Why is this not surprising? Democrats Continue to Stay Classy... (Screen grab by Sweetness and Light) The leading Democratic blog Huffington Post cracks Trig Palin "retarded jokes" in celebration of the news that Sarah Palin will be resigning as governor.
This, of course, is not the first time the Huffington Post launched an awful attack on Sarah Palin. HuffPo contributor Michael Seitzman wrote a sick hit piece earlier: "I want to have sex with Palin on my Barack Obama sheets"
This was just the latest attack on Sarah Palin and her children. Most of the attacks, of course, were ignored by the state-run media. But, when David Letterman cracked rape jokes about her 14 year-old daughter the poor media was forced to report on it.
The Left was finally able to drive Sarah Palin out of office. Let's pray they will leave her and her family alone for awhile now.
Yum-Yum. First lady Michelle Obama eats a pea with fifth graders from Bancroft Elementary School in the First Lady's Garden after they harvested some of the vegetables that they planted in a garden on the South Lawn of The White House in Washington, Tuesday, June 16, 2009. (AP/Alex Brandon)
The White House garden is full of lead. The AP reported:
The White House says its high-profile garden on the South Lawn has tested positive for lead although it is not at dangerous levels.
White House spokeswoman Katie McCormick-Lelyveld said Thursday that tests on the soil in the White House garden detected lead levels of 93 parts per million. Soil is considered unsafe for growing vegetables when it reaches more than 500 parts per million.
First lady Michelle Obama planted the garden on the South Lawn this spring with local schoolchildren. Produce from it is used in the White House kitchens and donated to area groups.
The White House chefs have been preparing the garden's beans for dinner every other day and the fresh herbs are used nightly. Dee-lish! Hat Tip Larwyn
As governor, Sarah Palin left the state of Alaska in great shape. Sarah Palin highlighted her accomplishments as governor today in her resignation speech. This was something the state-run media ignored since she came on the national scene.
And we are doing well! My administration's accomplishments speak for themselves. We work tirelessly for Alaskans.
We aggressively and responsibly develop our resources because they were created to be used to better our world... to HELP people... and we protect the environment and Alaskans (the resource owners) foremost with our policies.
Here's some of the things we've done:
We created a petroleum integrity office to oversee safe development. We held the line FOR Alaskans on Point Thomson - and finally for the first time in decades - they're drilling for oil and gas.
We have AGIA, the gasline project - a massive bi-partisan victory (the vote was 58 to 1!) - also succeeding as intended - protecting Alaskans as our clean natural gas will flow to energize us, and America, through a competitive, pro-private sector project. This is the largest private sector energy project, ever. THIS is energy independence.
And ACES - another bipartisan effort - is working as intended and industry is publicly acknowledging its success. Our new oil and gas "clear and equitable formula" is so Alaskans will no longer be taken advantage of. ACES incentivizes NEW exploration and development and JOBS that were previously not going to happen with a monopolized North Slope oil basin.
We cleaned up previously accepted unethical actions; we ushered in bi-partisan Ethics Reform.
We also slowed the rate of government growth, we worked with the Legislature to save billions of dollars for the future, and I made no lobbyist friends with my hundreds of millions of dollars in budget vetoes... but living beyond our means today is irresponsible for tomorrow.
We took government out of the dairy business and put it back into private-sector hands - where it should be.
We provided unprecedented support for education initiatives, and with the right leadership, finally filled long-vacant public safety positions. We built a sub-Cabinet on Climate Change and took heat from Outside special interests for our biologically-sound wildlife management for abundance.
We broke ground on the new prison.
And we made common sense conservative choices to eliminate personal luxuries like the jet, the chef, the junkets... the entourage.
And the Lt. Governor and I said "no" to our pay raises. So much success in this first term - and with this success I am proud to take credit...
The people of Alaska will miss Governor Sarah Palin.
Colin Powell told reporters in May that Americans want to pay more taxes. Today, Colin Powell, an Obama supporter, says that the US can't afford Obama's agenda. The Washington Times reported:
Colin Powell, one of President Obama's most prominent Republican supporters, expressed concern Friday that the president's ambitious blitz of costly initiatives may be enlarging the size of government and the federal debt too much.
Gee, ya think? Obama's only quadrupled the national deficit in one year. And, he aims to crush the economy with cap and trade and socialized health care. Some of us saw this coming, Colin.
Another win for the state-run media and the democratic politics of personal destruction... SARAH PALIN RESIGNS!
Here's a longer version of the governor's announcement. KTUU reported:
Gov. Sarah Palin will resign her office in a few weeks, she said during a news conference at her Wasilla home Friday morning.
Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell will be inaugurated at the Governor's Picnic at Pioneer Park in Fairbanks on Saturday, July 25, Palin said.
There was no immediate word as to why she will resign, though speculation has been rampant that the former vice presidential candidate is gearing up for a run at the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.
Palin made the announcement flanked by Parnell and most, if not all, of her cabinet.
Parnell ran unsuccessfully against Rep. Don Young in the Republican primary last year.
The stunning announcement by Palin opens the floodgates for the 2010 gubernatorial race. Speculation that Palin might not seek re-election had fueled further conjecture of who might run.
God bless this courageous woman.
Charles Krauthammer and Jonah Goldberg were the latest conservatives to question her future in the party. (Although, Goldberg offers her some good advice.) It's a shame that Republicans were so hard on her.
But, the Left was worse. And, the brutal pounding from the Left on her and her children has been constant.
UPDATE: On FOX News Her brother just said that she was spending 80% of her time defending herself from the state-run press and bogus ethics complaints. She had been doing this for months and wanted to spend more time helping her state but there was no way she could effectively govern when she had to constantly defend herself.
** The governor has won 15 different bogus ethics complaints. ** The state of Alaska has spent $2 million defending the governor. ** It cost those liberals nothing to file the bogus complaints. ** Fighting the complaints has left her $500,000 in debt.
Local radio host Dana Loesch put together this fantastic video update on the St. Louis 4th of July Tea Party in Washington, Missouri:
There are more details on the day at Dana's website.
Also... Here is the finalized(?) agenda for tomorrow's event, via Dana again:
Below is the full agenda and speakers for the July 4th event. Times are quasi-approximate after Diane takes the stage; we like to keep it casual and allow the audience to dictate the flow. SO looking forward to seeing you there!
The St. Louis Tea Party Coalition’s Great America Fourth of July Picnic AWARENESS to ACTION
11:00 a.m. ………………………….Arrivals 12:15 p.m. ………………………….Opening Prayer 12:20 p.m. ………………………….The National Anthem as sung by LYDA LOUDON 12:30 p.m. ………………………….DIANE JONES of KPLW, event emcee. 12:35 p.m. ………………………….CURTIS KALIN, blogger at www.gatewaypatriot.com, and host of the Conservative Teen web radio show on Blog Talk Radio will discuss the importance of the youth within the Tea Party movement.
12:45 p.m. ………………………….JIM HOFT is the proprietor of Gateway Pundit Blog, a St. Louis blog rated #17 in the country in a recent ABC poll of Best American Pollitical Blogs. His site gets over 1 million visitors a month and his stories have made it on Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, and the FOX Nation to name a few. Jim will discuss how conservatives can get the most accurate news; blogs, radio, etc. and will discuss netroots and mention our forthcoming Conservatives Little Black Book™, a listing which will prove invaluable to you as you seek out the truth.
12:55 p.m……………………………ED MARTIN, JR.has made a career out of standing up for the people through citizen activism and service. He has fought the abuse of power by Governor Rod Blagojevich, fought ACORN as Chairman of the St louis board of elections, and started SaveAB.com to take on the foreignors who wanted to buy re the sale of Anheuser-Busch. Ed will speak about supporting and pressuring candidates to effect change.
1:05 p.m. ……………………………DR. GINA LOUDON, has two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in the study of Human and Organizational Development. She is the wife of State Senator John Loudon (ret.MO) and has been a featured guest, speaker, or writer for various outlets including ALL three St. Louis Teaparties, The Multi State Teaparty, Nothing But Truth, The Dana Show, The Jamie Allman Show, The St. Louis Post Dispatch, The Fair Tax Rally, The Pujols Family Foundation, The Down Syndrome Association and Savvy Family Magazine. She is publicist and editor of The BIG Black Lie by Kevin Jackson, and she is the mother of 5 amazing children: Lyda, Lily, Jack, Samuel, and Bo.
1:15 p.m. ……………………………RANDY MCARTHUR is President and CEO of McArthur’s Bakery, an icon in the metro St. Louis area. Randy and his brother Dave made national headlines last week when they took on Rep. Russ Carnahan on their lightboard, seen by 40,000 cars per week, after Carnahan voted against Missouri jobs by voting yes on the cap-and-tax legislation. Randy will speak about the effect this is having on small business.
1:30 p.m. ……………………………BILL HENNESSY write “The Conservative Manifesto” in 1993 to jar Americans awake from the slumber induced by George H. W. Bush’s “kindler, gentler” conservatism which gave rise to Bill Clinton’s . . . well, let’s just leave it at that, shall we? In 2009, he joined Dana Loesch, Mike Leahy, and millions of others who were simultaneously kicked awake by trillions of dollars in give-aways to over-educated, failed business people who were smart enough to invest heavily in Washington politicians. Bill is the main author of the St. Louis Tea Party’s official website, www.stlouisteaparty.com, and a known extremist. Bill will discuss honoring our troops, the Constitution, and whatever else Bill wants to speak on.
1:45 p.m……………………………..DANA LOESCH is an award-winning blogger and voice behind Sunday night’s The Dana Show which airs Sunday nights from 8-10 on 97.1 FM Talk and is #1 in its market. She was selected as one of St. Louis’ “30 Under 30″ by the St. Louis Business Journal in 2008 and the Riverfront Times named her the best St. Louis newspaper columnist in 2007. In May 2009 she was named as one of the top 50 most powerful moms online by Nielsen and made their top 16 power list. Dana is one of the original forces behind the Tea Party movement and speaks regularly on social media and conservatism. She will speak on the importance of becoming your own leader and guerrilla protesting.
2:15………………………………….Open mic begins for veterans and active soldiers and their families. 3:00 …………………………………Fellowship
Thanks to: Brett Line at Aqua Systems for providing our water; Ken Hebbs and the band Trilogy for the generous use of their PA; and the town of Washington, KFTK 97.1 FM TALK for all of the air support; KPLW AM for their support; and Washington, Missouri for their wonderful welcome!
****
Please check out these great Washington, Missouri business who have kept their doors open for you! Choco L’Art Restaurant, at 101 Elm Street, is paying your sales tax! Oreo Cheesecake, Hot Fudge Cheesecake, Coffee Liqueur Cheesecake, Warm Bread Pudding with made fresh caramel sauce, Chocolate Torte, Peanut Butter Pie, Key Lime Pie, Strawberry Pie, Black & Blueberry Pie, Triple Layer Chocolate Gateau Cake and Carrot Cake. How’s that sound? Fresh wraps, home-made Quiche and soups, Polynesian Salads, Black & Blue Salads and did I say that even all of our crackers are made by hand? Our dinner menu includes Beef Tenderloin, Frenched Rack of Lamb, Italian Fare, Angel Hair Pasta with shrimp/scallops, Seafood and much, much more! Visit online at www.mmmchocolart.com.
The Artfull Hand, at 416 East Fifth Street, is offering to serve FREE Ice Tea to anyone attending the Tea Party who stops by her shop!
Barack Obama's had quite a week. He joined with Marxists Hugo Chavez, Daniel Ortega and the Fidel brothers to support the ousted criminal Leftist of Honduras. He still wants to engage with the killer regime in Iran. (Road to the Horizon)
It's not every day you see a headline like this... Two Mexican Midget Wrestlers Killed by Fake Prostitutes La Parkita was found dead by police. FOX News reported:
Mexican authorities say two professional wrestlers found dead in a low-rent hotel in the capital may have been drugged to death by female robbers.
Autopsies are being performed on the two midget wrestlers, one of whom went by the name "La Parkita" — or "Little Death" — and wore a skeleton costume in the ring. The other was known as "Espectrito Jr."
Authorities say two women were seen leaving the men's hotel room before the bodies were discovered.
Prosecutor Miguel Angel Mancera said Wednesday that gangs of female robbers are experienced at using drugs to knock men out and rob them, but they may have used too strong a dose.
House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today released a new web video targeting Washington Democrats’ trillion-dollar “stimulus” bill and asking “where are the jobs?” The tongue-in-cheek web video, inspired by a classic 1984 TV commercial by now-Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), features a job-sniffing GOP bloodhound named Ellie Mae and a down-home voiceover by Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA).
“This is a lighthearted web video, but the underlying point is no laughing matter,” Boehner said. “At a time when Americans are looking to Washington for leadership, the trillion-dollar ‘stimulus’ isn’t working. Americans were promised the ‘stimulus’ would keep the unemployment rate from going above eight percent. It’s now at 9.5 percent, and rising. Where are the jobs?”
After the first 100 days, the US had lost 16,000 jobs each day since Democrats passed their MASSIVE Generational Theft Act, without any GOP support.
16,000 Jobs Lost Each Day Since ‘Stimulus’ Became Law Since this chart was released in late May the US unemployment rate has shot up to 9.5%-- the highest rate in 26 years! Where are the jobs?
No wonder Speaker Pelosi's unfavorables have skyrocketed from 37% to 57% since January.
This is something we've come to expect. Another state-run media hit piece on the GOP.
Today Yahoo headlines their news with an article on the "GOP's troubled class of 1994." "A group of lawmakers that came in on a platform of family values turns out to have an ironic history."
The hit piece written by Leftist Michael Falcone from The Politico c;aims that the 1994 Contract with America was a statement on family values. It wasn't. It was about cleaning up the cesspool in Washington. To refresh your memory, here is a copy of the Contract With America:
Thereafter, within the first 100 days of the 104th Congress, we shall bring to the House Floor the following bills, each to be given full and open debate, each to be given a clear and fair vote and each to be immediately available this day for public inspection and scrutiny.
1. THE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT: A balanced budget/tax limitation amendment and a legislative line-item veto to restore fiscal responsibility to an out- of-control Congress, requiring them to live under the same budget constraints as families and businesses. (Bill Text) (Description)
2. THE TAKING BACK OUR STREETS ACT: An anti-crime package including stronger truth-in- sentencing, "good faith" exclusionary rule exemptions, effective death penalty provisions, and cuts in social spending from this summer's "crime" bill to fund prison construction and additional law enforcement to keep people secure in their neighborhoods and kids safe in their schools. (Bill Text) (Description)
3. THE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT: Discourage illegitimacy and teen pregnancy by prohibiting welfare to minor mothers and denying increased AFDC for additional children while on welfare, cut spending for welfare programs, and enact a tough two-years-and-out provision with work requirements to promote individual responsibility. (Bill Text) (Description)
4. THE FAMILY REINFORCEMENT ACT: Child support enforcement, tax incentives for adoption, strengthening rights of parents in their children's education, stronger child pornography laws, and an elderly dependent care tax credit to reinforce the central role of families in American society. (Bill Text) (Description)
5. THE AMERICAN DREAM RESTORATION ACT: A S500 per child tax credit, begin repeal of the marriage tax penalty, and creation of American Dream Savings Accounts to provide middle class tax relief. (Bill Text) (Description)
6. THE NATIONAL SECURITY RESTORATION ACT: No U.S. troops under U.N. command and restoration of the essential parts of our national security funding to strengthen our national defense and maintain our credibility around the world. (Bill Text) (Description)
7. THE SENIOR CITIZENS FAIRNESS ACT: Raise the Social Security earnings limit which currently forces seniors out of the work force, repeal the 1993 tax hikes on Social Security benefits and provide tax incentives for private long-term care insurance to let Older Americans keep more of what they have earned over the years. (Bill Text) (Description)
8. THE JOB CREATION AND WAGE ENHANCEMENT ACT: Small business incentives, capital gains cut and indexation, neutral cost recovery, risk assessment/cost-benefit analysis, strengthening the Regulatory Flexibility Act and unfunded mandate reform to create jobs and raise worker wages. (Bill Text) (Description)
9. THE COMMON SENSE LEGAL REFORM ACT: "Loser pays" laws, reasonable limits on punitive damages and reform of product liability laws to stem the endless tide of litigation. (Bill Text) (Description)
10. THE CITIZEN LEGISLATURE ACT: A first-ever vote on term limits to replace career politicians with citizen legislators. (Description)
Further, we will instruct the House Budget Committee to report to the floor and we will work to enact additional budget savings, beyond the budget cuts specifically included in the legislation described above, to ensure that the Federal budget deficit will be less than it would have been without the enactment of these bills.
Obviously, for the state-run media to insist today that this document was about "family values" is not true. It's just another hit piece on the GOP.
What's the saying?... When you don't stand for something you'll fall for anything?
And, when you're a party that allows pimps, perps, murderers, and KKK kleagles to sit in office for decades, you have to constantly point out the flaws of your opposition. Even if you have to make it up.
A local bakery chain in St. Louis County had it with liberal Congressman Russ Carnahan (D-MO) last Friday after the representative and other Missouri democrats SOLD OUT Missouri workers and small business owners by voting for the Waxman – Markey bill, otherwise known as cap-and-trade.
David McArthur, the owner of McArthur's Bakery, sent a letter to Carnahan after the vote. He told Carnahan that the enormous costs that this bill will heap on small businesses will cause his chain of bakeries to close shop.
He later posted this message seen by 40,000 cars per week outside his bakery on Lemay Ferry Road in South St. Louis County.
"Russ Carnahan voted to close us and other small business." That about says it.
Local radio host and blogger Dana Loesch later went to McArthur's bakery and spoke with Dave and his brother about the cap and tax bill. Reboot Congress has the video.
Later this week Russ Carnahan's office responded to McArthur's Bakery. The Washington Times reported:
"I think there's been confusion about the issue generally, and I think the estimates that I have seen are the fact that small businesses much like McArthur's probably experience a dollar more per day adding up to about $365 a year, which is a small price to pay when you consider it would give our country energy independence, which we have been working towards for some time now."
The response by Carnahan, of course, was inaccurate. The dem's cap and trade bill will decimate the economy and result in the loss of nearly 4 million jobs all in the name of junk science.
But, Dave McArthur did get the representative's attention. Next week he has a meeting at the Congressman's office on cap and trade. This is how you get a cap and trader's attention. Good job, Dave McArthur!
Figures. All of the audience members called on by Obama at his Virginia town hall meeting were supporters. The Weekly Standard reported on this from The Washington Post:
"The president called randomly on three audience members. All turned out to be members of groups with close ties to his administration: the Service Employees International Union, Health Care for America Now, and Organizing for America, which is a part of the Democratic National Committee. White House officials said that was a coincidence."
This wasn't the first time. Dear Leader's town hall participants at the White House in March were ALL campaign supporters or donors. President Barack Obama listens to a question from teacher Bonnee Breese, right, of Philadelphia, as he takes part in an Internet town hall meeting, Thursday, March 26, 2009, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
(Don't) Let her go! The last time we heard from Cynthia McKinney she was speaking at a Jew-bash at the University of California, Irvine.
Today the hateful nutjob sits in an Israeli jail after her attempt to break through a blockade into Hamas-controlled Gaza. FOX News reported:
Former U.S. lawmaker and Green Party presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney and several other human rights activists remained in an Israeli prison Thursday after refusing to sign a deportation form that they claim is self-incriminating.
In a press release from the Green Party, McKinney said the form states that the Spirit of Humanity, a Greek-flagged relief boat carrying 21 activists, medical supplies, cement, olive trees and children's toys en route to Gaza, was violating the Israeli blockade and trespassing the country's territorial waters.
"We were in international waters on a boat delivering humanitarian aid to people in Gaza when the Israeli Navy ships surrounded us and illegally threatened us, dismantled our navigation equipment, boarded and confiscated the ship," she said in a statement, adding that they were immediately taken into custody.
"Immigration officials in Israel said they did not want to keep us, but we remain imprisoned," she said.
"State Department and White House officials have not effected our release or taken a strong public stance to condemn the illegal actions of the Israeli Navy of enforcing a blockade of humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians of Gaza, a blockade that has been condemned by President Obama."
Keep her.
More... Crackpot McKinney speaks from her jail cell-- "We were delivering crayons."
Thousands of Hondurans protested in support of democracy, the military and the Micheletti government this week in Honduras. The US media has been ignoring these protests. Tens of thousands of Hondurans demonstrated in support of President Micheletti and the military this week. Chavez-lackey Manuel Zelaya was ousted on Sunday after he tried to extend his power illegally. (El Heraldo)
Message to Obama. "Obama, help us to defend our democracy, constitution and freedom. Do not support the following Chavez." (Photo by Leonel Estrada- El Heraldo)
Supporters of ousted Honduras' President Manuel Zelaya hold up placards during a march in downtown Tegucigalpa July 1, 2009. The Honduran interim government said on Wednesday there was "no chance at all" of Zelaya returning to power after a coup last weekend, defying international pressure to restore the leftist leader. (REUTERS/Edgard Garrido)
The Hondurans also protested CNN's coverage of the crisis. They claimed CNN was ignoring the corruption of the Zelaya administration. (La Prensa)
The US media has been propping up the Hugo Chavez lackey Zelaya in its coverage here in the US and ignoring the overwhelming majority who support democracy, peace and the new government.
Busted. The Washington Post was cought today selling dinner seats to lobbyists for a chance to chat with Obama officials or reporters with the paper. They were charging up to 25 G for the evening. No cheap date. FOX News reported:
After a newsroom uproar, The Washington Post has canceled plans to hold a high-dollar dinner at the publisher's home at which the company would have charged guests $25,000 and up for access to top officials in Washington.
Politico.com first reported Thursday on the dinner, saying the newspaper had circulated a flier offering lobbyists and organization executives a chance to meet with Beltway insiders at the home of publisher Katharine Weymouth, for an "off-the-record dinner and discussion."
The flier called the discussion an "exclusive opportunity to participate in the health care reform debate among the select few who will actually get it done." The "few" included Obama administration officials, congressional leaders and Post reporters and editors. The fee was $25,000 per "sponsor," and $250,000 for an annual sponsorship.
Here's a good idea... Let's sit down and negotiate with these lying killers.
Iran Press TV is totally lying and making up crap now... The Iranian regime news service reported that Interpol was investigating Neda's death: They're not. CBS reported:
The International Police force, or Interpol, has denied a claim by Iran's police chief that it is seeking a doctor who witnessed the shooting death of 26-year-old "Neda."
Does Dear Leader really believe this is a regime that can be trusted?
As Charlie Rangel demonstrates, spending all of your money and your children's money is exhausting work. Even Congress needs a little vay-cay every once in awhile.
Remember--- This is not a Shared Sacrifice Recession. The Pelosi-Reid Congress is not only spending more of your money and giving themselves raises and bonuses they are also spending more on exotic excursions than ever before. The Wall Street Journal reported:
Spending by lawmakers on taxpayer-financed trips abroad has risen sharply in recent years, a Wall Street Journal analysis of travel records shows, involving everything from war-zone visits to trips to exotic spots such as the Galápagos Islands.
The spending on overseas travel is up almost tenfold since 1995, and has nearly tripled since 2001, according to the Journal analysis of 60,000 travel records. Hundreds of lawmakers traveled overseas in 2008 at a cost of about $13 million. That's a 50% jump since Democrats took control of Congress two years ago.
The cost of so-called congressional delegations, known among lawmakers as "codels," has risen nearly 70% since 2005, when an influence-peddling scandal led to a ban on travel funded by lobbyists, according to the data.
Of course, this would only be shocking news if the reverse was true.
Remember: These are the same gasbags who scolded auto execs for taking private jets to DC.
Health Reform: A critically ill premature baby is moved to a U.S hospital to get the treatment she couldn't get in the system we're told we should emulate. Cost-effective care? In Canada, as elsewhere, you get what you pay for.
Ava Isabella Stinson was born last Thursday at St. Joseph's hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. Weighing only two pounds, she was born 13 weeks premature and needed some very special care. Unfortunately, there were no open neonatal intensive care beds for her at St. Joseph's — or anywhere else in the entire province of Ontario, it seems.
Canada's perfectly planned and cost-effective system had no room at the inn for Ava, who of necessity had to be sent across the border to a Buffalo, N.Y., hospital to suffer under our chaotic and costly system. She had no time to be put on a Canadian waiting list. She got the care she needed at an American hospital under a system President Obama has labeled "unsustainable."
Jim Hoft over at Gateway Pundit reports Ava's case is not unusual. He reports that Hamilton's neonatal intensive care unit is closed to new admissions half the time. Special-needs infants are sent elsewhere and usually to the U.S.
In 2007, a Canadian woman gave birth to extremely rare identical quadruplets — Autumn, Brooke, Calissa and Dahlia Jepps. They were born in the United States to Canadian parents because there was again no space available at any Canadian neonatal care unit. All they had was a wing and a prayer.
The Jepps, a nurse and a respiratory technician flew from Calgary, a city of a million people, 325 miles to Benefit Hospital in Great Falls, Mont., a city of 56,000. The girls are doing fine, thanks to our system where care still trumps cost and where being without insurance does not mean being without care.
Infant mortality rates are often cited as a reason socialized medicine and a single-payer system is supposed to be better than what we have here. But according to Dr. Linda Halderman, a policy adviser in the California State Senate, these comparisons are bogus...
This is dreadful news. A US soldier is believed to have been captured by the Taliban near Afghanistan's border region. Reuters reported:
A U.S. soldier is believed to have been captured by insurgents in eastern Afghanistan's border region, a U.S. military official said on Thursday.
"A soldier who has been missing since June 30 is now believed to have been captured by insurgent forces," the official said.
A statement by U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, the headquarters of American troops operating in the country, said further details were being withheld to protect the soldier.
"We are exhausting all available resources to ascertain his whereabouts and provide for his safe return," the statement said.
A top Taliban official told reporters that they are holding a US soldier and his three Afghan companions. The AFP reported:
A commander of the Taliban's hardline Haqqani faction told an AFP reporter that his militia had captured a US trooper and three Afghans in the province of Paktika, which borders Pakistan.
"One of our commanders named Mawlawi Sangin has captured a coalition soldier along with his three Afghan guards in Yousuf Khail district of Paktika province," the commander, named only Bahram, told AFP.
"The coalition soldier has been taken to a safe place," he said.
The Haqqani network is the same group that kidnapped New York Times reporter last year. The Washington Post reported:
The Haqqani network, believed to control large swaths of eastern Afghanistan, has emerged in recent years as a powerful antagonist to U.S. efforts to stabilize that country and root out insurgent havens in the lawless tribal areas of Pakistan. The network is controlled by insurgent leader Jalaluddin Haqqani and his son, Sirajuddin Haqqani, and is suspected of launching a number of spectacular attacks in recent years, including a deadly suicide bombing of the Indian Embassy in Kabul that killed more than 50 people in July 2008.
New York Times reporter David Rodhe was traveling to meet a commander with the group when he was kidnapped last November. Rodhe escaped his captors two weeks ago.
