; Clarke resigns
By Tim Panaccio
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

An era of Philadelphia Flyers hockey has ended.

Flyers general manager Bob Clarke has resigned and coach Ken Hitchcock has been fired.

The club will announce both moves at a 10 a.m. news conference at the Wachovia Center.

Hitchcock had been starting his fourth season and was given a two-year contract extension in training camp while Clarke had been the team's GM for 19 seasons.

The Flyers are 1-6-1, their worst start since 1989-90, the first time the Flyers had fired Clarke. He rejoined the team in June, 1994.

It is believed the club asked for Clarke's resignation Friday night. Earlier Friday, Clarke said he took responsibility for how poorly the club had began this season.

The TrekMedic, on a power play, checks:

Clarke's resignation was long overdue. He was quickly becoming the Ed Wade of the hockey world.

Police-Related Shootings Break Record

Killings by police at 25-year record
Officials say it's a response to widespread use of guns.
By Barbara Boyer
Inquirer Staff Writer

A deadly Southwest Philadelphia confrontation early yesterday led to the second killing of a robbery suspect by city police in as many days and the 19th killing this year by the department's officers, the highest total in more than a quarter-century.

And it's only October.

In yesterday's shooting, a Maryland man wanted on charges of robbery and attempted murder leveled a loaded semiautomatic at a rookie officer and pulled the trigger, police said - but the pistol jammed.

As the suspect struggled to clear the gun and fired a shot, police said, the officer shot him fatally.

Police and Street administration officials say the latest episodes underscore the gun violence officers are facing during a particularly violent time. "It seems that more people are more inclined to produce firearms and shoot at police," said Capt. Benjamin Naish of the Public Affairs Unit. "It's been a dramatic turn for this year."

Last year, seven suspects were killed by police. This year's total now exceeds the 18 suspects killed in 1994, the most since the FBI began tracking police use of deadly force in 1980. Besides the 19 fatalities in the city, two other suspects were shot to death by Philadelphia police outside the city this year.

During yesterday's confrontation, Tabius Cannon, 31, of Salisbury, Md., was pointing his weapon at Officer John Palmiero when Palmiero fired back, hitting Cannon in the chest and left arm, police said.

Naish said an initial investigation into the shooting showed the use of deadly force was justified. The shooting remains under investigation by Internal Affairs, homicide, and the District Attorney's Office, as is standard any time there is a fatal police shooting.

The shooting came within 48 hours of the South Philadelphia gun battle that left bank-robbery suspect David Henry dead after he fired a bullet that grazed the lip and teeth of Officer Ronald Jann. Last week, police also fatally shot a suspect.

Officials say the police shootings reflect a violent time when homicides in the city are up 7 percent over last year, shootings are up 10 percent, and three officers have been shot, including the killing of Officer Gary Skerski in May. The 19 killings by police contrast with New York City, which has not seen a comparable rise in crime and reported only seven fatal shootings by its police so far this year.

"They're just not reluctant to fire a weapon at police," said Naish, who commanded a police district in West Philadelphia before he became the department's chief spokesman. "There's no question that Mr. Henry was every bit prepared to shoot a police officer in the head."

In Mayor Street's office, spokesman Joe Grace said that while officers are expected to exercise prudence in using deadly force, there is a different climate in the city this year because there "are so many guns on our streets."

"It's clear the number of shootings has increased, and that's a direct correlation to the number of guns in our community," Grace said.

The TrekMedic seethes:

Once again, the Mayor and his band of clueless cronies refuse to see what is plainly obvious: a lack of ANY moral guidance, fueled by television shows, video games, Radio Air Pollution (RAP) and the RAP videos that glorify a thug life and the 'gangsta' lifestyle. No one - NO ONE - appears to be around to tell these knuckle-dragging 'urban' losers that such things aren't real life and pulling a weapon on a police officer, who is trained to take lethal action, can and usally does, have deadly consequences!

What would Dr, Huxtable say about this??

The Inky Disses Raj Bhakta

This is a Red November Initiative Post!

This shouldn't come as a surprise to the TrekMedic, but the Inkwaster today endorsed current US Congresswoman ( and resident carpet bagger) Allyson Schwartz.

What kills the TrekMedic is that the editorial board appears to have passed over Mr. Bhakta for being,..well,....a Republican. (shocked faces here)

Here's what the Inky said about Raj:

The Case for Bhakta

Bhakta is a political outsider who is adept at getting publicity. He rode an elephant across the Rio Grande between Mexico and Texas to make a point that border security is lax. Bhakta believes the Republican Party has lost its conservative moorings. He wants to end the ability of Congress members to insert pork-barrel items into bills.

Umm,..isn't that why we SHOULD vote for him??

And then there's the perversely humorous description of Miss Schwartz by the Inkwaster:

"Schwartz is a Girl Scout, a Girl Scout good at raising money."

Why humorous? Those who actually follow Raj Bhakta's campaign know he's been defending the Boy Scouts in their fight against Mayor John Street and his campaign to line his pockets before he leaves City Hall.

Someone's Freudian slip showing again?

More on this in the weeks to come!

The MSM - More Money Than Brains

First,..Katie Couric whores herself for big bucks, then fails to deliver:

Gail Shister | Big bucks for Couric, but still third place for CBS News
By Gail Shister
Inquirer Columnist

Is CBS getting its money's worth from Katie Couric?

After a $13 million promotional campaign touting the $15 million-a-year anchor of CBS Evening News, the network has yet to see a real payoff in its investment.

Despite CBS's incessant spin about Evening News' ratings improvement from '05, two developments are beyond dispute:

Since winning the first two weeks following Couric's Sept. 5 debut, Evening News is back in third place in the weekly network-news Nielsens.

Couric, 49, is delivering about the same viewership as did her lower-paid "interim" predecessor, Bob Schieffer, 69, over his last year.

In last week's race, for example, Brian Williams' No. 1 NBC Nightly News enjoyed its largest advantage over Evening News since Couric became anchor.

Nightly averaged 8.8 million total viewers, 1.5 million more than Evening News' 7.3 million, according to Nielsen Media Research figures released yesterday. It was Nightly's best delivery since March and its 115th blue ribbon in the last 119 weeks.

Charlie Gibson's ABC World News was No. 2 with 8.0 million viewers. Among the target 25-to-54 year-old viewers, it's almost a dead heat among the three broadcasts.


Then, Little Miss Katie shows her true (blue) colors again:

This exchange is courtesy of PhillyBits:


Katie: Hey, wait a second. Democrats took-Democrats took money from Abramoff too, Mr. Dean.

Howard: That is absolutely false. That did not happen. Not one dime of money from Jack Abramoff went to any Democrat at any time.

Katie: According to the CRP, Abramoff and his associates gave 3 million dollars to republicans and 1.5 million to democrats...

Howard: Not-one-dime.

Katie: We'll obviously have to look into that and clarify that to our viewers at a later date...


The TrekMedic pundits:

In that last statement, one must assume Katie & Co. at SeeBS will give the story the Dan Rather treatment to cover up the DNC's tracks!

This Picture Shows You Two Things You WON'T Get From the Dems in '06!

This is a Red November Initiative Post!

Picture and story courtesy of BobG at Sweet Spirits of Ammonia:

Honest Harry Caught Cheating, Again And Again

Democrat senator Harry Reid announced Monday he is amending his ethics reports to correct where he deliberately failed to account for a land deal that allowed him to collect $1.1 million for property he hadn't personally owned for three years.

It must be nice to be able to just change reports once you're caught lying on them. Politicians on both sides just make rules to cover their butts rather than hold themselves accountable. They are the most reprehensible animals on the planet and Harry is one of the most vile among them. Read this at the New York Post.

The Latest Santorum/Casey Knock-Down, Drag 'em Out

A transcript of Casey's latest clock-cleaning can be found here.

BTW - is the TrekMedic the only one who lost his/her voicer last night screaming at the TV, waiting for Casey to answer one ( just ONE) question based on HIS platform, instead of saying, ad nauseum: "Well, Bush sucks, my opponent supports Bush, therefore he sucks, and despite my lack of a platofrm, I deserve your vote."

The TrekMedic Was Right!

Pilfered this pic from some pro-Lamont loser:



More can be found here

PS: Note the quote from Cindy Sheehan to the right, under the photo? ROFLMAO!

E-A-G-L-E-S (N'Awlins Style)

Fly! Eagles! Fly!
On The Road to Vic-tor-y!

Screeeeeee-eeeee-eeeee-eeeee-eech!!!!

OK,..the TrekMedic's not going to bore you with yet another one of his witty versions of Da Iggles fight song tonight.

Let's look at yesterday with clear eyes:

• Yes! They came out flat-footed in the first half and let New Orleans dictate the tone
• Yes! There were some seriously questionable plays called by Big Red
• Yes! The defense couldn't sack Drew Brees (unless we put 12 men on the ball!)
• Yes! Donovan McNabb still forces the ball when he's hurried instead of using some finesse.

However,...it wasn't all New Orleans' doing that won them the game. Let's give a big hand to the 12th man on the field for the Saints: the f**king blind zebras!

Hey,...if you're going to call the Eagles for grabbing and clawing a wide receiver, how about reciprocating when the Saints do it to us next time?

That was the most unbalanced officiating I've seen in years!

One would hope Andy Reid would take the league office to task, but he's too much of a gentleman to do so, and we'll just have to take out our aggressions next week on the Bucs!

BTW - This rant has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the TrekMedic losing $25 on the game, OK??

BTW2 - F**k you, too, T.O.! If you and your pansy-assed coach had any cojones, you would've tried that kinda TD peformance against a REAL team, like Da Iggles, instead of the Texans!

More Hot Air from the UNtied Nations

HT to Three Sources on this and the YouTube video:

U.N. Security Council Sanctions North Korea

The resolution:

* Demands North Korea eliminate all its nuclear weapons, weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles.
* Requires all countries to prevent the sale or transfer of materials related to Pyongyang's unconventional weapons programs, as well as large-sized military items such as tanks, missiles and helicopters.
* Demands nations freeze funds overseas of people or businesses connected with North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
* Allows nations to inspect cargo moving in and out of North Korea in pursuit of non-conventional weapons.
* Is not backed up by the threat of military force.
* Calls on Pyongyang to return "without precondition" to stalled six-nation talks on its nuclear program.

Unfortunately, the Security Council's resolution will not induce North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program nor its missile program. The North Korean government has demonstrated time and again that it will lie, cheat and ignore the will of the world to further its goal of developing nuclear weapons it can deliver with ballistic missiles.

Read on.

The only thing that can force North Korea to give up its defiance of the world is Chinese pressure. North Korea is dependent upon China for food and fuel. Only by China withholding those items supplied by China and necessary for the survival of the North Korean state will North Korea be forced to give up its missile and nuclear weapons programs.

The TrekMedic muses:

And the Chinese are playing us like a finely-tuned violin over this one,....

Breaking Wind,...

HT To Charlie on the Turnpike for this gem:

Free Fall Radio: Air America Goes Bankrupt
Liberal network lists $20.2 million in debts, assets of $4.3 million

OCTOBER 13--Air America Radio today filed for bankruptcy, listing liabilities in excess of $20 million and assets of only $4 million. The Chapter 11 filing by Piquant LLC, the radio network's parent company, was made in U.S. District Court in Manhattan. The list of Air America's creditors runs 25 pages, and includes on-air personalities like Al Franken ($360,749.98) and Chuck D ($10,749.99), as well as law firms, landlords, limousine firms, and a variety of other businesses. The company's single largest creditor is Rob Glaser, founder of RealNetworks, who is owed $9.8 million, according to the bankruptcy petition. Below you will find an excerpt of the court filing showing all Air America debtors. (26 pages)

Another Phillebrity Passes

Callison, three-time All-Star, dies
By Ken Mandel / MLB.com

• Johnny Callison's career statistics

PHILADELPHIA -- Three-time All-Star Johnny Callison, a man admired for his powerful right arm and more powerful bat, passed away Thursday night at age 67, of heart-related problems.

Callison, an outfielder who played for the Phillies for 10 seasons, died at Abington Hospital.

"I had some of the greatest times of my life and my career with Johnny," said Ruben Amaro Sr., Callison's teammate for six seasons. "We grew up in baseball together. We were part of the Phillies that couldn't win a game in 1961 and he was really one of our big guns in 1964, when we should have won. My heart goes out to his wife and his daughters."

Born in Oklahoma, the lefty swinger reached the Major Leagues in 1958 at 19 years old, the fifth-youngest player at that time. After playing parts of two seasons with the White Sox, he was dealt to the Phillies for third baseman Gene Freese in the winter of 1959.

Callison emerged with Philadelphia, hitting .300 and swatting 23 homers in 1962. He became a fan favorite in Philadelphia and was named to three All Star teams. In the 1964 game, he smacked a two-out, walk-off three-run homer off Dick Radatz to earn All-Star MVP honors. He's the only Phillie to be named All-Star MVP.

"Johnny was a great player with all-around talent," said Ruly Carpenter, the Phillies president during Callison's era. "He could run, hit, hit with power and play a great right field. My family extends our deepest condolences to Dianne and her family."

Callison's All-Star moment turned out to to be the highlight of his season. Despite smacking 31 homers and driving in 104 runs in 1964, Callison was part of one of baseball's historic collapses. He combined with Richie Allen to bring the Phillies to the brink of the World Series until a 10-game losing streak with 12 games to play cost the Phillies their 6 1/2-game lead. In the seventh of those losses, Callison, playing with the flu, homered three times and drove in four runs in a 14-8 loss.

He played in every game that season.

"He was a tremendous ballplayer who could do everything on the field," said Art Mahaffey, a Phillies pitcher from 1960-65. "I'll always remember the big game he had in the losing streak. Johnny always seemed to come through in the clutch. He was a very popular player with the fans."

Callison finished second to St. Louis third baseman Ken Boyer in the NL MVP race and likely would have won the award had the Phillies won the pennant.

"I was truly blessed to have known and played with the great Johnny Callison," said Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.), a Hall of Famer. "Johnny was a star who had all the marks of a great ball player. He could run, hit, field, throw and hit for power. He could do it all. I roomed with Johnny and we suffered through the 1964 season together. He was a good friend and a great teammate and I am very saddened to learn of Johnny's death. My thoughts and prayers are with Diane and the rest of Johnny's family."

In 1965, Callison hit a career-high 32 homers, scored 101 runs and drove in 93, and led the league in triples (16). He also had his second three-home run game in 1965.

Philadelphia sent him to the Cubs after the 1969 season. He spent two years there, then finished his career with the Yankees.

Callison remained in Philadelphia after retiring, working at times as a car salesman and a bartender.

Callison batted .264, while belting 226 homers and collecting 1,757 hits. The Phillies' regular right fielder for eight seasons, he ranks fourth on the franchise's all-time list for games played in the outfield, with 1,379. Among the Phillies' career batting categories, Callison ranks fifth in triples (84), seventh in extra-base hits (534), ninth in homers (185) and total bases (2,426) and 10th in at-bats (5,306) and doubles (265).

"As a Phillies fan in the '60s, Johnny was a key member of those teams," team president David Montgomery said. "I remember watching the Phillies take infield. I never ceased to be amazed with the strength and accuracy of his arm from right field. It was a thrill to later get to know someone that I rooted for. He's a member of the Phillies' Wall of Fame, an honor that reflects his talents as a player. The Phillies family extends our deepest sympathy to Diane and her family."

Callison is survived by his wife, Dianne, three daughters, and eight grandchildren, and a great-grandson. He will be cremated and a private memorial service will be held Monday.

Ken Mandel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Next Time, Land That Knock-Out Punch, Rick!

Santorum, Casey hurl stinging criticisms at each other
By Carrie Budoff
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

PITTSBURGH - Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum and Democrat Bob Casey Jr. sparred over policy and character today in a debate that better resembled a barroom brawl - minus the fists.

From the first question to the last, the candidates talked over each other, posed their own questions, and leveled stinging criticisms. They clashed over where Santorum lives, how often Casey does his job as state treasurer, and which one of them is being more up-front with voters.

"Look into the camera and tell people how much time you spend doing your job," Santorum said, pointing his finger at Casey, then the camera. "Look into the camera, Mr. Casey."

The moderator tried to move onto the next question, but Santorum persisted. "This is a legitimate question. He questions my work ethic. I have a 95 percent voting record this year and I am in the toughest Senate race in the country. Look into the camera and tell people how many full days you spent at the treasurer's office."

Casey did not oblige. "Don't be a desperate campaigner," Casey said in response, maintaining his focus on Santorum.

Casey has been dogged by accusations that he is putting his campaign for Senate above his state treasurer's job - an assertion that Casey has strongly disputed.

The 60-minute debate in a KDKA-TV studio in Pittsburgh gave Santorum a chance to shake up a rather stagnant race. The two-term senator has languished at 40 percent in the polls for more than a year, as Casey holds on to a comfortable lead.

The debate was their second meeting in a series of four debates, and will air locally on the Pennsylvania Cable Network at 9 and 10:30 p.m. today, 1 p.m. tomorrow, and 4 p.m. Sunday. They will meet again Monday in Philadelphia.

"Why AM I Here?"

That is the immortal pondering posited by one Terrell Owens, legend in his own mind and recent victim of the Eagles tenacious defense.

The Trekmedic offers this answer to the clueless T.O.:

Its really simple. The Dall-ass Cowboys are owned by Jerry Jones, a megalomaniac, limelight-seeking, attention-grabbing, media whore with a lot of money to spend.

T.O. is a megalomaniac, limelight-seeking, attention-grabbing, media whore in need of a lot of money.

Sounds like a perfect match to me.

One of life's mysteries have now been solved.

Next up, world peace,....

Raj Bhakta and the 500-lb Gorilla on the Border

Actually,..it was elephants:

Raj & Elephants On Parade
Brownsville Herald spotlights pathetic border security.

“The elephant never made landfall into Mexico, but I tell you something, he could have made 15 laps back and forth, but no one showed up,” said Raj Peter Bhakta, a former star on the NBC show “The Apprentice,” who also is a Republican candidate for the 13th District U.S. House of Representatives seat in Eastern Pennsylvania.

In Brownsville, he witnessed half a dozen men swim under one of the international bridges “with complete immunity” which in turn prompted him to take the immigration issue to the next level.

Bhakta decided to see if he could get an elephant accompanied by a six-piece mariachi band across the river.

“To my surprise, the band played on, the elephants splashed away, and nobody showed up,” Bhakta said of the stunt. “I’m astounded.”

[James] Plunkett said he and his crew were hired for a “photo shoot” and entered the Boca Chica beach area without any notice from the Border Patrol. However, when it became clear that the elephants were in a quarantined area, the Border Patrol alerted the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the elephants had to be detained.

The animals needed to be sprayed for ticks.

“If I can get an elephant led by a mariachi band into this country, I think Osama bin Laden could get across with all the weapons of mass destruction he could get into this country,” Bhakta said.

GOP Bloggers Straw Poll

Is the Pressure Getting to Babs?

Bab's NYC Concert Marred By Outburst

(CBS) NEW YORK There she was, in the flesh. Barbra Streisand belting it out in front of a sold-out Madison Square Garden crowd. She belted out fan favorites to adoring fans in New York City Monday.

Some of her fans are devoted to a fault. Like Rudi Haertl, who flew here from Germany just to see Streisand. Minutes before show time, he was still searching for a ticket.

"I thought maybe when I'm in New York for one week, maybe I get a good ticket," said Haertl.

It certainly is a hot ticket. Especially for fans like Ann Gleavy from Boston, who thought Barbra had called it quits after her 2000 farewell tour.

(snip)

Barbra's show was not without controversy, however.

Sources tell CBS 2, a skit that reportedly made fun of President George W. Bush caused one man to yell taunts at her. She reportedly responded, "Shut the _ _ _ _ up if you can't take a joke." She then offered to return his money, reports said.

If this is Barbra's final goodbye, she's had an unbelievable run. She first gained critical acclaim for her supporting role in the Broadway musical "I Can Get It For You Wholesale" in 1962.

Only the Beginning for Big Boy Howard

Howard named TSN Player of the Year
Phillies second baseman Utley named to NL All-Star team
By Ken Mandel / MLB.com

PHILADELPHIA -- This should be just the beginning.

Ryan Howard was named the 2006 Player of the Year -- as well as the top National League first baseman -- by his peers in an annual survey taken by The Sporting News. The recognition could serve as a prelude to a slew of accolades, perhaps including the NL Most Valuable Player Award.

Howard beat out St. Louis' Albert Pujols in both categories. He was joined on the TSN NL All-Star team by teammate Chase Utley, who outdistanced Florida's Dan Uggla and San Francisco's Ray Durham. The NL infield was rounded out by New York's Jose Reyes and David Wright, making for a quartet that could become an annual attraction at All-Star Games.

"It's been a great year, except [the Phillies didn't make the playoffs]," Howard said on the final day of the season."

A two-month playoff surge made it easy for the 240-pound Howard not to think about his phenomenal season, in which he was the unstoppable force that put the postseason within Philadelphia's grasp. The slugging first baseman hit 23 of his 58 homers after general manager Pat Gillick traded Bobby Abreu and essentially conceded the 2007 season.

Along the way, Howard obliterated Mike Schmidt's franchise record for home runs in a single season.

"I just don't know," manager Charlie Manuel said, when asked where the Phillies might have finished without Howard. "He's done some amazing things. This is the best season I've been around."

"Without him, we wouldn't be close to making the playoffs," Utley said. "Ryan carried us in the second half. They gave him the Barry Bonds treatment."

Despite not being pitched to very often, Howard batted .387 in September and .366 over the final two months. He was named NL Player of the Month in each of those two months. In August, he drove in 41 runs to go with 14 homers.

How good was Howard's performance? In three separate years, a .313 batting average, 58 homers and 149 RBIs would have won him the Triple Crown -- once in the NL (1988) and twice in AL (1945 and 1968).

In 1988, Tony Gwynn of the Padres hit .313, Darryl Strawberry of the Mets slugged 39 homers and Will Clark of the Giants drove in 109 runs. In 1968 -- the famous "Year of the Pitcher" -- Boston's Carl Yastrzemski hit .301, Frank Howard of the Senators hit 44 homers and Ken Harrelson of the Red Sox drove in 109 runs. Finally, in 1945, Snuffy Stirnweiss of the Yankees hit .309, Vern Stephens of the Browns belted 24 homers and Nick Etten (Yankees) drove in 111.

Oh, No! Whatever Shall the Democrats Do Now?

From Right Wing Nation:

October 9, 2006
Evangelicals Blame Foley, Not Republican Party
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK

VIRGINIA BEACH, Oct. 7 — As word of Representative Mark Foley’s sexually explicit e-mail messages to former pages spread last week, Republican strategists worried — and Democrats hoped — that the sordid nature of the scandal would discourage conservative Christians from going to the polls.

But in dozens of interviews here in southeastern Virginia, a conservative Christian stronghold that is a battleground in races for the House and Senate, many said the episode only reinforced their reasons to vote for their two Republican incumbents in neck-and-neck re-election fights, Representative Thelma Drake and Senator George Allen.

“This is Foley’s lifestyle,” said Ron Gwaltney, a home builder, as he waited with his family outside a Christian rock concert last Thursday in Norfolk. “He tried to keep it quiet from his family and his voters. He is responsible for what he did. He is paying a price for what he did. I am not sure how much farther it needs to go.”

The Democratic Party is “the party that is tolerant of, maybe more so than Republicans, that lifestyle,” Mr. Gwaltney said, referring to homosexuality.

Most of the evangelical Christians interviewed said that so far they saw Mr. Foley’s behavior as a matter of personal morality, not institutional dysfunction.

All said the question of broader responsibility had quickly devolved into a storm of partisan charges and countercharges. And all insisted the episode would have little impact on their intentions to vote.

It is too soon to tell if the scandal will affect the turnout of evangelical Christians, who make up about a quarter of the electorate and more than a third of Republican voters. Some of President Bush’s political advisers have said that pre-election reports in 2000 that Mr. Bush was once arrested for drunken driving depressed turnout among conservative Christians, nearly costing him the White House.

Pollsters and conservative leaders have said for months that grass-roots evangelicals were demoralized by what they felt was the Republicans’ failure to live up to their talk about social issues — to say nothing of the economy, the Iraq war and other issues that weigh more broadly across the electorate. A recent poll by the Pew Research Center showed a steep drop in conservative Christian support for Republicans, albeit without a corresponding gain for the Democrats.

Santorum Picks Up an Essential Endorsement

This is a Red November Initiative Post!

Santorum Endorsed by PA FOP
Santorum Stands for the Rule of Law, Protecting Our National Security and Preventing Illegal Immigrants from Crossing Our Borders.

Pittsburgh, PA - As the only candidate standing for the rule of law in the race for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, U.S. Senator Rick Santorum was formally endorsed by the Pennsylvania Fraternal Order of Police today. Santorum was joined by Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett, Fraternal Order of Police President Mark Koch and representatives from various FOP Lodges across the Commonwealth. The Pennsylvania Fraternal Order of Police voted to endorse U.S. Senator Rick Santorum with an overwhelming majority at their 39th Biennial Pennsylvania Fraternal Order of Police State Convention.

"I am honored to accept the endorsement of the PA FOP, and I will 'Keep Up the Fight' for Pennsylvania law enforcement officers who stand with me to protect the rule of law. I will remain accountable, and I will keep my promise to tell you where I stand on the issues because I believe that it is my responsibility," said U.S. Senator Rick Santorum. "I am pleased that the 40,000 members of the PA FOP understand that granting amnesty to illegal immigrants is breaking the law and protecting our national security is priority number one. We do not want to fight the War on Islamic Fascism on our soil. My opponent Bobby Casey, Jr. would grant amnesty to 13 million illegal immigrants - nearly the population of the entire Commonwealth - that would result in fleecing Social Security, granting tax forgiveness for illegal immigrants and would put illegal immigrants in line for citizenship. Additionally, Casey's weak position on the war on Islamic Fascism sends a message of uncertainty that would hurt our efforts to be victorious."

A Great Story of Perseverence

Deaf Boothwyn resident Matthew O’Brien will realize a lifelong dream of becoming a firefighter
Patti Mengers, Of the Times Staff
10/02/2006

UPPER CHICHESTER -- Inscribed on orange paper taped to Cole and Pattie O’Brien’s kitchen calendar is a date that has their 20-year-old son, Matthew, grinning from ear-to-ear. "Oct. 10th -- Matthew swear-in -- 7:30 F-C Fire House," is the message that caught his eye about a month ago.

"He asked me what it meant," said Cole O’Brien.

What it means is that Matthew will realize a lifelong dream of becoming a fireman, no small feat for a person born profoundly deaf.

"I’m happy, excited," said the Boothwyn resident, communicating via sign language and handwritten notes with the help of his parents.

He will be the first deaf volunteer of Lower Chichester Fire Co.-- Station 39, the second known deaf member of a Delaware County fire company, and among about 15 known deaf firefighters in the nation.

"I like the hat, the coat, the boots and truck," said Matthew who already has a used helmet and other gear that has been passed onto him over the years by his soon-to-be fellow firemen.

Since he was a small child, Matthew has been a familiar face not only at Lower Chichester Fire Co., but at Boothwyn and Reliance firehouses in Upper Chichester as well as at Marcus Hook Fire Co.

(snip)

"He wanted to be a New York fireman since we can remember, since he started playing with fire trucks. Since 9/11, that’s elevated even more," said Mr. O’Brien

Matthew has a collection of "FDNY"T-shirts and caps. His favorite TV show is "Rescue Me," a series about New York firefighters inspired by the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He constantly reads about firefighters at the library and on the Internet.

Since he was age 2, Matthew has attended Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in Philadelphia, where he completed his high school requirements in 2004 and will finish his vocational training program next June.

As part of his curriculum, he has worked at various Philadelphia Fire Department stations, mopping floors and doing other chores. Since last spring he has been working as a cafeteria aide in the Chichester School District, first at Hilltop Elementary School, now at Marcus Hook Elementary School

Matthew said he likes his current job, but would still rather be a New York firefighter.

E-A-G-L-E-S (The No-Overdose Version)

Fly! Eagles! Fly!
On the Road to Vic-Tor-y!
Cry! T.O.! Cry!
Got Ignored on Fox TV!
We Sacked High,...
We Sacked Low!
Give Us Time,...
We'd Sack T.O.!
So,...
Fly! Eagles! Fly!
On the Road to Vic! Tor! Y!

E-A-G-L-E-S!

EAGLES!!

BTW - the real version can be heard here, courtesy of AB at Blonde Sagacity!

More Ammunition for Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-08)

This is a Red November Initiative Post!

Veterans for Fitzpatrick slam plan by Murphy

By BRIAN SCHEID
Bucks County Courier Times

Three Iraq war veterans and an Army reservist who served in Kosovo attacked Democratic 8th Congressional District candidate Patrick Murphy's plan for the Iraq war Friday as a “strategy for defeat,” “cut and run” and “exactly what the enemy wants us to do.”

The veterans' comments came at a press conference orchestrated by Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick, R-8, Murphy's opponent in November's election and a staunch critic of Murphy's war plan. It was held outside the American Legion Morrell Smith Post 440 in Newtown Township.

“It's not a strategy for victory,” said Maj. Sean Clements of Fairless Hills about Murphy's plan. “It's a strategy for defeat; it's a strategy for surrender.”

Clements, who served with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing in Iraq from August 2004 to March 2005, said Murphy's plan would force American troops to “turn our backs on our friends” in Iraq.

“We shouldn't leave our friends,” Clements said. “It's a moral imperative for us to stay in Iraq and make sure our mission is accomplished.”

A Sad Day for Baseball

O'Neil, Negro Leagues player, dies at 94
Positive attitude and enthusiasm marked baseball ambassador
By Justice B. Hill / MLB.com

John "Buck" O'Neil, one of a handful of survivors from the Negro Leagues, grew up too soon to benefit during his life's prime from a country that went on to dismantle the color barrier that stood in front of him.

Yet he'd often tell people, "I was right on time." He'd say his life was absent regrets, and that's a belief that might well be O'Neil's endearing message to others. It should be a message that Americans, black or white, cling to.

To hold tightly to that message would be the most fitting way to remember Buck O'Neil, who died Friday at a hospital in Kansas City. He was 94.

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig's words reflected the baseball's world's feelings.

"Major League Baseball is saddened by the passing of Buck O'Neil," Selig's statement read. "Buck was a pioneer, a legend and will be missed for as long as the game is played. I had the good fortune of spending some time with him in Cooperstown a couple of months ago and I will miss his wisdom and counsel. I have asked all clubs to observe a moment of silence before today's games."

"He is the face of the Negro Leagues in many ways," said Bob Kendrick, marketing director of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. "For me, personally, he was a dear friend, and I learned so much just being around him."

If any one man deserved to be the face of the too-brief history of "black baseball," O'Neil would be it.

Barred by skin color from a career in the Majors, he toiled in Negro Leagues through its glory years in the 1930s and '40s, but when Jackie Robinson and Larry Doby opened the door to the big leagues in 1947, O'Neil was too old to walk through it.

By then, he'd put away his first baseman's mitt and moved into management. He turned his attention to tutoring black ballplayers for careers in the bigs. In one sense, it might be said that O'Neil helped bury the Negro Leagues.

The TrekMedic remembers:

O'Neil also said at this year's Hall of Fame Induction ceremony:

"I never learned to hate anybody. I hate cancer. It killed my mother and it killed my wife 10 years ago...I hate AIDS because it killed so many people. But I can't hate any human being because my God never made anyone ugly."