Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist

Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Md Troopers Assoc #20 & Westminster Md Fire Dept Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist

Friday, January 26, 2007

20060125 Eye on Maryland

Quick eye on Maryland

January 25th, 2006

H/t: AM and Gopcharlie. Thanks!

Amid calls for prudence, Miller pushing O’Malley for tax increase

http://www.examiner.com/a-527683~Amid_calls_for_prudence__Miller_pushing_O_Malley_for_tax_increase.html

Maryland Senate President Thomas Mike Miller continues to pressure Gov. Martin O’Malley to find new tax revenues this year, but the new chief executive and other lawmakers are apparently satisfied with a go-slow approach.

This time next year, the Senate’s going to be in turmoil, Miller told his fellow senators. We’re going to be in crisis. We’ll have a summer session.

He said the governor had enough in the rainy-day fund this year to patch together the budget.

But the following year, all hell’s going to break loose, Miller said. He supports a sales tax increase, a proposal that passed the House three years ago.

O’Malley has persistently resisted any talk of tax increases this year, despite looming deficits, and promised to be looking at more efficiencies in government. On Wednesday, he told state and local officials seeking more school funds that there needs to be a leap of faith that were going to get our fiscal house in order in the years ahead.

Most leaders of the House and Senate have said they support a study of the complete revenue picture this year. We need to initiate some kind of study now, said Del. Norman Conway, chairman of the Appropriations Committee. We’ve known since the implementation of Thornton [education aid] that we didn’t put a funding source in there.

O’Malley is trying to be deliberative about it, and not immediately come in to be the tax-and-spend guy, Conway said.

Ehrlichs chat morning away on WCBM-AM

State's former first couple take calls with aplomb as they fill in for Tom Marr

http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/tv/bal-to.ehrlich25jan25,0,2498697.story?coll=bal-features-headlines

A three-hour appearance yesterday by former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. and his wife, Kendel, as talk-show hosts on a Baltimore radio station became a nostalgic walk through the Ehrlich administration's accomplishments and a chance for the Ehrlichs' supporters to thank them for their service to Maryland.

"It's the Ehrlich edition of the Tom Marr Show!" the former governor said after every commercial break, naming the host who normally takes the 9 a.m.-to-noon slot on WCBM-AM.

"You're doing a good job," Kendel Ehrlich told her husband, who was elected Maryland's governor in 2002, the first Republican governor in 36 years.
"Thank you, dear," he replied, evidently enjoying himself. "By the way, who needs Tom Marr? We can do this!"

Ehrlich handled callers with ease, joking with several whom he knew and showing his flair for conversation. The former governor often appeared on radio talk shows during his tenure in Annapolis, choosing to speak directly to the electorate over airwaves.

He may make more such appearances on WCBM, said the station's general manager, Bob Pettit, who was very pleased with yesterday's show.

After Victory, O'Malley Wrangles an Array of Donors

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/24/AR2007012402028.html

Hackerman was at the center of a controversial land deal, eventually aborted, in which the Ehrlich administration sought to sell him 836 acres of state timberland in St. Mary's County at what Democratic lawmakers characterized as a bargain rate. During the governor's race, O'Malley traveled to the site, news media in tow, vowing never to do anything like that.

In the opening days of the new administration, Hackerman's name has surfaced again, along with hundreds of others, in a new finance report as having contributed money to O'Malley during the weeks after his election. Hackerman gave $4,000 on Jan. 3, according to report details made public this week. Hackerman could not be reached to comment.

Post-election largess came O'Malley's way from several political action committees, including the Maryland Realtors, the Maryland Horse Breeders Association, the Maryland Highway Contractors and the State Law Enforcement Officers Labor Alliance. They all gave at least $5,000.

Among the well-heeled Annapolis lobbyists contributing to O'Malley after the election: Casper R. Taylor (the previous speaker of the House of Delegates), J. William Pitcher and the firm of Alexander & Cleaver each gave $2,500.

Another interesting name: former state senator Paula C. Hollinger, who ran unsuccessfully for Congress last fall. Hollinger, who gave $4,000, has been mentioned as a possible nominee for several Cabinet posts.

Major F. Riddick, the chief of staff to Gov. Parris N. Glendening (D), and Riddick's wife, Manervia, gave $2,000 each to O'Malley. Riddick's standing in the Democratic Party was tarnished last year by his support of then-Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele, a Republican, for the U.S. Senate.

Delegate goes after trans fats

Hubbard introduces a bill to ban most of them in restaurant cooking

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-md.fat25jan25,0,6815668.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

Del. James W. Hubbard, a Prince George's County Democrat, has introduced a bill that would ban the use of most artificial trans fat in restaurant cooking.

The legislation, which mirrors a fat-busting measure adopted last month in New York City, would force corporations such as McDonald's as well as mom-and-pop operations and corner delis to stop using margarine, shortening or any kind of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils when preparing food. Those ingredients raise cholesterol levels, have been linked to heart disease and contribute to obesity.

"From a public health standpoint, I thought this was the right thing to do," Hubbard said. "All those kids out there who are eating french fries and other fried foods; they're starting to clog their arteries at a young age."

An anti-trans fat movement has been sweeping the nation nearly a century after Crisco shortening, which became synonymous with the unhealthy fat, hit the market. Trans fats are created when liquid oil undergoes a process called partial hydrogenation; the resulting fat stays solid at room temperature. Several chain restaurants - including Au Bon Pain, KFC and Wendy's - have decided to reduce trans fat in their foods, using a healthier oil instead. Even Crisco now offers Zero Trans Fat Shortening.

But an outright ban is likely to be met with strong opposition. Melvin R. Thompson, vice president of the Restaurant Association of Maryland, said food-service companies want to adopt healthier practices but that a mandate could strain supplies of other oils or lead to the use of oils high in saturated fat, which also increases the risk of coronary problems.

"We're opposed to this bill because it's a mandate, but we are not opposed to reducing our use of trans fats in certain products," Thompson said. "It's something that we must do voluntarily while considering the issues of supply, price, and quality and taste of the end product."

O'Malley backs stem cell funding

Gov. Martin O'Malley said yesterday that if the state's financial picture during his term allows it, he hopes to continue an annual $25 million state commitment to stem cell research.

"If we're able to do 25 [million dollars] every year for the next four years -- that would be, under public school or Catholic school math, $100 million -- that we could do over a four-year period of time," O'Malley told researchers, families and activists gathered for a stem-cell research summit yesterday in Annapolis.

"I don't know whether we will be able to do that. I would like to be able to do that."

O'Malley recently added $10 million to the previous administration's $15 million research allocation.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-md.sbriefs25jan25,0,5808910.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

Governor Demurs on a Stem Cell Bill

Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) said yesterday that he is not inclined to support a bill introduced in the General Assembly this year that would place a priority on embryonic stem cell research projects competing for state funds.

Current policy, established last year, allows researchers to seek funding for projects using embryonic and adult stem cells. Both types of research are considered promising for a variety of debilitating conditions. But federal funding has been restricted for embryonic work, which is controversial because it involves the destruction of a human embryo.

O'Malley said he thinks that lawmakers should leave it to scientists to determine which type of research is worthy of funding. "I think it is probably pretty good the way it is," he told reporters after addressing a conference on the emerging science.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/24/AR2007012402028.html

opinion

O'Malley's marathon

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/bal-ed.agenda25jan25,0,2145523.story?coll=bal-opinion-headlines

Here are some of the causes Mr. O'Malley didn't pick up: closing the loophole in Maryland's ban on workplace smoking to include all restaurants and bars, raising the tobacco tax to pay for health coverage for thousands of uninsured people, putting an end to capital punishment, and creating a so-called green fund to finance local pollution controls, waterway by waterway, to help clean up the Chesapeake Bay. He might have at least championed campaign finance reform.

We would not advocate that the governor be impulsive. He's been there, done that as mayor. But Mr. O'Malley can't stay on the sidelines on these and other important issues for long - not if he expects to produce a winning term.

Death Penalty Ban Unveiled Today

http://wbal.com/news/story.asp?articleid=53310

Lawmakers in Annapolis today will unveil a pair of bills that will ban the death penalty in Maryland, and replace it with life in prison without parole.

The legislation comes after a federal judge last month effectively halted executions in Maryland, to require state regulators and the General Assembly to review Maryland's lethal injection procedure.

Jane Henderson, executive director of Citizens Against State Executions tells WBAL News that most Marylanders support a ban on the death penalty.

"I think there's a growing consensus in this state that the death penalty doesn't work to save lives. It's discriminatory, and it costs more than life without parole," Henderson said.

Henderson adds that she is also encourage by Governor Martin O'Malley's position on the death penalty.

Public works board establishes new tone

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-md.board25jan25,0,4639515.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

O'Malley and Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp mused about making yesterday's "beg-a-thon" -- a humbling annual ritual in which local officials show up to plead for school construction money -- the last.

And unlike the days of the love feasts between Schaefer and Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., no cakes were exchanged.

"It is the dawn of a new day," Franchot said.

O'Malley began the meeting as Ehrlich always did, by giving opening remarks and inviting the treasurer and comptroller to provide their own. It was at that point in the proceedings that Schaefer would unleash most of the tirades that contributed to the end of his political career.

Franchot took a different tack. He wrote his comments ahead of time, and they were, unlike some of Schaefer's monologues, related to the day's agenda.

Where Schaefer tended to mumble, Franchot spoke directly into the microphone.

Franchot said he wanted to hear from school officials there for the day's beg-a-thon about their efforts to make environmentally friendly buildings, a move that he said would save the state money in the long run.

City's homicide rate hits one a day for '07

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-md.ci.homicide25jan25,0,4072762.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

Baltimore's homicide rate reached one a day for the new year with the death of an unidentified man who was shot on a westside street early yesterday, city police reported.

Although no homicides were reported on nine days this month, the other 15 days have accounted for the 24 killings this year, according to police.

Md. to pay ex-worker cleared in fund probe

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-te.md.amos25jan25,0,4687831.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

After more than a year of delay by the Ehrlich administration, the Board of Public Works agreed yesterday to repay a former state employee nearly $200,000 for legal bills incurred from what some considered a politically motivated investigation engineered by leading Republicans.

Stephen P. Amos, who headed the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention under Democrat Parris N. Glendening, had been caught up in a corruption probe that became public in 2002, weeks before the gubernatorial election between then-Rep. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. and then-Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. Townsend oversaw Amos' office.

The Maryland attorney general's office approved the compensation more than a year ago. But the item never came before the Board of Public Works because Ehrlich's chief counsel, Jervis S. Finney, believed the charges were justified even though Amos was cleared of wrongdoing. Finney stood by his position yesterday.

"It did not meet the former governor's standard because there were too many unanswered and unasked questions," Finney said.

Steele to head GOP funding outfit, start firm

http://www.washtimes.com/metro/20070124-104441-9773r.htm

Former Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele will lead a major Republican fundraising group and start a public affairs consulting firm in Maryland.

Mr. Steele will be the chairman of GOPAC, the national fundraising outfit that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich elevated to national prominence in 1994, and start the Legacy Strategies public affairs firm, he told The Washington Times yesterday.

"I'm really looking forward to it," Mr. Steele said. "It has been a whirlwind challenge. I just finished up four years as lieutenant governor, and I was excited to do it. We'll keep plugging along."

Charter schools' reviews mixed

First-year study finds poor are served, many students leave, those who stay are satisfied

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/bal-md.charter25jan25,0,2510122.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

Overall, Baltimore's charter schools are serving just as many poor and minority students as other public schools in the city, but they have fewer students with disabilities. They have not turned into enclaves for children from wealthy families, as some had feared.

On average, charter schools are losing more students over the course of a year than regular schools, but the parents and children who remain report high levels of satisfaction. And charter students are performing better in reading than they are in math.

These were among the conclusions of a report by the city school system on the first-year performance of Baltimore's charter schools - public schools that operate independently. Last school year, the city opened 12 charter schools that enrolled about 3,000 students. Seven of the schools had existed previously and converted to charters, while five of the schools were new.

School staff told to reapply for jobs

Poor performance by Annapolis High students is noted by superintendent

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-md.ar.annapolis25jan25,0,7875006.story?coll=bal-local-arundel

Cafeteria workers. Teachers. School secretaries. The principal. All 193 staff members at Annapolis High School must reapply for their jobs in a drastic step announced yesterday by Superintendent Kevin Maxwell.

It is a radical move that top Anne Arundel County school officials hope will reverse anemic student performance and head off a state takeover they fear is in the future of their flagship high school.

Annapolis High, which has about 1,700 students, has failed to meet state and federal benchmarks under the No Child Left Behind Act four years in a row.

The school has struggled with poor reading test scores among low-income students and lagging graduation rates among minorities. Those academic hurdles, along with persistent discipline problems - including fights that led to an Annapolis mall shooting around Thanksgiving - have marred the school's reputation in recent years.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

20070123 Hillary will do whatever it takes

Hillary will do whatever it takes

January 23, 2007

Hat Tip: Quick hits January 23rd, 2007 by donsurber

Liz Cheney in the Washington Post: “Sen. Hillary Clinton declared this weekend, ‘ I’m in to win.’ Anyone who has watched her remarkable trajectory can have no doubt that she’ll do whatever it takes to win the presidency. I wish she felt the same way about the war.”

Meanwhile the picture above captures the scene just before her announcement last Saturday, January 20, 2006; in which “Hillary” has a conversation with her real constituency – and a few laughs on us… at our expense.

From right to left is Massachusetts liberal Democratic Senator John Kerry, “Hillary” (no last name available,) the President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez and Cindy Sheehan.

####

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Monday, January 22, 2007

20070122 Westminster Common Council Meeting Minutes

Minutes of City of Westminster Council Meeting

http://www.westgov.com/citygovernment/minutes/012207.asp

January 22, 2007

QUORUM:

A Meeting of The Mayor and Common Council was held in the John Street Quarters of the Westminster Fire Company on the evening of January 22, 2007 at 7:00 P.M. Mayor Ferguson; Council President Chiavacci; Council Members Albert, Wack, Utz, and Pecoraro; City Administrator Wolf; Acting Director of Planning and Public Works Glass; Police Chief Spaulding; Director of Recreation and Parks Schroers; City Attorney Walsh; Manager of Planning and Development Davis; and City Clerk Taylor were present.

MINUTES:

Mrs. Albert moved to approve the minutes of the Meeting of January 8, 2007. Mr. Utz seconded and the Motion passed unanimously.

PUBLIC HEARINGS:

Mayor Ferguson conducted a public hearing on proposed Ordinance No. 758, which would remove specialty shops as permitted uses and prohibit tattoo parlors in certain downtown zoning districts. Assistant City Planner Fisher noted that the uses will still be permitted in the “B” Business District and that the Planning Commission has given a favorable recommendation on the Ordinance. Ms. Virginia Hof and Ms. Polly Hewitt spoke against the Ordinance. Ms. Darcel Harris and Ms. Rebekah Orenstein spoke in favor of it. Mayor Ferguson closed the hearing at 7:30 P.M., leaving the record open until 4:30 P.M. on February 2, 2007.

Mayor Ferguson next conducted a public hearing on Local Map Amendment No. 06-1, which would rezone 14.99 acres at the Village of Meadow Creek from R-10,000 to “N-C” Neighborhood Commercial. Mr. Davis presented the recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission and staff that the Council grant the rezoning. He noted that, as amended, the Development Plan reduces the access points from three to two. Attorney Clark Shaffer advised that the amended plan increases the net square footage of the shops by 6,678 to, among other things, add a daycare center. Architect Jim Denzler described upgrades to the façade of the center. Neighbors Raymond Perkins, John Granlund, and Dan Hutzell expressed their continuing concerns about traffic. Mr. Shaffer explained that the plan adds another lane to Maryland Route No. 140 from at least Route No. 31 to the entrance to the Village of Meadow Creek. Traffic expert Wes Guckert assured them that there would be adequate turning radii for trucks. Mayor Ferguson closed the hearing and the record at 8:07 P.M.

Mr. Pecoraro moved that staff be directed to prepare an ordinance consistent with staff’s recommendations. Dr. Wack seconded. Council President Chiavacci and Mr. Utz thanked all participants for their involvement and their responsiveness to one another. Mr. Pecoraro requested staff to furnish updates prior to the making of future decisions. The Motion thereupon passed unanimously.

CONSENT CALENDAR:

Dr. Wack moved to approve the Consent Calendar, which consisted of the November and December 2006 Departmental Operating Reports. Mr. Pecoraro seconded and the Motion passed unanimously.

REPORTS FROM STANDING COMMITTEES:

Council President Chiavacci announced that Mrs. Albert was recently honored for her work with Carroll Hospice.

Mr. Pecoraro reported that he attended the 75th anniversary celebration of the local chapter of the Kiwanis Club.

Dr. Wack advised that the Carroll Cable Regulatory Commission would meet Thursday, January 25, 2007 at

6:00 P.M.

ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS:

Mr. Pecoraro moved to adopt Ordinance No. 757, which would make certain housekeeping amendments to the Elections Chapter of the City Code. Mr. Utz seconded and the Motion was unanimously approved.

NEW BUSINESS:

Mr. Pecoraro announced that the County would host a regional water summit on Saturday, February 3, 2007 at Winters Mill High School.

Mrs. Albert moved to hold a closed session following the regular meeting in order to confer with counsel and obtain legal advice pursuant to Section 10-508(a)(7) of the State Government Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. Dr. Wack seconded and the Motion passed unanimously.

DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS:

Ms. Wolf reported on her recent attendance at training for a pandemic influenza outbreak. She added that the City would hire a consultant to help develop the City’s own training sessions.

Ms. Wolf advised that a survey of lighting on downtown streets was recently completed and that a number of improvements would be made.

Mr. Unger reported that the City would receive financial statements from the accountants in the near future. He added that training for the Eden System software would commence the following week.

In regard to the new Cranberry Water Treatment Plant, Mr. Glass advised that the matter would go before the State Board of Public Works in February and that negotiations continued with Conewago Enterprises.

Mr. Schroers reported that the City website for Recreation and Parks has been updated. He further reported that Fallfest contributed approximately $20,000.00 for the new hospice center on Stoner Avenue.

CITIZEN COMMENTS:

City resident Raymond Perkins commented that the Planning and Zoning Commission should be required to hear citizen comments prior to voting on matters.

Greater Westminster Development Corporation President Lori Graham thanked Ms. Wolf for attending immediately to the concerns about lighting downtown. Ms. Graham also advised that the Corporation met with a consulting firm concerning advertisements for downtown Westminster.

Council President Chiavacci adjourned the meeting at 8:40 P.M.

Laurell E. Taylor,

City Clerk

20070122 I Hate Snow


I hate Snow

January 22, 2007

Find stories here about the four-letter word, “Snow,” here and here.

Whatever. I wish I were here.

Kevin

####

20070122 Carroll County Public Schools will open two hours late


Carroll County Public Schools will open two hours late.

Monday, January 22nd, 2007

http://carrollk12.org/

73 Closings/Delays Have Been Reported.

For a complete list of school, business and event closings - go here.

####

Saturday, January 20, 2007

20070118 Dr. Robert Wack cited as Carroll Hospital Center Physician of the Month

Westminster Eagle News briefs 01/19/07 Wack cited as Carroll's Physician of the Month

Robert Wack, M.D., director of hospital-based pediatrics at Carroll Hospital Center, was selected as the hospital's Physician of the Month for December.

Affiliated with Carroll Hospital for nine years, Wack is also a member of the Westminster Common Council. He was nominated for the hospital honor by a fellow physician.

Each month, Carroll Hospital Center recognizes the patient care achievements of physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and certified nurse anesthetists.

For information on how to nominate a Carroll Hospital Center employee, call 410-871-6899.

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpid=978&show=archivedetails&ArchiveID=1242153&om=1

Thursday, January 18, 2007

20070111 CBS most Negative on Iraq Plan according to Newsbusters

CBS Most Negative on Iraq Plan, Clinton Got Bigger Bounce in Midst of Lewinsky Scandal – Analysis for Newsbusters by by Brent Baker on January 11, 2007 - 21:08: http://newsbusters.org/node/10118

January 18th, 2007

Although I can be sure that the analysis of Brent Baker as posted on Newsbusters is no surprise to most “Soundtrack” readers, it is nevertheless remarkable that such bias persists…

It has been said in sardonic jest, but nevertheless one suggestion for the president, in order to get some support for our efforts in Iraq, is to switch parties.

For my thoughts please read my Tentacle column from January 17, 2007, "NUTS!"

“Last Thursday President George W. Bush addressed the nation with his long awaited "New Way Forward in Iraq."

The war has not gone well in the last year. Back benchers and Monday-morning quarterbacks are all full of themselves saying "I told ya so;" however, the second definition of war is unintended and unpredicted consequences of the best laid plans.

History is replete with examples of wars and conflicts in which there were enormous set-backs, lapses of intelligence and dark days. In the end, as long as Congress and our nation's leadership maintained their resolve, America prevailed.

Thank goodness the prophets of doom did not pull us out of World War II after the mistakes of Kasserine Pass; or the Battle of the Bulge - one of the American military's greatest failures in intelligence, not overlooking Pearl Harbor. Fortunately we learned from our mistakes, adjusted our approach and in the end, prevailed.

At the drumbeat of hints, threats and suggestions that Congress simply deny the troops in the field - and our president - funding for the effort, many have conjured-up vague revisionist historical references to the Vietnam War with no memory of the consequences. It is estimated that two million more subsequently died in Indochina.

In that conflict the duty and sacrifice of our military was abandoned for political expedience. The North Vietnamese knew they could not win on the battlefield and went for the political solution successfully. A lesson which is not lost on those who wish us defeat in Iraq.

Meanwhile as far as media bias, Mr. Baker said, in part:

Coverage all day Thursday on the cable news networks, as well as on the ABC and NBC evening newscasts, emphasized negative reaction to President Bush's plan for a “surge” of troops into Iraq.

But the CBS Evening News delivered a markedly more negative presentation, even managing to raise Watergate and Monica Lewinsky.

Katie Couric led: “If the early reaction to President Bush's new Iraq strategy is any indication, selling the American public on it could be a mission impossible.” She soon added: “The reviews of the speech last night were largely negative from the American public and Congress.”

[…]

Coverage all day Thursday on the cable news networks, as well as on the ABC and NBC evening newscasts, emphasized negative reaction to President Bush's plan for a “surge” of troops into Iraq. But the CBS Evening News delivered a markedly more negative presentation, even managing to raise Watergate and Monica Lewinsky. Katie Couric led: “If the early reaction to President Bush's new Iraq strategy is any indication, selling the American public on it could be a mission impossible.” She soon added: “The reviews of the speech last night were largely negative from the American public and Congress.”

Gloria Borger checked in with how Bush “sparked a bipartisan rebellion on Capitol Hill" as “some of the harshest criticism came from his own party." Couric then went to Bob Schieffer who, citing a CBS News poll showing no move in the public attitude toward Bush on Iraq, suggested “you really have to go back to Vietnam and Watergate to find presidential speeches on television that didn't give the President at least a little bump in the polls.”

Schieffer recalled how “in the middle of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Bill Clinton went on television to give his State of the Union address. Even in the midst of that scandal, Mr. Clinton went up 16 points in the polls.

Going on prime time TV and nothing changes, that is fairly extraordinary, Katie." Next, Couric characterized as “out of the ordinary” the “response the President got today from a usually receptive audience,” soldiers at Fort Benning. Jim Axelrod offered a dour assessment of the mood of the troops: “Even rallying the troops is now a challenge. The mood here was polite but muted, more somber than usual for a President talking to soldiers.”

Neither the ABC or NBC evening newscast stories on Thursday offered any such downbeat evaluation of the attitude of the troops toward Bush.

Read the rest of the Mr. Baker’s analysis here: CBS Most Negative on Iraq Plan, Clinton Got Bigger Bounce in Midst of Lewinsky Scandal

####

20070117 Text of Maryland Governor Martin O'Malleys inaugural add

Text of Martin O'Malley's inaugural address

http://www.examiner.com/a-513376~Text_of_Martin_O_Malley_s_inaugural_address.html

The Associated Press, Jan 17, 2007 1:41 PM

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The text of the inaugural address delivered Wednesday by Gov. Martin O'Malley:

Thank you, Sen. Mikulski, for your kind introduction. I would like to begin by thanking my wife Katie and our children Grace, Tara, William and Jack. You make everything possible. And I love you very much.

To our Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, it has been one of the great pleasures of this last year getting to know you, Patricia and your children - and I look forward to serving the people of our state together.

To my mom and brothers and sisters - thank you so much for everything. I know, in a sense, Dad is here too.

To Joe and Barbara Curran - your decency and your kindness have set a standard for public service in our state, and I could not ask for better in-laws.

To Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty - I look forward to improving our region together. To Gov. and Mrs. Ehrlich - thank you for your service to the state of Maryland.

To Senate President Mike Miller and Speaker Mike Busch and the other members of the General Assembly gathered here today - we have a lot of work to do together, and thank you for your leadership in getting us off to a good start. Thank you, as well, to the other public officials here today.

My fellow Marylanders, thank you for coming together today to mark a new day in Maryland. And thank you for the work we will do together to make our state stronger. Stronger, together, as One Maryland.

One Maryland united by our belief in the dignity of every individual. One Maryland united by our responsibility to advance the common good. One Maryland united in our understanding that there is a unity to spirit and matter, and that what we chose to do in our own lifetimes does matter.

Today, with great humility and resolve, we gather on the steps of our historic State House where, in 1783, Gen. George Washington resigned his command of the Continental Army.

He willingly turned over his sword of command and submitted to the collective will and wisdom of the representative democracy of his neighbors and countrymen. Willingly pledged his allegiance to a system of governance whose very survival depends on our respect for one another depends on the virtue of compromise. Depends - in every generation - on our ability to find common ground to advance the common good.

At a time marked by great peril and great possibility, General Washington - Citizen Washington - opened another chapter of the American Revolution, here in Maryland, by choosing a better, stronger future.

My friends, like Washington, we find ourselves living here in Maryland during another time marked by peril and possibility.

Some of the perils we face - budget deficits, polluted waters, drug addiction and crumbling infrastructure - are of our own recent making. Other perils, like global warming, the global economy, global terrorism and global migration, are powered by additional forces - many of which are seemingly beyond our reach. But all of these perils demand that we take responsibility to defend and to advance our common good.

We have choices to make, as One Maryland. Choices about our shared future. Choices between the perils and possibilities of our present. Already possessing the strength, we must now find again the will - the will to make a better, stronger future for our children and theirs.

For against the peril of terrorist threat and the incessant foreign chemical attacks of cocaine and heroin, we have the possibility of improving our homeland security efforts, making our port a leader, the possibility of using our technology and talents to deter and prevent attack and the possibility of reforming our public safety institutions to save lives. Maryland is one of Americas wealthiest states; it's time to make us one of America's safest and most secure.

With family paychecks imperiled by pressures of the global economy and too many manufacturing jobs heading overseas, we have the possibility of building a new creative economy in Maryland based on science, security, technology and healing - while also protecting our farmers, watermen, small towns and Maryland traditions.

We have the possibility of building an economy based on the talents, skills and brainpower of the people of Maryland. Yes, we have the possibility of joining with our neighbors in the District of Columbia and Virginia to form a powerhouse regional economy capable of competing and winning on the world stage.

In the face of rising energy costs, and electric bills and the peril of our addiction to foreign oil, we have the possibility not only of restoring the regulatory framework of our State, but we also have the possibility of becoming a world leader in the development of clean and renewable energy, alternative fuels, green building technologies and cleaner-burning cars.

With the Chesapeake Bay's very survival imperiled by poorly planned sprawl and a multitude of other manmade ills - from storm water runoff to broken sewer systems - we have the possibility to rescue this natural jewel. To fuse science, government and personal responsibility together to expand buffer zones, cover crops, open space and oyster beds and to harness the growth that is coming to rebuild our cities and towns. Together, we will preserve our quality of life and the Chesapeake Bay.

With our children's economic future imperiled by an inadequate national system of education that is producing too few science, technology, engineering and math graduates, we have the possibility, in Maryland, to build the best system of public education in the country from K through 12 to college and beyond. Where working parents will never have to tell their children: 'There is no way our family can ever afford college.' The opportunity of college should be affordable to all.

With the soaring costs of health care imperiling the health of working families and threatening the solvency of responsible small businesses throughout Maryland, we have the possibility of rolling up our sleeves and finding ways to expand the affordability of health care coverage for our people.

In so many ways - health care, education, transportation, public safety - we live in a time framed by peril and possibility, but defined, ultimately, by the responsibility we take through our own actions to choose a better, stronger Maryland.

As of this moment, honoring your trust, I take responsibility for doing all that I can to make your government work again. I take responsibility for restoring our regulatory framework so that your government can stand up to powerful, wealthy special interests when they try to profiteer on the backs of the working people of our state.

I take responsibility for doing all that I can to make your government open, transparent and accountable. I take responsibility for never trying to divide our people by race, class, religion or region. I take responsibility for setting a tone of mutual respect inside the halls of government - and for working with leaders of both parties to find common ground to advance the common good.

But there are things for which each of us must take responsibility, as individuals, otherwise the work of our government will be futile. Safe neighborhoods. A strong and growing middle class. Educational achievement. Financial fairness. Protecting God's creation. Caring for the sick. Responsibility for ourselves, our families and our neighbors. These are the things for which each of us must take responsibility.

As we rise as One Maryland to meet the perils and possibilities of our own times, we do so knowing that Maryland's strengths are more than equal to the challenges before us.

The decisions we make for the greater good sometimes will require sacrifice. For too long in our state's capital - and in our nation's capital - we have acted as if our people had, somehow, lost the capacity to sacrifice and to make difficult choices. But "to govern is to choose." And in order to harness opportunity and meet our security challenges, we must choose to take responsibility for our shared future.

In our One Maryland, progress is always possible. And together we can make real progress - as we have before - with respect for one another, with truth about ourselves and the problems we face, and faith in our ideals as a people.

And in so choosing, we can, once again, lead our country into yet another chapter of the American Revolution - a revolution based on the dignity of the individual and powered by our shared responsibility to advance the common good.

So let us begin anew in our State, where all things are possible and where progress is every citizen's responsibility. In One Maryland, where we move forward together.

20070117 Only in Iraq

January 17th, 2007

On Michael Yon’s post, “Walking the Line 2007 Part 2 of 3,” I found this picture of “A Christmas tree decorated with bullets. A sergeant said that a soldier had used a grenade for a Christmas ball, but apparently that was a little over the top even for Anbar Province, and so the grenade was removed from the list of acceptable Christmas decorations.”

http://www.michaelyon-online.com/wp/walking-the-line-2007-2.htm

Read the entire post here. It is in-depth, thoughtful and very informative.

####

20070117 A Young soldier in Iraq shares wisdom beyond his age


A Young soldier in Iraq shares wisdom beyond his age

January 12th, 2007 – January 17th, 2007

Quick update:

The Teflon Don writes in a post dated January 16, 2007, “Snowball? Where?!,” that “Walking on History” a great deal of (well-deserved) positive attention.

Except from “a rather vitriolic post by James Wolcott, a contributing editor to Vanity Fair, who says:

[…]

War is war, his service to his country is commendable, we wish him safe return, but, really, there's no excuse for a pretentious prose style. Hemingway, Steven Crane- -they kept it bone-clean lean. They would have blanched at such gold-leafed Victor Davis Hansen vainglorious horseshit

Well, right out of the gate, consider the source.

Secondly, many of us would love to have our work contrasted with that of Victor Davis Hansen. (One of my many favorites was “The War and Its Critics” from October 3rd, 2006. Go ahead; it is a long piece that is worth every minute of reading it

But when you write history, and especially history of a contentious nature about Iraq, in which so much is at stake, it is incumbent to identify primary sources. The last three books about the supposed mess in Iraq—Cobra II, Fiasco, and now State of Denial—violate every canon of intellectual courtesy. Check who said what in Cobra II and you find the following: “Interview, former senior military officer”, “Interview, former senior officer”, “Interview, former Centcom planner,” Interview, Pentagon Officials,” “Interview, U.S. State Department Official,” or “notes of a participant.”

When the readers encounter the most controversial and damning of verbatim quotes in Fiasco, they are presented with “said a Bush administration official” or “recalled one officer.” Woodward is ever more derelict, in imagining not just the conversations, but even the thoughts of characters…

But not too worry, the “Teflon Don’s” response is priceless:

“… Actually, I'm flattered that someone so self-important as James Wolcott tore into me in the same column as he tore into Pajamas Media. That's ok, James- keep on keeping us honest over here. Sip your latte as you wade knee-deep through your self-proclaimed Iraqi mire in the comfort of your New York office.”

_____

H/t: Walking On History from the Teflon Don

Writing on his milblog, “Acute Politics,” a young soldier shows wisdom beyond his apparent age in a poignant post, “Walking on History.”

It was on this land that the Babylonian empire first arose out of those first Sumerian agrarians, only to be conquered by the Assyrians, and still later throw off the foreign chains. It was here that Alexander's phalanxes swept by, trailing Hellenism in their wake. Rome, and later the Byzantines, drew their border with Persia at the Euphrates River. At that river was where the Sassanids made their stand against the spread of Arabian Islam. The Khans of the Mongols laid this land waste, sometimes killing only to build their towers of bones higher.

This region is steeped in history. We walk on it; we breath it in. Eons of history surround us, infiltrate us, and turn to dust beneath our feet.

Read the rest of his post here.

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20070115 Documents Show France Proposed Union With Britain in 1956

Documents Show France Proposed Union With Britain in 1956

January 17th, 2007

Fox News is carrying an interesting AP story that says that Britain and France considered merging in 1956.

The revelation that the French government proposed a union of Britain and France in 1956 — even offering to accept the sovereignty of the British Queen — has left scholars on both sides of the Channel scratching their heads.

Newly discovered documents in Britain's National Archives show how former French Prime Minister Guy Mollet discussed the possibility of a merger between the two countries with British Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden.

"I completely fell off my seat," said Richard Vinen, an expert in French history at King's College in London. "It's such a bizarre thing to propose."

Fact is stranger than fiction. If this were to have been written in a novel, it would’ve been denounced as too implausible.

Whatever.

Read the rest here.

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20070117 What is an IED and what does it look like?


What is an IED and what does it look like?

January 17th, 2007

Above photo from Badgers Forward: “So what does an IED look like?

I’ve been asked that question before – “What is an IED?"

From the safety and security of living in Maryland – far way from the combat of Iraq - of course my only knowledge comes from the milbloggers.

Notice I said the milbloggers and NOT the main stream media. Like many I have come to distrust much of what I see on TV such as CBS or CNN, or the major U.S. newspapers, especially the New York Times.

Too much information from the main stream media is quite inconsistent from the stuff I read in my e-mails, first hand verbal accounts and in the Milblogs.

Anyway, the simple answer is that IED stands for “Improvised Explosive Device.”

And oh, if any of the milbloggers could “proof” this post, your input will be greatly appreciated. Please e-mail me at “kevindayhoff (at) gmail.com.”

Since, as one can imagine, there is lots of ordnance in Iraq, the bad guys have plenty of access to shells and explosive materiel. I’m told that many of the devices can be made, by folks who know what they are doing, in perhaps 20 minutes.

They wire the explosive materiel to a something as simple as a cell phone or a garage door opener.

While roaming the web on several occasions recently I have come across, at random, two posts about the insidious devices.

One from “Badgers Forward:” “So what does an IED look like?

It is a short read, yet very informative. Click here for the post.

The other post comes from “Boots in Baghdad:” IED,” who writes,

“In this video, D Troop (D Troop was NY National Guard attached to our Battalion) is hit with in IED (Improvised Explosive Device). Fortunately, no one was seriously injured. VIDEO

Click here for the video. Or click on the video below…

Again, any of the milbloggers wanna weigh-in, have at it…

Kevin