To read the tribute to SFC Marcus Muralles, please click here
Thursday, June 16, 2005
A Round-Up for Your Morning...
Here's a few headlines to get your day started.
- Lawmakers attend picnic at the White House
President Bush, frustrated that some of his legislative initiatives are stalled in Congress, was all smiles Wednesday evening as he hosted a congressional picnic where jugglers and a merry-go-round turned the South Lawn into a carnival.
No word on whether there were any additional clowns in face paint, or just the ones from The Hill. - Republican releases info on Bolton
A leading Republican sought Wednesday to end the Senate impasse over John Bolton's nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations by providing Democrats with some information about secret intelligence intercepts they sought. "This compromise represents the middle ground and should more than satisfy the concerns of my colleagues, unless, of course, they are not interested in being satisfied," Roberts said.
Hmmm... maybe Senator Roberts finally figured it out- the Dems AREN'T interested in being satisfied with anything less than completely derailing this administration. But everyone else knew that already, right?
Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., rejected Roberts' effort. - Democrat holds up State Dept. Nomination
Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., temporarily blocked a promotion for a White House aide Wednesday in a dispute over whether a wealthy Democratic fundraiser would be reappointed to a government oversight board.Biden asked that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee postpone a vote on whether Dina Habib Powell should become assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs. The State Department job would focus on ways to spread democracy in the Middle East.
So... The White House refuses to renominate Pattiz (and hasn't said why, from what I could tell) and Biden throws a temper tantrum. Yup... sounds about right. He's worse than most toddlers.Senator, he's still on the panel (until someone else is nominated to take his place). Deal with it.
Powell - no relation to former Secretary of State Colin Powell - is currently the White House personnel director, with responsibility for recommending candidates for posts such as the Broadcasting Board of Governors. That is the panel on which Norman Pattiz, billionaire founder of the radio network now known as Westwood One, now sits. - Durbin stands by remarks
Sen. Dick Durbin refused to apologize Wednesday for comments he made on the Senate floor comparing the actions of American soldiers at Guantanamo Bay to Nazis, Soviet gulags and a "mad regime" like Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot's in Cambodia.
Senator Durbin, I'd ask you to read the Geneva Conventions and a few history books, but, for some reason, I don't think it would help much. The detainees at Club Gitmo are being better cared for than they were in their home countries. The "horrific conditions" are nothing like what you talked about. - Fans Praise Rapper's Pro-Life Video
A 24-year-old rapper/actor has released a music video that features the story of his mother nearly aborting him and sends a powerful pro-life message that is striking a chord with fans... The compelling video, which is viewable online, shows a young woman representing Cannon's mother entering a "Women's Health Clinic" for an abortion. Cannon appears in the video portraying the unborn baby and pleading with the woman to let her child live.
You know, I'm really not into rap music. I just might make an exception in this case, though... - Virginity Pledgers Have Fewer STDs
Refuting an earlier study, the U.S. Heritage Foundation said Wednesday virginity pledgers have lower rates of sexually transmitted diseases.
In other news, the sky is blue and sugar is sweet.
Using its own studies, the foundation said these pledgers also engage in fewer risky sexual activities. In a virginity pledge, participants take a verbal or written pledge to abstain from sex until marriage.
