Has it REALLY Come Down to This?

Del. Senate Candidate Christine O'Donnell: 'I'm Not a Witch'

Updated: Tuesday, 05 Oct 2010, 8:23 AM EDT

Published : Tuesday, 05 Oct 2010, 8:15 AM EDT

RANDALL CHASE, Associated Press Writer

DOVER, Del. (AP) - Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell is trying to assure Delaware voters: "I'm not a witch."

The Republican tea-party-backed candidate in her first TV ad since winning the primary pokes fun at comments she made during a 1999 taping of a late-night talk show that she dabbled in witchcraft when she was a teenager.

In the 30-second ad that starts airing Tuesday, O'Donnell smiles at the camera and speaks over a soft piano soundtrack. "I'm nothing you've heard. I'm you."

The tea party-backed O'Donnell faces Democrat Chris Coons in November.

"It's surprising that Ms. O'Donnell, in her first television commercial, offers no solutions to the problems facing working families," said Coons campaign spokesman Daniel McElhatton. "There's no ideas here; there's no plan."

O'Donnell's comments about witchcraft were made during a taping of comedian Bill Maher's "Politically Incorrect" TV show.

"I dabbled into witchcraft. I never joined a coven," she said on the video, a clip of which hit the Internet just days after she stunned longtime congressman Mike Castle in last month's GOP primary in her third bid for Senate.

"One of my first dates with a witch was on a satanic altar, and I didn't know it. I mean, there's little blood there and stuff like that," she says. "We went to a movie and then had a little midnight picnic on a satanic altar."

In the ad, O'Donnell says, "None of us are perfect, but none of us can be happy with what we see all around us - politicians who think spending, trading favors and backroom deals are the ways to stay in office. I'll go to Washington and do what you'd do."

O'Donnell has made light of the witchcraft comments.

"How many of you didn't hang out with questionable folks in high school?" she asked fellow Republicans at a GOP picnic in southern Delaware last month.

Anything to add, Mr. Rove?

Racism - With a Little Help from My Friends,...

A few more views on the Toxic TOTUS:

From Mike (The Trubador):

The Toxic Card of Racism Trumps Hearts
Sep 16, 2009
Elizabeth Scalia

A few months ago, during the Obama-at-Notre Dame controversy, I had a conversation with a journalist, during which I opined that the whole issue of life versus death was—and has been since the time of Moses—a contest between light and dark, and would continue to be so. The journalist said, “you just said ‘black and white,’” and teased me for being a racist.

But I’d said “light and dark,” and he admitted, when he stopped laughing, that he had heard “light and dark,” but had immediately extrapolated it to “black and white” and then thought of Obama, hence the tease.

This fellow is no one’s idea of a racist (including mine), and he was a vocal supporter of President Obama. But it was his mind, not mine, that went there. The New York Times’ columnist Maureen Dowd recently wrote that when Representative Joe Wilson shouted out “You lie” during the president’s address to Congress, she heard it as “You lie, boy”—the racism clear, even though Wilson hadn’t actually said it. The blogger and law professor Ann Althouse invited her readers to speculate on whether the fact that there are white people shouting “You lie, boy” in Dowd’s mind means Dowd is a racist, projecting her own racism on to Wilson and, presumably, the tea-partiers who recently marched on Washington and, basically, anyone who disagrees with Obama on policy. (click link to read further)

And from Bill Shaw @ Writemarsh:

Is "Racist" the New "Communist?"

During the McCarthy era, we had a run of people trying to "out" communists, to the point that it's overuse caused it to become less of a stigma to be called one. Is the current administration doing the same to the word "Racist"?

We very well may be going down that road. The video below is a great example of how "racism" is no longer a broad stroke of bigotry, but simply a case of both non- whites and "guilty" whites stating "white people hate everyone who isn't like them". The video is about an hour, but is well worth the time spent watching.

Click the link to watch the video,...

Revenge of the Bitter Poll

In the 2010 Elections,....
	Republicans Will Continue to Lose Ground
	Republicans Will Stabilize Their Position
	Republicans Will Make Modest Gains in Both Houses
	Obama Will Dissolve Elections to Shore Up His Power Grab
	Republicans Will Party Like Its 1994
	A Third Party Will Emerge As A Serious Challenge
pollcode.com free polls

Its His Job, Now

As of this writing, Barack Hussein Obama will have taken the Oath of Office and we will have peacefully transferred power again for the 43rd consecutive time.

Now,...

Everything that happens, happens under HIS watch.

No more "Blame Bush."

No more "Bush Derangement Syndrome."

No more "Chimpemperor BusHitler."

Let the "Anything Goes," Clinton Act II Administration begin and let's keep an eye on those same approval polls that hounded "W!"

The Elephant Man Speaks!

From the Inkwaster:

Commentary
The Elephant in the Room: Republicans need a new leader

By Rick Santorum

The American electorate has taken the Republican Party to the woodshed for a beating the past two election cycles. Suffice it to say I'm personally familiar with the inside of that woodshed.

Many factors have contributed to my party's going down to defeat time and again: an unpopular war, ethical scandals, and a budget deficit that grew for both good (9/11 response) and bad reasons (bridges to nowhere).

But the most important factor may be our failure to articulate who we are as a party. In short, what do Republicans stand for, and how do we communicate that today?

Let's look at this in the context of the Republican Party's current national leadership void.

Between 2001 and 2007, I served as chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, the organization charged with coordinating Republican senators' message to the American people. During this time, Republicans controlled the White House, the House and Senate, and a majority of the country's governorships. We didn't have just one bully pulpit; we had dozens.

This was both an opportunity and a challenge. And we failed.

I look back and marvel at the missed opportunities. A few of us were committed to developing a cooperative culture among our leadership and, ideally, a coordinated communications strategy. For the first time in memory, we held bicameral retreats. We talked about joint strategic planning. But the planning broke down in practice.

And Republicans made it worse by nominating a 2008 presidential candidate who has never been known for either his vision or his ability to communicate.

It is vital, therefore, that the Republican Party's next national chairman be not just a great manager of a large, complex organization, but a leader who can forge a consensus vision and help articulate it.

First, the new chairman must help the GOP leadership in Washington and the states produce a clear, compelling vision for America, rooted in our party's long-standing conservative beliefs.

I believe America is a center-right country. America will not thrive if we continue to abandon capitalism; our leadership role in the world, backed by a strong military; and the values our forefathers bequeathed to us in our founding documents.

Second, the new chairman must plan and prepare to effectively articulate that message to the American people.

Our governing philosophy was not rejected in the last two elections; rather, we could not plausibly explain how our ideas and actions matched that philosophy. That problem continues today, as the government considers whether to borrow and print more money to bail out the Big Three auto manufacturers, which are even less worthy of a bailout than the financial sector.

Finally, the Republican Party must develop technology that will make the Obama team envious. While that seems unlikely, it's exactly what the Democrats did between the 2004 and 2008 elections.

The Republican National Committee and the Bush campaign once ran circles around the Democrats. We tried to build on what worked, but the Democrats grasped the scale of change in technology and vaulted past us.

And technology alone won't be enough. The new chairman has to winsomely communicate our vision and build a nationwide team to deliver our message.

We are up against a new Great Communicator. We cannot leave the field uncontested.

The Morning After,...

OK,...we all know what happened last night. Despite the punditry, history was made last night and we should all feel better about it. Now, if only America can start looking at the likes of people like Michael Steele, JC Watts and Thomas Showells the same way,...

And a congratulations to President-elect Obama for being a gentleman enough to acknowledge Senator McCain's lengthy record of service to his country and his status as both a veteran and war hero.

So,..what next? The obvious answer is beat Obama at his own game. Organize grassroots better. Fund the process better. Get the message out better. AND STAY ON POINT!

Where does it start? For us Pennsylvanians, its starts at the local levels, as always. 2010 is already on the horizon and the opportunity to eject the likes of Fast Eddie Rendell and his ilk is ours to lose.

While we're at it, RINO Senator Specter MUST GO!

And how to go about this? Start at the top in Pennsylvania: PA Republican Chairman Robert A. Gleason, Jr MUST GO! In an election where Pennsylvanians were labelled racist, bible-clutching, gun-toting, xenophobic rednecks by a man who's platform would obliterate the burgeoning resurgence of our coal industry to answer to The Cult of Algore, how could Obama possibly have won in such a landslide?? The standard excuse of Philly- and Pittsburgh-area liberals dominating the election doesn't account for all of it. Someone dropped the ball and that someone is Gleason!

The clock has been rewound and we're already running out of time! More on this later, but visit my friends Lisa "Bluftooni" Blossie, Bill "Writemarsh" Shaw and the rest of us for more ideas!

Its Palin!

Alaska Gov. Palin to be Named as McCain Running Mate
by FOXNews.com
Friday, August 29, 2008

YESSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DAYTON, Ohio — John McCain will introduce Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his vice presidential running mate at an event here at noon Friday, senior campaign sources confirmed to FOX News.

Palin emerged earlier in the day as the hot name in the vice presidential sweepstakes after reports circulated that two short-listers — Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty — were out of the running.

Adding fuel to the Palin candidacy was a report that a charter aircraft from Anchorage owned by a McCain supporter had arrived at a small airport outside Dayton, Ohio, where McCain has scheduled a noon ET rally to announce his choice.

FOX News reported the jet flew to Flagstaff, Ariz., on Thursday before heading landing in Middletown, Ohio.

Palin is considered a rising star in the Republican Party. She is the state’s first female governor, the mother of five — and at 44 is its youngest chief executive.

The choice of Palin was kept under such tight wraps that even Palin’s mother said Friday morning that she had not yet heard from her daughter that she had been selected for the No. 2 spot on the GOP ticket.

Informed of the selection, a senior official with Barack Obama campaign questioned Palin’s executive experience, (The TrekMedic says "Pot, meet kettle, BO!)

“After making experience a central issue of the race, McCain picks, on his 72nd birthday, a person who 3 years ago was the part-time mayor of a city in Alaska with a population of about 8,000 - that’s 1/20th the size of Obama’s state Senate district. That virtually takes the experience argument off the table. She’s also complimented Obama’s energy plan and is under investigation in her own state for pressuring the firing of a relative from the state safety department,” the official said.

Earlier this month, the Anchorage Daily News reported that Palin has been under investigation after she her chief of staff, other aides and her husband had contacted the Public Safety Department about firing Palin’s brother-in-law, a state trooper who was in a custody battle with Palin’s sister. Palin said she did not know about the phone calls before they were made, but acknowledged that “such pressure could have been perceived to exist.”

Born in Idaho, Palin moved to Alaska with her parents, to Charles and Sally Heath, when she was 3 months old.

She grew up in Wasilla, just outside of Anchorage, and played on the Wasilla state championship girls’ basketball team. She was crowned Miss Wasilla in 1984 and was a runner-up in the Miss Alaska pageant.

Palin studied journalism and political science at the University of Idaho and graduated in 1987. She eloped with her high school boyfriend, Todd Palin, in 1988 to save money on an expensive wedding. She helped out in her husband’s family commercial fishing business and appeared occasionally as a television sportscaster.

Palin won a seat on the Wasilla City Council in 1992 as a new face and a new voice, and by opposing tax increases. Four years later she was elected mayor at 32 by knocking off a three-term incumbent. At the end of her second term, party leaders encouraged her to enter the 2002 race for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor. Against veteran legislators with far more experience, Palin finished second by fewer than 2,000 votes, making a name for herself in statewide politics. She was elected Alaska’s youngest and first woman governor in 2006.

Sarah and Todd Palin have five children: boys Track, 19, and Trig, 4 months, and daughters Bristol, 17, Willow, 13, and Piper, 7. Track Palin joined the Army last September and will deploy to Iraq on Sept. 11. Palin had kept her pregnancy with Trig a secret as she worked in the governor’s mansion, confirming only weeks before the birth that she was going to have a son who she knew would have Down syndrome. She returned to work in April three days after giving birth.

Palin will be the second female vice presidential candidate from a major political party. The first was New York Rep. Geraldine Ferrarro, who was Walter Mondale’s Democratic running mate in 1984.

FOX News confirmed Thursday that McCain had made his selection and would appear with his pick at the Dayton rally.

On Friday, sources told FOX News that Romney was not going to be McCain’s choice, even though the former Massachusetts governor is scheduled to appear at the Dayton rally.

And Pawlenty told a Minneapolis radio station that he was not going to be in Dayton for the McCain announcement.

“I’m going to be at the [Minnesota] state fair,” Pawlenty said on WCCO.

“I will not be in Dayton, Ohio, so I think that’s a fair assumption,” the Minnesota governor said when asked if this was an indication that he would not be McCain’s running mate.

“It was an honor to be considered,” he added.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who like Romney was a rival to McCain in the primaries, sent an e-mail to supporters on Thursday evening saying he would not be at the rally. Sources later told FOX News that Huckabee was not in the running.

The Trekmedic thinks:

This is a tremendous coup for McCain. Unlike his "experienced" opponent, McCain has picked a woman to be his VP. Palin is both a reformer and pro-lifer. A special tribute should go to RED NOVEMBER member Doug Gibbs who, early on, was a strong and tireless proponent of Mrs. Palin.

It's Because "Bush Lied," Of Course,....

Jordan's king extends hand in Iraq
He is the first Arab head of state to visit since 2003. He urged his counterparts to do the same.

By Qassim Abdul-Zahra

Associated Press

BAGHDAD - Jordan's King Abdullah II held talks yesterday with Iraq's prime minister after coming to Baghdad on an unannounced visit, the first by an Arab head of state since the U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Abdullah called on Arab governments to "extend their hand to Iraq" because a strong Iraq "is a source of strength for the Arab nation," according to a statement released by the royal palace in the Jordanian capital of Amman.

An Iraqi government statement said Abdullah had "frank and positive talks" with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on relations between the two countries. Al-Maliki told the king that Iraq wanted to improve ties with all Arab countries, the statement said.

In turn, Abdullah expressed Jordan's support for Iraqi "efforts to impose stability," the statement added.

Ties between the two neighboring countries had been strained since the fall of Saddam because of Jordanian fears that Iraq's Shiite-led government was too friendly with Shiite-dominated Iran.

But U.S. officials had been urging Abdullah to visit Iraq to bolster ties between the two countries as part of Washington's campaign to shore up support for the Iraqi government as a counterweight to Iranian influence.

Al-Maliki visited Jordan in June for the first time in nearly two years, and since then, the two nations appear willing to put their differences behind them. During that visit, al-Maliki agreed to renew oil supplies to Jordan for the next three years at discounted prices.

Jordan agreed to ease restrictions on the entry of Iraqi students and those transiting to a third country. Tens of thousands of Iraqis have sought refuge in Jordan to escape the sectarian violence that swept the country two years ago but has receded.

Jordan has also named an ambassador to Iraq, joining other Arab countries that have agreed to upgrade their relations as the Iraqi government becomes more stable and security has improved - despite sporadic attacks and ongoing military operations.

Iraqi officials have been eager to improve their ties with their Arab neighbors now that the government's confidence has risen with improvements in security.

Yesterday, about 250 Iraqi refugees were flown home from Egypt free of charge aboard the prime minister's personal plane in what Iraqi officials said was an affirmation of improved security.

The TrekMedic muses:

So, a moderate Arab ruler extends the hand of friendship to a stable Iraqi government and...oh, yeah, gets something from them that he needs: cheap oil! Not American oil, but Iraqi oil!! And Iraq is making money off of it's exports again. I believe some people would call that "capitalism." I could be wrong. After all, we all know Bush lied to start this war and make money for his "oil buddies" here in the US, right??

Tony Snow Passes

Tony Snow, Former White House Press Secretary and FOX News Anchor, Dies at 53

Tony Snow, the former White House press secretary and conservative pundit who bedeviled the press corps and charmed millions as a FOX News television and radio host, died after a long bout with cancer. He was 53.

A syndicated columnist, editor, TV anchor, radio show host and musician, Snow worked in nearly every medium in a career that spanned more than 30 years.

• Click here for photos.

"Laura and I are deeply saddened by the death of our dear friend Tony Snow," President Bush said in a statement. "The Snow family has lost a beloved husband and father. And America has lost a devoted public servant and a man of character."

Snow died at 2 a.m. Saturday at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C.

Snow joined FOX in 1996 as the original anchor of "FOX News Sunday" and hosted "Weekend Live" and a radio program, "The Tony Snow Show," before departing in 2006.

"It's a tremendous loss for us who knew him, but it's also a loss for the country," Roger Ailes, chairman of FOX News, said Saturday morning about Snow, calling him a "renaissance man."

As a TV pundit and commentator for FOX News, Snow often was critical of Bush before he became the president's third press secretary, following Ari Fleischer and Scott McClellan. He was an instant study in the job, mastering the position — and the White House press corps — with apparent ease.

"One of the reasons I took this job is not only to work with the president, but, believe it or not, to work with all of you," Snow told reporters when he stepped into the post in 2006.

During a tenure marked by friendly jousting with journalists, Snow often danced around the press corps, occasionally correcting their grammar and speech even as he responded to their questions.

"Tony did his job with more flair than almost any press secretary before him," said William McGurn, Bush's former chief speechwriter. "He loved the give-and-take. But that was possible only because Tony was a man of substance who had real beliefs and principles that he was more than able to defend."

As he announced Snow as his new press secretary in May 2006, Bush praised him as "a man of courage [and] a man of integrity." Snow presided over some of the toughest fights of Bush's presidency, defending the administration during the Iraq war and the CIA leak investigation.

Snow's tenure at the White House lasted 17 months and was interrupted by his second bout with cancer.

"The White House has lost a great friend and a great colleague," said Bush's current press secretary and Snow's former deputy, Dana Perino. "We all loved watching him at the podium, but most of all we learned how to love our families and treat each other."

• FOX Facts: Tony Snow's Battle With Cancer

Snow had his colon removed and underwent six months of chemotherapy after he was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2005. In 2007 he announced his cancer had recurred and spread to his liver, and he had a cancerous growth removed from his abdominal area.

He resigned from the White House six months later, in September 2007, citing not his health but a need to earn more than the $168,000 a year he was paid in the government post. He was replaced by Perino.

After taking time off to recuperate, Snow joined CNN as a political commentator early this year.

At the White House, Snow brought partisan zeal and the skills of a seasoned performer to the task of explaining and defending the president's policies. During daily briefings he challenged reporters, scolded them and questioned their motives as if he were starring in a TV show broadcast live from the West Wing.

Critics suggested Snow was turning the traditionally informational daily briefing into a personality-driven media event short on facts and long on confrontation. He was the first press secretary, by his own accounting, to travel the country raising money for Republican candidates.

As a commentator, he had not always been on the president's side. He once called Bush "something of an embarrassment" in conservative circles and criticized what he called Bush's "lackluster" domestic policy.

A sometime fill-in host for Rush Limbaugh, Snow said he loved the intimacy of his radio audience.

Robert Anthony Snow was born June 1, 1955, in Berea, Ky., the son of a teacher and nurse. He graduated from Davidson College in 1977 with a bachelor's degree in philosophy, and he taught briefly in Kenya before embarking on his journalism career.

Because of his love for writing, Snow took a job as an editorial writer for the Greensboro Record in North Carolina and went on to run the editorial pages at the Newport News (Virginia) Daily Press, Detroit News and Washington Times. He became a nationally syndicated columnist, and in 1991 he became director of speechwriting for President George H.W. Bush.

"He served people, and we can learn from that. He was kind, and we can learn from that. He was just a good person," the senior Bush told FOX News.

Snow played six instruments — saxophone, trombone, flute, piccolo, accordion and guitar — and was in a D.C. cover band called Beats Workin'. He also was a film buff.

"He was a great musician," Ailes said. "And he loved movies."

More than anything, said Snow's colleagues, he was a joy to work with.

"He was a lot of fun," his former FOX News producer Griff Jenkins said. "This is a loss of a family member."

Senior FOX News Washington correspondent Jim Angle called Snow a "gentleman."

Snow is survived by his wife, Jill Ellen Walker, whom he married in 1987; their son, Robbie; and daughters, Kendall and Kristi.


The TrekMedic mourns:

Too many good people are leaving this Earth too soon and from too many causes of cancer.

Well, It Certainly Explains a Few Things,...

Sen. Ted Kennedy Has Malignant Brain Tumor, Doctors Say

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

BOSTON — Sen. Ted Kennedy has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital announced Tuesday, four days after the Democratic senator was rushed to the hospital following seizures.

Kennedy, 76, was diagnosed with the tumor Tuesday morning after he underwent a biopsy.

"Preliminary results from a biopsy of the brain identified the cause of the seizure as a malignant glioma in the left parietal lobe," his doctors said in a statement, adding that treatment would likely include "combinations of various forms of radiation and chemotherapy."

The senator has been hospitalized in Boston since Saturday, when he was airlifted from Cape Cod after a seizure at his home. He suffered another one en route to the hospital, sources told FOX News.

His wife and children have been with him each day but have made no public statements.

His doctors said that he was in "good condition" and had not suffered any more seizures since Saturday.

Kennedy's colleagues on Capitol Hill reacted with shock and sadness Tuesday morning, but expressed confidence in his ability to fight through the illness.

"Every one of us knows what a big heart this fella has. He's helped millions and millions of people," said fellow Massachusetts Democratic Sen. John Kerry. "Everybody needs to pull for him and his family and remember that this guy is an unbelievable fighter."

"I'm betting on Senator Kennedy," said Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., who himself has been battling Hodgkins lymphoma. "He's been such a champion on so many causes ... he's been a shining example of crossing the aisle."

In 1993, Spector was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, and after getting a second opinion, had it removed and inspected and determined not to be malignant. He told FOX News maybe Kennedy's diagnosis is wrong, adding that will power is the key to beating cancer.

"I can tell you from my own experience that will power is very important — stay on the job, keep up regular duties, play squash," said Spector. "If tenacity can do it, Kennedy will be a survivor."

According to sources familiar with the situation, the prognosis for Kennedy is not optimistic and word is circulating through political circles in Massachusetts and on Capitol Hill that because the tumor is inoperable it can only be dealt with through chemotherapy and radiation.

Malignant gliomas are a type of brain cancer diagnosed in about 9,000 Americans a year — and the most common type among adults. It's an initial diagnosis: How well patients fare depends on what specific tumor type is determined by further testing.

Average survival can range from less than a year for very advanced and aggressive types — such as glioblastomas — or to about five years for different types that are slower growing.

"The news has been met throughout the country with great concern," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

If Kennedy were to resign or die in office, state law requires a special election for the seat no sooner than 145 days and no later than 160 days after the vacancy occurs. He was re-elected in 2006 and is not up for election again until 2012.

Dr. Lee Shwamm, vice chairman of the Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General, and Dr. Larry Ronan, Kennedy's primary care physician, said in their statement that Kennedy will continue to undergo testing to determine the best course of treatment.

"Senator Kennedy will remain at Massachusetts General Hospital for the next couple of days according to routine protocol. He remains in good spirits and full of energy," they said.

President Bush released a statement saying "Laura and I are concerned to learn of our friend Senator Kennedy's diagnosis.

"Ted Kennedy is a man of tremendous courage, remarkable strength, and powerful spirit. Our thoughts are with Senator Kennedy and his family during this difficult period. We join our fellow Americans in praying for his full recovery."

Kennedy, the second-longest serving member of the Senate and a dominant figure in national Democratic Party politics, was elected in 1962, taking over for family friend Benjamin A. Smith ll, who served as a placeholder in the seat originally won by Kennedy's brother, John F. Kennedy. John Kennedy went on to become president and Ted Kennedy ran for his seat when he turned 30 and was constitutionally eligible to enter the Senate.

The Kennedy's eldest brother, Joseph, was killed in a World War II airplane crash. President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 and his brother Robert was assassinated in 1968.

Kennedy is active for his age, maintaining an aggressive schedule on Capitol Hill and across Massachusetts. He has made several campaign appearances for Sen. Barack Obama in February, and most recently last month.

FOX News' Major Garrett, Chad Pergram and Trish Turner and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

And as cancer closes one door, it opens another:

Lester completes no-hit feat
Southpaw becomes 18th Red Sox pitcher to seal the deal
By Ian Browne / MLB.com

BOSTON -- If only all the spectators and teammates who reveled in Jon Lester's magical Monday night at Fenway Park could have seen the way it started.

There the left-hander was in the bullpen warming up with catcher Jason Varitek, and he had nothing. How was he going to thrive against the Royals when it seemed like all his pitches had stayed home?

As it turns out, Lester knows a thing or two about perseverance. And on this night, he stayed the course well enough to throw a no-hitter, the 18th in the history of the Red Sox.

(snip)

The joy couldn't have been any more genuine considering how tough it was on Lester, his teammates and the entire organization when the lefty was diagnosed with anaplastic large cell lymphoma some 20 months ago. As if winning Game 4 of the World Series last fall wasn't enough of a fairy tale for Lester, now he has a no-hitter under his belt.

(snip)

Though he's just 24 years old, Lester has already experienced more highs and lows than most 15-year veterans. A cancer recovery followed by a World Series clincher and a no-hitter?

"It's hard to describe," Lester said. "I think they're both definitely up there. I can't tell you which one means more to me than the other. The World Series is obviously the World Series. How many people get to say they won that. A no-hitter is a no-hitter. How many people can say they've done that? They're both up there. They both mean a heck of a lot to me. It's something I'll cherish for a long time."

And Lester's teammates -- particularly his closer ones -- will enjoy it every bit as much.

"It's like divine intervention," said Red Sox ace Josh Beckett. "I know it's been two years since the whole cancer thing, but it's pretty cool to watch something like that, and I know he kind of had that last year winning the final game of the World Series, but this is another feat, more personal one that maybe winning the World Series. It's great. He's always had the talent and now it's starting to show."

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!