Its About Time,.....

Mayor Nutter's really trying to turn this around,.....

HT to GrasrootsPA:

Phila. to relax residency rule for new hires
By Marcia Gelbart
Inquirer Staff Writer

For the first time in nearly a half-century, non-city residents soon may be able to apply for city jobs.

The policy change could take effect as soon as next month, following City Council's approval. That approval is widely expected after the bill's unanimous nod yesterday by the Committee on Labor and Civil Service.

The bill would exempt all but 766 of the city's 23,767 civil-service workers from a rule that requires city employees to have lived in the city for a year before they can be hired.

Under the proposal, all new employees would have to move into Philadelphia within six months.

"This will widen the pool of applicants for employment opportunities, enable us to go after the best and brightest on college campuses here and around the country, and also to maybe steal some good talent from other cities," Councilman James F. Kenney said yesterday.

The four-term at-large councilman began pushing for a relaxation of the residency rule more than 10 years ago. He was stymied for the last eight years by opposition from Mayor John F. Street.

Street saw the change as unfair to those who had demonstrated a commitment to the city by living here. He did not reply to an e-mail yesterday.

Since 1953, potential city workers have been barred from taking the civil-service exam unless they have been Philadelphia residents for at least one year.

Strongly backed by Mayor Nutter, Kenney's bill yesterday overcame resistance shown by some Council members last month, thanks to new compromise legislation.

That legislation was in the form of a separate bill also approved yesterday by the Council committee.

Proposed by Councilman W. Wilson Goode Jr., it would require that in the event of a tie on a civil service exam, the job in question would go to a Philadelphia resident over an out-of-town applicant.

That was enough to quell concerns of the city's blue-collar union and a major political force, AFSCME District Council 33, representing 13,000 city employees. The union's vice president, Bobby Davis, said Goode's bill led the group to drop its opposition to Kenney's legislation.

If approved by the full Council, Goode's proposal would appear on the November ballot; it must go to a citywide vote, since it would amend the City Charter.

Nutter's chief of staff, Clay Armbrister, said: "We're pleased with the two-prong compromise, since it will expand the pool of applicants, which is one of our goals."

Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers told Council Wednesday that he was skeptical of the benefits of waiving the one-year residency rule to fill paramedic positions. Ayers said that the last time the department did so, a high percentage of nonresidents left for other jobs after completing training.

Even so, the administration said it was seeing results from last month's waiver of the one-year rule for police recruits.

Since the waiver took effect, 10,000 applications have been downloaded from the Police Department's Web site. Of that, the department received 1,800 applications - including 40 percent from outside Philadelphia.

"It's very encouraging," said Police Sgt. Ray Evers. "We're going to get Philadelphia qualified recruits."

The TrekMedic adds:

This is great news! Captain America has been something of a proponent of this for the Fire Department's beleaguered EMS division.

About That "Open Dialogue on Race,..."

What do you see in this picture?



As a white male, I see NBA star LeBron James. He dribbling a basketball in one hand, while holding a HOT Brazilian model in the other hand, all the while yelling/shouting/laughing for the camera.

Certain black professional protesters see references to King Kong and have started a chorus of "stereotyping!" across the country.


Hmmm,....

Dialogue over.

Next topic?

This Was a Meeting for PEACE??

HT to Marie!

Friend o' TrekMedic Skye of Midnight Blue, a regular attendee at West Chester's Troop Support Rallys, was assaulted by a member of the not-so-civil opposition.




And this is John Meicht,..the tool that showed real courage in slapping around a woman half his size!





He's supposedly a veteran,...but clearly he slept through the "Officer and a Gentleman" part of basic training!

I have a few Saturdays off and West Chester isn't that far away. I'm looking for you, Meicht!

Good News for McCain

HT to Tony Phyrillas!

This is being cross-posted to the Red November 2008 blog, as well.

Thursday, March 27, 2008
That sinking feeling ... for Democrats

A new poll comes out every day, but the news is not good for either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton.

Rasmussen Reports – Sen. McCain continues to lead both potential Democrat opponents

McCain = 51%
Obama = 41%

McCain = 50%
Clinton = 43%

To read the full poll, click here.

And the longer the Democrats battle for the nomination, the bigger the split within the party.

Rasmussen Reports – Twenty-two percent of Democrats say Clinton or Obama should drop out

Democrats who believe Clinton should drop out = 22%

Democrats who believe Obama should drop out = 22%

Democrats who aren’t ready for the race to end = 62%

To read the full poll, click here.

Another polls finds 48 percent of voters have a negative image of Hillary Clinton. How do you win the presidency with just 42 percent of the vote?

Democrats appear to have done it to themselves again: Snatch defeat from the mouth of victory.


The TrekMedic adds:

A bit of Hill-arious schadenfreude here, huh? From the party that rails against the stereotypical "rich, white businessman" of the Republican Party, comes representatives from the two major Democratic demographics (a black man and a woman, in case people like Will Bunch or the Philly Progressives don't get it,..) and,..THEY STILL CAN'T GET IT RIGHT!!

Religion of Peace???

U.S. Based Revolution Muslim Website Spreading Messages of Hate
Wednesday, March 26, 2008

NEW YORK, N.Y. — On any given day, log on to RevolutionMuslim.com and a host of startling images appear:

— The Statue of Liberty, with an ax blade cutting through her side;

— Video mocking the beheading of American journalist Daniel Pearl, entitled "Daniel Pearl I am Happy Your Dead :) ";

— Video of a puppet show lampooning U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq;

— The latest speech from Sheikh Abdullah Faisal, an extremist Muslim cleric convicted in the UK and later deported for soliciting the murder of non-Muslims.

Even more surprising is that RevolutionMuslim.com isn't being maintained in some remote safe house in Pakistan. Instead, Yousef al-Khattab, the Web site creator, runs it from his home in the New York City Borough of Queens.

• Click here to view photos.

• Click here to view video mocking the beheading of American journalist Daniel Pearl.

• Click here to view puppet show lampooning U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq.

And, because al-Khattab enjoys the First Amendment right to freedom of speech, all the authorities can do is watch.

Formerly known as Joseph Cohen, al-Khattab is an American-born Jew who converted to Islam after attending an Orthodox Rabbinical school, which he later described as a “racist cult.”

The 39-year-old New York taxi driver launched RevolutionMuslim.com with the mission of “preserving Islamic culture,” “calling people to the oneness of God” and asking them to “support the beloved Sheik Abdullah Faisal, who’s preaching the religion of Islam and serving as a spiritual guide.”

In 2003 Faisal was convicted in the U.K. for spreading messages of racial hatred and urging his followers to kill Jews, Hindus and Westerners. In sermon recordings played at his trial, Faisal called on young, impressionable Muslims to use chemical weapons to “exterminate unbelievers” and “cut the throat of the Kaffars [nonbelievers] with [a] machete.”

Authorities believe Faisal’s sermons have influenced 2005 London transport bomber Germaine Lindsay and "shoe bomber" Richard Reid, who attended mosques where Faisal preached.

At times, al-Khattab's postings are farcical, such as a picture of him holding the book "Nuclear Jihad" with a wry smile on his face. Other messages call for radical Muslim rule worldwide.

Al-Khattab claims the Sept. 11 terror attacks were an “inside job,” and he blames U.S. foreign policy for spawning the terrorism that carried out the attacks.

He calls Daniel Pearl, who was kidnapped and beheaded in 2002 by Islamic extremists in Pakistan, “a convicted spy.”

“I could care less about Daniel Pearl,” al-Khattab said in an interview with FOXNews.com. “I’m happy to see that he’s gone.”

Click here to view RevolutionMuslim.com.

The content changes constantly. One reason is that the fast flow of information allows messages to spread through cyberspace quickly. Another, terrorism analysts say, is to make it difficult for law enforcement to monitor the site.

Despite his radical anti-Western views, al-Khattab says he does not support terrorism of any kind.

Yet, RevolutionMuslim.com claims to be the official site of “North American representatives” for Sheikh Faisal, and it appears dedicated to spreading his radical doctrine.

He says Faisal “never said to kill innocent people” and was unjustly imprisoned. He says the real terror organizations are the U.S. Army, the CIA, and the FBI — and the National Coast Guard, “to a lesser extent.”

According to RevolutionMuslim, Faisal — who was deported to his native Jamaica in 2007 — is now receiving donations solicited on the site, including money for a new laptop and DVD burner to spread his message.

It's not illegal to post these messages or collect money for Faisal, but it would be if Faisal were designated a terrorist by the U.S. government. He currently is not listed on any government terror list; a Department of Justice spokesman could not confirm or deny if Faisal is being investigated for any terror related activity.

RevolutionMuslim may look amateurish when compared with other extremist Web sites, but it is no less of a threat, says Mia Bloom, political science professor at the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs.

“It may lead people who become radicalized by it to turn to other, more dangerous Web sites,” such as those run by terrorist organizations, she said.

Bloom characterized al-Khattab’s message as “narrow” and “misinformed” and said he is attempting to “proselytize or radicalize people who share some of these same ideas.”

“[He] has obviously been duped or is duping others because that’s not what Islam preaches,” she said.

On his site al-Khattab appears to condemn the very democracy that guarantees him the freedom to express himself — a freedom he cites in a disclaimer on his homepage:

“We hereby declare and make absolute public declaration that revolutionmuslim.com operates under the first amendment right to freedom of religion and expression and that in no way, shape, or form do we call for war against the U.S. government or adhere to the enemies of the United States elsewhere.”

Under the law FBI spokesman Richard Kolko said it is difficult to bring criminal charges against the operators of Web sites like RevolutionMuslim.com unless specific threats are made against an individual or individuals.

Kolko while not speaking directly about RevolutionMuslim said radical sites like these are not often prosecuted.

"It's usually a First Amendment right if they don't cross the threshold of making any threats," said Kolko. "There's nothing we should or could do."

“Until the rhetoric reaches the point in which it’s no longer protected speech under the first amendment, it’s hard to stop it,” said security expert, Harvey Kushner.

Vive Le France!

No more white flags??


France pledges Afghanistan troops

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said he will send more troops to Afghanistan to support Nato's mission.
Mr Sarkozy, who is on a state visit to Britain, said he would make the offer at next week's Nato summit in the Romanian capital, Bucharest.

Nato leaders have frequently called on member countries to contribute more soldiers to the mission in Afghanistan.

The Nato-led International Security and Assistance Force (Isaf) currently has over 43,000 personnel in Afghanistan.

In a speech to the British parliament in London, Mr Sarkozy said defeat to Taleban insurgents was not an option.

"In Afghanistan something essential is being played out," he said.

"France has proposed a strategy to its allies in the Atlantic alliance to enable the Afghan people and their legitimate government to build peace.

The speech was a good start to the 'entente amicale' that Mr Sarkozy wants

"If these proposals are accepted, during the summit in Bucharest, France will propose reinforcing its military presence."

Mr Sarkozy did not say how many more troops he was proposing to send.

According to Nato figures, France currently has 1,515 soldiers in Afghanistan, mostly in Kabul.

Canada recently threatened to pull out its 2,500 troops from Afghanistan if other allies did not contribute more troops and equipment.

Pinochio-o-o-o!

Experience or Amnesia?

Clinton: I Made a Rare Error When I ‘Misspoke’ About Bosnia Sniper Threat

by FOXNews.com

Saying she made a rare error, Hillary Clinton repeated Tuesday that she “misspoke” when she suggested she landed under sniper fire during a goodwill trip to Bosnia in March 1996.

Speaking to KDKA radio in Pittsburgh, the Democratic presidential candidate said it’s been a long campaign and this is the first time she has said the wrong thing.

“I have written about this and described in many different settings and I did misspeak the other day,” Clinton said during a live 10-minute interview. “This has been a very long campaign. … Last week for the first time in 12 years or so, I misspoke.”

Later in the day Clinton told reporters she disagrees with characterizations that she is pursuing a pattern of exaggeration.

“You know, I think that the military and the Secret Service did a terrific job. But we certainly did take precautions. There is no doubt about that, and I remember that very clearly,” she said. “So I made a mistake. That happens. It proves I’m human, which, you know, for some people, is a revelation.”

But the latest explanations have opened an opportunity for Barack Obama’s campaign to offer several recent examples of Clinton “misspeak,” including remarks at a Feb. 29 even in Waco, Texas, with retired Gen. Wesley Clark and remarks at a Dec. 29 event in Iowa, both detailing how she had to make a run for it on the tarmac at Tuzla Air Base to avoid sniper fire.

That claim was repeated during a speech last Monday on Iraq, in which Clinton said of the trip: “I remember landing under sniper fire. There was supposed to be some kind of a greeting ceremony at the airport, but instead we just ran with our heads down to get into the vehicles to get to our base.”

The New York senator has since had to backtrack after a fact check and video revealed that rather than dodging hostile fire, the former first lady was greeted on the tarmac by an 8-year-old child and Bosnia’s acting president.

Clinton’s faulty memory was also corrected by the comedian Sinbad, who joined her on the trip and told The Washington Post he doesn’t remember any threats to their safety.

On defense, her campaign issued quotes from several newspaper articles at the time that conveyed that it was a military zone at the time of the visit and Clinton was surrounded by sharpshooters when she visited U.S. peacekeeping troops in Bosnia.

Daughter Chelsea Clinton also responded Tuesday while campaigning in Indiana to the claims of being under sniper fire, saying: “I think that my mother’s on record as having talked about this and I support what she said. I mean, I was there as well and I’m so honored that I was there.”

Hillary Clinton told the radio station that she does not believe the error will damage her credibility.

“The military took great care of us,” Clinton said Tuesday. “They were worried about taking a first lady to a war zone and took some extra precautions.”

Click here to hear the Clinton interview on KDKA.


The TrekMedic adds:

What the hell,..she's single-handedly ended the "Troubles" in Northern Ireland, helped Algore invent the internet, and conveniently looked the other way every time Slick Willy dropped trou near an intern. Next thing you know, she'll take the White House and single-handedly cure both cancer and AIDS by 2010.

Couldn't Have Said It Better Myself

So, I'll let Wyatt say it for me:

Detroit Mayor Indicted

Here is your homework assignment. Read the entire CNN article (click the link) and show me where Kwame Kilpatrick's political party is listed. I'll wait . . .

DETROIT, Michigan (CNN) -- Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and an ex-aide were charged Monday with perjury and obstruction of justice after prosecutors said sexually explicit text messages between the two contradicted their sworn court testimony.

Kilpatrick defiantly declared his innocence just an hour after the charges were announced.

"This has been a very flawed process from the beginning," said Kilpatrick at a press conference Monday. "I look forward to complete exoneration."


Yeah, Kwame - if that is your real name - good luck with that.

Kilpatrick, who is married, has been snarled in a well-publicized sex scandal since January after The Detroit Free Press reported he exchanged romantic text messages with his then-chief of staff, Christine Beatty.

The paper reported in January that in an analysis of nearly 14,000 text messages on Beatty's city-issued pager, it found some from 2002 and 2003 that indicated the two were having a romantic affair.


If you're dumb enough to send racy text messages on a city-issued pager, you deserve to get caught.

The newspaper report contradicted testimony Kilpatrick gave last August in a court case brought by police officers against the mayor and the city of Detroit alleging the mayor retaliated against the officers for their role in investigating his office. Critics alleged that Kilpatrick committed perjury in the case and called for his resignation.


Wait a minute. Perjury is a crime now? Why didn't anyone tell that to Bill Clinton?

Prosecutor Kym Worthy said she charged Kilpatrick and Beatty with multiple counts of perjury, obstruction of justice and misconduct in office in a 12-count indictment. The most serious charges carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.


Of course, prudence demands that Kilpatrick resign for the good of the city, right?

Last week, the Detroit City Council voted seven to one to ask Kilpatrick to resign, a city clerk said. The vote was non-binding and Kilpatrick has continued on the job.

Kilpatrick offered an abject apology to his constituents January 30, but remained adamant he would not resign. (H/T - CNN)


Whoops. How silly of me to think that an indicted politician would resign from office. I guess Kilpatrick doesn't want to follow Eliot Spitzer's lead. Go figure.

Oh, and as for that homework assignment? Unless CNN updates the story, you will not find Kilpatrick's party affiliation, but he is a Democrat. I wonder if it would have been posted had Kwame been a Republican?


The TrekMedic appends:

Ok,..now that a black, Democratic legislator has been caught with his pants down, should we start the calls for an open dialog on sexual indiscretion, too?

When Did This Happen?

In the aftermath of the Geno's "English Only" debacle, comes this letter to the editors of the Philly Inkwaster:


Geno's reality
The sentiment behind the "English only" sign at Geno's Steaks, no doubt, is real, but there is another reality ("In plain English: Geno's sign OK," March 20).

For the last 27 years, Germantown Friends School has participated in an exchange program with a public vocational school in a semirural province of Mexico. For many of those years, as part of an ethnic neighborhoods tour I conduct, I take six Mexican ninth graders to Geno's.

Most of our guests know little English or none at all. Some with my help and some on their own struggle to place their order, but do so without incident. Each time, the kids leave with a complimentary Geno's hat or T-shirt - and a feeling of accomplishment. They are here, after all, to try to learn English, and someone at Geno's seemed to understand that.

Bob Rhoades
Wyndmoor


The TrekMedic ponders:

No doubt Mr. Rhoades letter is factual. But one has to wonder why this kind of story never made it when the local liberal press was foaming at the mouth in its castigation of Joey Vento!

I can guess why,..can you? The phone lines are open, folks,....

Happy Easter

No Media Bias Here, Huh?

This MSMSNBC moment brought to you by Anthony at Opinionnation Times:

matthews obama gets to me
by dollarsandsense123

Blow chunks if you feel it's necessary! As a paramedic, I can give you some Zofran to help.


The TrekMedic opines:

Amazing how Obama-bin-Laden gives another one of his great speeches (Seriously, he's a terrific orator), and the leftist media is falling over itself to congratulate him and call for more "open dialog" on race. (Here, here , here, and here for example)

Funny how calls for more racial dialogs always come from black, liberal parties in this country, huh?

And what about Bill Cosby? The NAACP threw him under the bus when he began to preach self-reliance, instead of the standard Demo-Socialist government reliance.

Look! Up In the Sky! Its a Bird,..Its a Plane,...

Its Captain Obvious!!

Union wonders why Bonds can't find work

Associated Press

The lack of offers to Barry Bonds will be examined by baseball's players' association as part of its annual review of the free-agent market, the union's head said yesterday.

Donald Fehr said yesterday his staff would examine the possibility of collusion against Bonds and others.

"We always look at the free-agent markets every year and make judgments about them, and if we come to the conclusion with respect to any player that there's a matter worth pursuing, we'll pursue it," he said. "But I'm not going to make any suggestions or accusations unless and until we come to that conclusion."

Less than two weeks before opening day, the 43-year-old home run king remains unsigned.

"He's in playing shape right now. He just hasn't hit off live pitching," Bonds' agent, Jeff Borris, said. "I've had conversations with Barry. It would probably take him about two weeks to get ready."

Bonds was indicted in November on four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice, charges stemming from 2003 grand jury testimony in which he denied knowingly using illegal performance-enhancing drugs. The seven-time NL MVP has pleaded not guilty.


The TrekMedic ponders:

Barry Bonds can't get a job, huh?

It can't possibly be his salary demands, having shamed his way into the record books, could it?

Ya'think it might be one of the following:

• A - He's juiced
• B - He's a liar, a cheat, and a fraud
• C - He's a pariah
• D - All of the above?

The phone lines are open,...you drop a comment on which you think it is,....

From the "No-S**t!" Files,...

Ruling: "Speak English" sign at cheesesteak shop not discriminatory

By Andrew Maykuth

Inquirer Staff Writer
A city agency yesterday dismissed a discrimination complaint against Geno's Steaks for its speak-English sign, halting a case that thrust shop owner Joey Vento into the national spotlight of the contentious immigration debate.

A split three-member panel of the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations ruled that a sign in the South Philadelphia cheesesteak shop did not convey a message that service would be refused to non-English speakers.

"The bottom line is that I didn't do anything wrong," said Vento, 68, who maintained that the sign was a political statement and that no customers were ever turned away. "It's a good victory."

Had the commission ruled against Geno's, it could have imposed fines and have moved to revoke Vento's business license.

The case, filed 21 months ago, consumed hundreds of hours of legal time and was the subject of a seven-hour hearing in December. It attracted national attention to Vento and his sign: "This is America. When ordering, please speak English."

The millionaire businessman said the commission's action was an attempt to infringe on his freedom of speech - he refused to remove the sign, and put a second one on the bumper of his orange Hummer. Some commentators and Web sites portrayed Vento as the heroic victim of an overreaching government's attempt to impose political correctness.

Indeed, while branding the commission's action "ridiculous," Vento said he was grateful for the publicity.

"They made me famous throughout the world," Vento said in an interview from his home in New Jersey. "I'm way ahead of the game. I became a hero. I've got to thank them for that."

Shannon L. Goessling, executive director of the Southeastern Legal Foundation, a public-interest law firm in Atlanta that championed Vento's case, complained that the government spent a "tremendous amount of energy" to "silence" Vento and said that he would consider filing suit to recover the cost of his defense.

"If that's what it takes to send a message to government, then that's what it takes," she said.

The Rev. James S. Allen Sr., the commission chairman who filed the original complaint in June 2006, said he still contends that the sign was discriminatory, "but I accept the opinion of the panel." He said the full commission was unlikely to appeal the three-member panel's decision.

Allen said the panel's ruling "is an example of the fairness of the Commission on Human Relations. . . . Just because we bring a case, it does not necessarily mean it will come out in our favor."

The commission's ruling surprised Vento's attorneys, who had complained that the commission, in judging a case brought by its own chairman, was effectively acting as prosecutor, judge and jury.

"I'm kind of impressed with the decision to buck the trend," said Albert G. Weiss, Vento's lawyer in Philadelphia. "It restores my confidence in them a little bit."

Commissioners Roxanne E. Covington and Burt Siegel wrote the majority opinion.

Joseph J. Centeno, a lawyer who chaired the panel, dissented and said the commission had met its burden to prove discrimination, citing testimony from several witnesses at the December hearing that they felt intimidated and unwelcomed by the sign's message.

One witness, University of Pennsylvania sociology professor Camille Z. Charles, likened the "speak English" signs to "whites only" signs from the Jim Crow era.

But Vento's sign also struck a chord among Americans apprehensive over the influx of immigrants, and he was flooded with supportive messages from across the country. "Right now, outside of the war, this is a very hot topic," he said.

Yesterday, Vento took phone calls from like-minded talk-show radio hosts who wanted him to make appearances, and from Lou Barletta, the Hazleton, Pa., mayor who wants to crack down on illegal immigration and is running for Congress.

"I woke up America, so to speak," said Vento.


The TrekMedic opines:

Thanks, Philly! That had to be the biggest waste of my tax dollars since John Street's salary!

Erin Go Bragh!

Pipes! Courtesy Captain America at First In!:

Palm Sunday

Luke 19:28-44:


Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' say, 'The Lord needs it.' "

32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?"

34 They replied, "The Lord needs it."

35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

38 "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" [a]
"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"

40 "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."

41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come on you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."

The Shrill One Under a Microscope?

Et, tu, Time? You know she's sinking when one of the ringleaders of the MSM calls her record into question:

Assessing Clinton's "Experience"
Thursday, Mar. 13, 2008 By KAREN TUMULTY, MICHAEL DUFFY AND MASSIMO CALABRESI

In her race to win the democratic nomination against a first-term Senator from Illinois, Hillary Clinton has put the criterion of experience front and center. She often references what she says is 35 years of work that qualifies her to run the country. And the most important achievements Clinton cites are the ones she claims from her years as First Lady — a job that carries no portfolio but can wield enormous influence.

The nature of Hillary Clinton's involvement was always a matter of great sensitivity in her husband's White House. After her disastrous 1994 foray into health-care reform, Bill Clinton's aides went out of their way to downplay her role in Administration decision making. She rarely appeared at meetings in which officials hashed out important policy trade-offs, but when the discussion centered on issues that were among her priorities, she sent her aides — much the way Vice President Al Gore did. "There were certain issues they kind of owned," recalls Gene Sperling, who headed economic policy in the Clinton White House. The First Lady's top concerns, he says, were children's issues, health care, and foster-care and adoption policies.

Now the former First Lady claims at least a share of the credit for a wide range of the Clinton Administration's signature accomplishments, both domestic and overseas. Does she deserve it? The Clinton and Obama campaigns spent this week arguing that question with dueling memos and talking points.

TIME decided to cut through the spin with a series that will take a closer look at the claims candidates make. As Senator Clinton is fond of saying, It's time to get real. We kick off the series by evaluating three of the achievements she mentions most often:

Children's Health Care

WHAT SHE SAYS
One of her biggest achievements, Clinton often tells voters, is the multibillion-dollar health-care program that provides coverage for children whose parents are too rich for Medicaid but unable to afford health insurance on their own. As one of her campaign ads puts it, "She changed the lives of 6 million kids when she championed the bill that gave them health insurance."

THE BOTTOM LINE: The record suggests Clinton did indeed lobby for children's health coverage but that many others were responsible as well. And it also shows that her husband nearly killed the idea before it ever got off the ground.

Northern Ireland

WHAT SHE SAYS
On the campaign trail, Clinton has claimed she "helped to bring peace to Northern Ireland" in the 1990s.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Clinton played a role in hearing the concerns of Irish women left out of the peace process, and in encouraging them to put pressure on their countrymen to pursue negotiations. But that does not mean she rolled up her sleeves and conducted or led the talks that resulted in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

Macedonia Refugees

WHAT SHE SAYS
"I negotiated open borders to let fleeing refugees into safety from Kosovo," Clinton has asserted when asked to identify an example of her foreign policy experience.

THE BOTTOM LINE: In the case of Macedonia, Clinton engaged in personal diplomacy that brought about change. But securing the return of American business partners is not the same as the opening of borders to thousands of refugees. That accomplishment was a result of broader U.S. and European efforts during the war.

Because You Just Can't get Enough of Her,...

Ashley "Kristen" Dupre displays how many thousand she charges a politician for a quickie:




Photo courtesy of the NY Post (because the NY Times still hasn't gotten over the shock of seeing their poster boy go down dirty!)

Separated at Birth?

Tony Phyrillas posts this gem:






The comparison is uncanny!

Killing Two Birds,....

First, the "Sheriff of Wall Street" resigns over self-inflicted wounds:


New York Governor Eliot Spitzer Resigns Effective Monday Amid Links to Prostitution Ring
Wednesday, March 12, 2008

NEW YORK — New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigned in disgrace Wednesday after getting caught in a call-girl scandal that shattered his corruption-fighting, straight-arrow image, saying: "I cannot allow my private failings to disrupt the people's work."

Spitzer made the announcement without having finalized a plea deal with federal prosecutors, though a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation said he is believed to still be negotiating one. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.

"Over the course of my public life, I've insisted, I believe correctly, that people regardless of their position or power take responsibility for their conduct. I can and will ask no less of myself," Spitzer said at a Manhattan news conference with his wife, Silda, at his side. He left without answering questions.

"For this reason, I am resigning from the office of governor."

Spitzer will be replaced on Monday by Lt. Gov. David Paterson, who becomes New York's first black governor. He also will be the state's first legally blind governor and its first disabled governor since Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Then, comes this story of cerebral revelation from Tony Phyrillas:

Wednesday, March 12, 2008
No longer a brain-dead liberal

Hat Tip to Save The GOP for pointing out a column in The Village Voice by David Mamet, a self-desribed liberal who finally came to his senses.

In "Why I Am No Longer a 'Brain-Dead Liberal'" Mamet admits that the "liberal" view of the world he has held since the 1960s was all wrong.

This is very long (and rambling) article but it's worth reading.

Mamet writes:

"And, I wondered, how could I have spent decades thinking that I thought everything was always wrong at the same time that I thought I thought that people were basically good at heart? Which was it? I began to question what I actually thought and found that I do not think that people are basically good at heart; indeed, that view of human nature has both prompted and informed my writing for the last 40 years. I think that people, in circumstances of stress, can behave like swine, and that this, indeed, is not only a fit subject, but the only subject, of drama."

The part where he compares the Bush presidency to the Kennedy administration is sure to send left-wingers over the edge:

"Bush got us into Iraq, JFK into Vietnam. Bush stole the election in Florida; Kennedy stole his in Chicago. Bush outed a CIA agent; Kennedy left hundreds of them to die in the surf at the Bay of Pigs. Bush lied about his military service; Kennedy accepted a Pulitzer Prize for a book written by Ted Sorenson. Bush was in bed with the Saudis, Kennedy with the Mafia. Oh."

In the end, Mamet realizes that government is never the answer for any problems:

"What about the role of government? Well, in the abstract, coming from my time and background, I thought it was a rather good thing, but tallying up the ledger in those things which affect me and in those things I observe, I am hard-pressed to see an instance where the intervention of the government led to much beyond sorrow. But if the government is not to intervene, how will we, mere human beings, work it all out? I wondered and read, and it occurred to me that I knew the answer, and here it is: We just seem to."

Something for every American to think about as we prepare to pick the next president. The choice is one of two Democrats who want to expand the government's role in your life and a Republican who wants less government.

Posted by TONY PHYRILLAS at 11:20 AM

The TrekMedic adds:

At this rate, they'll be none of those "super-delegates" left to screw up the DNC convention!

HA-HA!

So,..the self-proclaimed "Sheriff of Wall Street," and Democratic demi-god in-the-making is just as human as the rest of us!

Sources: Spitzer to Resign Following Reports of 'Involvement' With Prostitution Ring

New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer is expected to submit his resignation to the New York General Assembly Monday night after allegations surfaced earlier in the day that he is "Client 9," named in a federal prostitution case.

Four arrests were made last week in connection to the alleged high-dollar ring, known as the Emperors Club VIP. According to a law enforcement official, Spitzer was named in court papers as a client after being taped arranging a meeting with one of the prostitutes.

The New York Times reports that the governor's travel records show he was in Washington in mid-February. It also says one of the ring's clients arranged to meet with a prostitute during that time.

Spitzer did not mention his resignation in a brief appearance before reporters Monday, in which he apologized to his family.

"Over the past nine years — eight years as attorney general and one as governor — I have tried to uphold a vision of progressive politics that would rebuild New York and create opportunity for all. We sought to bring real change to New York and that will continue," Spitzer said with his wife at his side. The couple has three daughters.

"Today, I want to briefly address a private matter. I have acted in a way that violates my obligation to my family, and that violates my — or any sense of right and wrong. I apologize first, and most importantly, to my family. I apologize to the public, who I promised better.

"I do not believe that politics in the long run is about individuals, it is about ideas for the public good and doing what is best for the state of New York. But I am disappointed and failed to live up to the standard I expected of myself. I must now dedicate some time to regain the trust of my family. I will not be taking questions. Thank you very much. I will report back to you in short order. Thank you very much," Spitzer said.

Spitzer, a Democrat, scheduled the abrupt announcement from his office as news reports were breaking that the governor told staffers about his alleged involvement in the prostitution ring.

In the affidavit signed by FBI agent Kenneth Hosey, the high-priced agency was populated by very picky hookers. The complaint details how one prospective hooker refused to work for the company because it didn't pay enough and complained that a friend of hers had sex twice in an hour without getting dinner first.

In another wiretapped conversation outlined in the affidavit, Emperors Club employees complained about a hooker who had to leave appointments early to pick up her kids from school.

The club's Web site shows a fee schedule of $1,000 per hour for a three-diamond prostitute and $3,100 per hour for a seven-diamond prostitute. Members of the exclusive Icon Club could reach restricted areas of the Web site and schedule appointments with the highest prostitutes, whose fees started at $5,500 per hour, the press release reads.

The New York Sun reports that the investigation was run by U.S. attorneys who not only were probing individuals linked to the ring, but who are part of the federal public corruption unit that investigates wrongdoing by elected and unelected officials.

While this is the worst problem Spitzer has faced, his 14 months in office have been marred by problems, including an unpopular plan to grant driver's licenses to illegal immigrants and a plot by his aides to smear Spitzer's main Republican nemesis.

He had been expected to testify to the state Public Integrity Commission he had created to answer for his role in the scandal, in which his aides were accused of misusing state police to compile travel records to embarrass Senate Republican leader Joseph Bruno.

Spitzer had served two terms as attorney general where he pursued criminal and civil cases and cracked down on misconduct and conflicts of interests on Wall Street and in corporate America. He had previously been a prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, handling organized crime and white-collar crime cases.

Spitzer's popularity has sagged according to recent polls. A January 25 Marist College poll showed 56 percent of registered voters did not approve of Spitzer's job, and he only carried a 35 percent approval rating.

The Audacity of Chutzpah!

So,...once again, self-appointed Empress Shillary Clinton has stuck her foot in her mouth:

Obama: I Am Not Running to be Hillary’s No. 2

In a fiery rebuttal to suggestions emerging over the past week, Barack Obama on Monday shot down suggestions he become Hillary Clinton’s wing man and questioned the logic of those who say he is prepared for the vice presidency but not to be president.

Speaking at a town hall style meeting in Columbus, Miss., the Illinois senator said the proposal floated by Clinton’s campaign over the last week that he be her running mate doesn’t make sense, especially since he has won twice as many states as Clinton, hundreds of thousands more of the popular vote and 110 more delegates so far.

“I am not running for vice president, I am running for president of the United States of America. I am running to be commander in chief,” Obama boomed to applause. “I don’t know how somebody in second place is offering vice president to the person in first place.”

Obama was speaking fresh off a weekend Democratic caucuses victory in Wyoming that turned the Democratic presidential primary contest back into a horse race. Mississippi’s primary is on Tuesday and Obama is far ahead in the Magnolia State, according to several polls of voters there.

Clinton began talking up the idea of a “dream ticket” last week when she suggested that maybe one day voters will have a chance to elect both her and Obama at the same time. The notion of a dream ticket was forwarded again by Bill Clinton over the weekend while campaigning on his wife’s behalf in Mississippi.

While Obama has been plagued by claims he is all fluff and no substance, he said he doesn’t want voters to get caught in the spin being put out that a Democratic ballot — with Clinton in the one slot and Obama in the second slot — would be a dream ticket.

“I don’t want anyone here thinking that somehow maybe I can get both. Don’t think that way, you have to make a choice in this election. Are you going to go along with the past or are you going to go with the future?” he asked.

“I do not believe Senator Clinton is about change,” he added, “because in fact this kind of gamesmanship — talking about being vice president, maybe he’s maybe not ready for commander in chief — that is exactly the kind of double speak, double talk that Washington is very good at, that people who spend a long time in Washington have a lot of experience at, but is not going to solve the problems of the country. Have I been clear? I want to make sure I’m clear to everybody.”

On Monday, Clinton campaign officials were asked how Clinton could consider Obama as a potential running mate if she doesn’t think he is qualified to be commander in chief.

Clinton Communications Director Howard Wolfson responded that Obama “has not passed the commander in chief test but there is a long way between now and Denver. (It is) not something she’s prepared to rule out at this point.”

The Democratic National Convention will be held in Denver on Aug. 25-28. As the campaign continues to go on, several Democratic Party officials have worried aloud that the nomination could remain undecided until then.

Talking to voters, Obama tore into the Clinton camp’s claims — crystallized in a “3 a.m.” television ad that aired last week — that she is better prepared for a national security emergency call that comes in the middle of the night.

“I believe that the most important thing is that when you answer that phone call at 3 in the morning is what kind of judgment you have, not how long you’ve been in Washington,” he said. “And I believe that I have shown better judgment than Senator Clinton. I believe I offer a clean break from the policies of George Bush because Mrs. Clinton went along with George Bush on the war in Iraq. Senator Clinton went along with George Bush on her willingness to try to saber-rattle when it came to Iran.”


The TrekMedic adds:

Now we all know what the Shrill One did with Slick Willy's balls!

Another Reason NOT to Vote for Democrats,....

Howard Dean Will Hurt Your Children!!


HT to Wyatt!!




Ye-e-e-e-ea-a-a-ah!

The Circus is Coming to Town!

It'll be six more weeks until the media circus following the campaign-that-will-not-end comes to SE Pennsylvania.

While the TrekMedic's party has secured its candidate, surviving a coup d'etat that shed little blood, but broke many hearts, he now watches this campaign with all the vicarious pleasure Michael Vick must have enjoyed watching those pit bulls fight: knowing that it will be vicious, bloody, and at times illegal. And in the end, the loser, maimed and mangled, will be put out of her misery.

And along those lines, the TrekMedic was today perusing the Inkwaster and noticed Annette John-Hall's take on the upcoming bloodshed.

Getting past the racial angle of her column, one quote by Melissa Harris-Lacewell truly sticks out about the Shrill One:

Truth be told, the blue-collar candidate is anything but.

"Hillary Clinton likes to cast herself as an outsider candidate, but the truth is, she is a woman of privilege who is connected at the hip to the [former] president of the United States," Harris-Lacewell says.


Its the same Shrill One who's been a lifelong New Yorker, who's been a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, and the same one who's added and dropped a Southern Accent more times than Slick Willie shared a cigar with Monica.

And whether its April 22 in Pennsylvania, the DNC convention this summer, or at the national ballot on November, all this BS will come back to haunt her and she'll be beaten like a drum at a "Stomp" performance.

**THAT'S MY OPINION AND YOU'RE ENTITLED TO IT!!**

Shrillary Saw Her Shadow,....

Damn,.....six more weeks of belligerence, braying and bulls**t!

Texas Caucus Count Takes Wind Out of Clinton’s Wins
by FOXNews.com
Wednesday, March 5, 2008



Late-breaking numbers out of Texas’ odd two-phase voting system put an asterisk on Hillary Clinton’s Tuesday night victory speech, showing gains made by Barack Obama in the delegate grab race had all but numerically canceled out her big win in Ohio.

Although Clinton got a major boost in morale by winning more raw votes than Obama in Ohio, Texas and Rhode Island (she lost to Obama in Vermont), an Associated Press count of the delegates shows Clinton only reduced her opponent’s lead in delegates by 12.

In the overall race for the nomination, Obama had 1,562 delegates, including separately chosen party and elected officials known as superdelegates. Clinton had 1,461. It takes 2,025 delegates to secure the Democratic nomination.

For the night, Clinton won at least 185 delegates and Obama won at least 173.

Clinton’s victory in Ohio won her only 9 more delegates than Obama, with two delegates still to be awarded. In Texas, Clinton won four more delegates than Obama in the primary. But Obama trimmed Clinton’s lead to a single Texas delegate in the party caucuses. Ten delegates are still to be awarded in the caucuses.

The candidates vied for 370 delegates in four states: Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont. But the Democrats’ system of awarding delegates proportionally made it hard for either candidate to post big gains.

Also, Texas had a two-step system, with about two-thirds of its delegates awarded in a primary, and the rest in party caucuses.

Click here for the Texas Democratic exit poll.

Click here for the Ohio Democratic exit poll.

Clinton is pointing to Ohio as her biggest win from Tuesday, where she beat Obama 54-44 percent. She won the Texas vote by a slimmer 51-47 margin. Clinton won Rhode Island 58-40 percent, but Obama took Vermont by an even wider margin, 60 percent to Clinton’s 38 percent.

The result is that all eyes next focus on Saturday’s contest in Wyoming and other states holding contests well into June.

Wyoming has long been off the Democrats’ radar. In 2004, the state favored George Bush over John Kerry by more than 2-to-1. Only 70,000 Wyoming Democrats cast ballots in that general election, and this year it yields a scant 12 pledged delegates. Contrast that with Tuesday’s Western state vote in Texas, where about 2.8 million Democrats cast ballots in a battle for 193 pledged delegates.

But this year, every delegate is being fought over, grabbed at and wooed, even in down-ballot states such as Wyoming, Mississippi, North Carolina and Montana. The biggest delegate prize of the remaining 12 nomination contests is seven weeks away, on April 22, when 158 pledged delegates are up for grabs in Pennsylvania.

Obama still maintains a numeric lead in the delegate count, making it nearly a statistical impossibility for Clinton to make an outright win before the August Democratic convention. Only 611 pledged delegates are still up for grabs.

Both Clinton and Obama were bracing themselves for a renewed fight on Wednesday.

“What’s happening in this election is that people are starting to ask themselves, you know, the questions that’ll be asked during the general election,” Clinton said, speaking with FOX News.

She added: “I think every election’s a confluence of events. You know, that’s why they’re not static. That’s why this process should go on over a period of time because, you know, new information comes out. People begin to look at the candidates differently. They ask themselves, you know, the questions about who can really be the best nominee, who can win the nomination.”

Obama, also speaking with FOX News, predicted success.

“The bottom line … is we come out of the evening with essentially the same leads in delegates as we had going in and so, we still feel very confident that — we’re going to be going to Wyoming and Mississippi this week; we think we’ll do well there. And on to Pennsylvania, North Carolina and other states after that. … We feel we’re in a very strong position to end up getting the nomination.”

But with few predictions of this race still standing, the Super Tuesday II developments could mean any number of things.

One scenario could provide a strengthened bid for Republican John McCain, who could benefit from a protracted battle between Clinton and Obama. But the reverse could be true, too, as he drops from the news headlines and the Democrats work out their weaknesses before facing the Republican machine heading into November.

Another scenario could mean a bitter end-run at the August Democratic convention. Clinton’s camp is resolute in continuing the fight, and while she still trails in the race for convention delegates, she could make a last-minute grab for the nomination on the convention floor — if it gets that far.She and some of her top surrogates — including former President Bill Clinton and daughter, Chelsea — have been placing personal calls to maintain support among the so-called superdelegates, who aren’t bound to their state nomination contests.

But at the same time, Obama has laid the groundwork to fend off such an onslaught and is said to have a few of the superdelegates quietly on his side, at the ready to parry Clinton’s attempts to play the numbers.

For now, the contest moves on.

After Saturday’s face-off in Wyoming, next Tuesday, Mississippi Democrats head to the polls. After a voting lull, it picks up again in The Keystone State in late April and continues on in May with contests in Indiana, North Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky and Oregon. The June contests are in Montana and South Dakota. Democrats also have yet to vote in Guam and Puerto Rico.

LODD - Delaware County

LOWER CHICHESTER TOWNSHIP, Pa. - March 5, 2008 (WPVI) -- One of the firefighters who was trapped in a blaze Wednesday morning in Delaware County has died.

Action News confirmed the fatality just before 11:30 a.m. The firefighter who died was in his 30s.
The fire hit in Aston Township on the 100 block of Moser


Several firefighters rushed into the building when they learned there was a dog inside. That's when the floor collapsed underneath them and they ended up in the basement.
Three firefighters made it out, one of them died at the scene. There is no official word on the conditions of the other firefighters, who were taken to Crozer-Chester Medical Center.
Firefighters were still on the scene at noon, mopping up the situation.
Investigators are looking at a tree that was blown down during storms early Wednesday morning and took down some electrical lines. A neighbor told Action News that others had reported witnessing power lines sparking, and as she was on the phone with PECO she was told to call 911.
Stay with Action News on 6abc.com for the latest developments.

(Copyright ©2008 WPVI-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)


The TrekMedic adds:

This is a very sad story. I can confirm, through sources at the scene and close to me, that this was a lieutenant from Lower Chichester Twp's FD.

Rest easy, brother,.....

Halfway There,....

Like fellow over-sized bloggers, Wyatt and AD, the TrekMedic embarked on a plan to lose to ill-gotten poundage.

On Labor Day, 2007, I weighed 246 lbs. As of Sunday, I weighed 233. I want to get down to 220 at some point. (My doctor says 200, but my family is full of men built like fireplugs.)

So,..how did the TrekMedic do it?

Slowly, methodically, and without radical changes.

First, I don't sweat the weight. I only check my weight on the first Sunday of the month.

Second, I cut out regular soda and switched to diet.

The a month later, I started eating smaller sandwiches for lunch.

Since then, I've cut out the cheese in most of those sandwiches and only grab one hot dog when time's tight.

I don't reward myself with treats when I lose weight and I don't crank down on my regimen when I gain.

And I don't miss what I'm not eating.

And when the weather gets better, I'll get back to more light exercise.

The "big secret?" I didn't make these changes radically and overnight. I've slowly let my body get used to the diet and that halts the urge to binge on what I miss.

Try it and let me know how it works fo you!

Wise Words From the Ambulance Driver,..

Dear America,


Just because you feel ill, does not mean your condition is an emergency.

It probably doesn't even mean your condition warrants an appointment with your personal physician.

It simply means that you need to sit your happy ass at home and medicate yourself with something cheap, and preferably over-the-counter until you feel better.

Unless you're contagious, you can probably go to work too. It's bad enough that we've become a nation of pussies and whiners, at least try not to let productivity suffer because of it.

Oh, and Democratic Presidential candidates?

Our nation doesn't need universal healthcare coverage. We have an overabundance of the entitlement mentality as it is.

What we need is for about 75% of our ER clientele to HTFU.

Sincerely,
The Medic Who Is Routinely Sicker Than Most Of His Patients*




*And I ain't been sick.
Radioed by Ambulance Driver at 3:15 PM



The TrekMedic, humbled by the AD's presence, adds:

With Philly's EMS in shambles and every hospital in Chester County on a rotating diversion notification for the past two weeks, every reader should take this to heart!

'Nuff said!

Anchors Away!

Navy Ship With Steel From World Trade Center Ruins Christened USS New York

Saturday, March 01, 2008

AVONDALE, La. — Thousands of people, including families of those who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, gathered Saturday for an at-times chilling and rallying service to christen a Navy ship built with twisted steel from the ruins of the World Trade Center.

• Click here for video.

The hulking grey USS New York, which abruptly rose from the horizon, bore a seal on the bow bearing 7.5 tons of steel from the site. The shield included two gray bars to symoblize the Twin Towers; a banner over that declared "Never Forget."

• Click here for photos.

"May God bless this ship and all who sail on her," ship sponsor, Dotty England, said before smashing a bottle of champagne against it, producing a loud thump to go with the spurting liquid and flying streamers.

Story after story of lives lost, and touched, by the attacks peppered the ceremony, held under the blazing sun and broadcast on large screens.

"To New York, we say thank you for lending your sacred seal, your name," U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., said. More importantly was that New York lent its spirit, he said.

Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England said ship names provide a legacy, and for their crews, serve as a source of strength and inspiration.

When the attacks occurred, the ship was planned but had no name. It was named the New York at the request of former New York Gov. George Pataki. The steel from the World Trade Center site is in the part of the ship that splices through the water, leading the way.

"It resurrects the ashes, so to speak, to do great things for our nation," said Bill Glenn, a spokesman for Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, the ship builder.

The billion-dollar, 25,000-ton vessel is 684 feet long, 105 feet wide. It can carry about 360 sailors and 700 Marines who can be brought ashore via landing craft and helicopter. Its prospective commanding officer is Commander F. Curtis Jones, a native New Yorker. It is to be commissioned next year, said England's wife, Dotty England, before the christening.

Rep. Vito Fossella, R-N.Y., said Sept. 11th was a turning point in the nation, and will never be forgotten because remnants of the disaster are part of the ship.

"If the USS New York has to follow Osama bin Laden to the gates of hell, PCO Jones and his crew ... have my full support," he said to a standing ovation.

Click here for more on the ship from the U.S. Navy.

"May God bless this ship and all who sail on her," ship sponsor, Dotty England, said before smashing a bottle of champagne against it, producing a loud thump to go with the spurting liquid and flying streamers.

Story after story of lives lost, and touched, by the attacks peppered the ceremony, held under the blazing sun and broadcast on large screens.

"To New York, we say thank you for lending your sacred seal, your name," U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., said. More importantly was that New York lent its spirit, he said.

Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England said ship names provide a legacy, and for their crews, serve as a source of strength and inspiration.

When the attacks occurred, the ship was planned but had no name. It was named the New York at the request of former New York Gov. George Pataki. The steel from the World Trade Center site is in the part of the ship that splices through the water, leading the way.

"It resurrects the ashes, so to speak, to do great things for our nation," said Bill Glenn, a spokesman for Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, the ship builder.

The billion-dollar, 25,000-ton vessel is 684 feet long, 105 feet wide. It can carry about 360 sailors and 700 Marines who can be brought ashore via landing craft and helicopter. Its prospective commanding officer is Commander F. Curtis Jones, a native New Yorker. It is to be commissioned next year, said England's wife, Dotty England, before the christening.

Rep. Vito Fossella, R-N.Y., said Sept. 11th was a turning point in the nation, and will never be forgotten because remnants of the disaster are part of the ship.

"If the USS New York has to follow Osama bin Laden to the gates of hell, PCO Jones and his crew ... have my full support," he said to a standing ovation.

Click here for more on the ship from the U.S. Navy.


The TrekMedic adds:

That's one hell of a middle finger to the Islamofascists! Makes you wonder how many bombs they made from the remains of the 19 scumbags who started all of this. Oh, yeah,..NONE!!!

And unspoken here is how many construction workers had to both rebuild their lives after Katrina and still manage to get this ship christened on time!