Saturday, March 31, 2007

Romney faces skewing at Gridiron Club


2 hours, 42 minutes ago


WASHINGTON - "Preordained" to be president? At least that was the parody planned of GOP White House hopeful Mitt Romney at the annual Gridiron Club dinner.

To the tune of "Fly Me to the Moon," Romney was being skewered Saturday night as the perfect presidential candidate — "His hair, his teeth, it's evident, he's preordained to be president!" The song, as sung by the Gridiron chorus, suggests that the perfect ticket would be Romney, a Mormon, and moderate Democrat
Joe Lieberman' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Joe Lieberman, who is Jewish.
Rep. Rahm Emanuel (news, bio, voting record), D-Ill., the architect of the Democrats' election victory in the House in November, was tapped to speak for the Democrats.
President Bush' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> President Bush traditionally attends the dinner but was conferring with Brazil's president at Camp David on Saturday. Vice President
Dick Cheney' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Dick Cheney was substituting for the president.


Founded in 1885, the invitation-only Gridiron Club is the oldest organization for Washington journalists.
___
On the Net:
Gridiron Club: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_on_el_ge/storytext/gridiron/22478283/SIG=10t9tqb5n/*http://www.gridironclub.org

Giuliani rakes in Utah donations




Ex-mayor says he's not too liberal for Utahns
By Lisa Riley RocheDeseret Morning News


GOP presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani said Friday his record as mayor of New York City proves he's not too liberal for Utah voters — and that he may be the toughest candidate in the war on terrorism.

Mike Terry, Deseret Morning News
Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani acknowledges supporters at his fund-raiser in Federal Heights on Friday. He raised about $250,000. Giuliani, who arrived in Utah midday and left shortly after collecting as much as $250,000 at an early evening fund-raiser at the Federal Heights home of former Salt Lake County Council member Steve Harmsen, was careful not to criticize the other Republicans in the race. Especially not Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who is widely seen as the favorite to win Utah in 2008. Not only did Romney turn around the scandal-tainted 2002 Winter Olympics, he's also a Mormon like the majority of Utahns. "I like Mitt very much. I think Mitt was a really good governor. I campaigned for him," Giuliani told local reporters, adding that Republicans have "got a really big challenge ahead of us next year making sure a Democrat stays out of the White House." During the 10 minutes or so he spent fielding questions, Giuliani repeatedly touted his experience as mayor of New York City during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that made him a hero in the eyes of many, heralded as "America's mayor." He talked tough on Iraq, criticizing Democrats in Congress for demanding a deadline for withdrawing troops. "What they did was irresponsible. To give your enemy a timetable to your retreat is unheard of, I think, in the history of war." Giuliani said Iran's leader needs "to know that America will use its military power not because it wants to. We know it's dangerous. We know it's not a good thing to do. We know it's a worse thing if he has nuclear weapons." The word conservative came up again and again as Giuliani described how he cleaned up crime, wiped out budget deficits and reduced taxes as mayor. On social issues, though, he acknowledged "people should know we're going to have some differences."

Giuliani, whose support for abortion rights, gay rights and gun control set him apart in a nomination process dominated by Christian conservatives, said he'd appoint judges who would interpret the Constitution "based on what it means, not what they would like it to mean." Asked about his pro-choice views on abortion, Giuliani, a former federal prosecutor, said he believes "abortion is wrong. I'd advise someone not to have an abortion ... But my view of the the Constitution is, you have to leave that ultimate choice to a person, an individual, and you cannot put them in jail for it." He made a point of bringing up a controversy surrounding his wife Judith's potential participation in a Giuliani administration. "We had a very, very good laugh today when we saw they were suggesting she might be a Cabinet secretary," Giuliani said. His third wife, a nurse, has no interest in politics or policy beyond educating the public on health issues. He had told Barbara Walters on ABC News' "20/20" that he was open to his wife attending Cabinet meetings. Giuliani is the third top Republican in the race to travel to Utah to raise money. In February, Romney raised more than $1 million in Salt Lake City and St. George. Earlier this month, McCain collected more than $150,000 in Salt Lake City. Initially, Giuliani had not scheduled any public appearances, including before the media. That changed shortly before the fund-raiser, which cost between $1,000 and $2,300 a person to attend depending on whether participants wanted a chance to chat with Giuliani. Although he was a half-hour late for the event, Giuliani spoke with reporters and even posed for a few pictures with a few supporters, including 6-year-old Araceli Blake, whose bright pink outfit drew a smile from the candidate.

Mike Terry, Deseret Morning News
Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani is swarmed during his 10-minute chat with Utah reporters Friday. The emphasis on raising money is to be expected at this stage of the campaign. "No candidate can afford to pass up an opportunity to raise money," said Kelly Patterson, director of Brigham Young University's Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy. That's true even in Utah. Romney holds a command- ing lead in Utah, according to a February survey for the Deseret Morning News/KSL-TV. Forty-five percent of those polled by Dan Jones & Associates said Romney was their favorite. Only 11 percent picked McCain and just 7 percent named Giuliani. But with the November 2008 presidential election more than 1 1/2- years away, Patterson said candidates are intent on raising money and securing influential endorsements, not swaying votes. "It's just not the public phase of the campaign," Patterson said. "For the most part, candidates really are reaching out to individuals who can endorse their ticket or give them money. That's a very narrow and small segment of the electorate." Plus, Patterson said, Utah is a relatively small state. "Utah doesn't have a lot of delegates to add to a candidate's pot," he said. "That doesn't mean they can't see the state for another form of support other than votes." Raising money has brought Democrats to GOP-dominated Utah before and could do so again soon. Todd Taylor, executive director of the Utah Democratic Party said former presidential candidate Bill Bradley slipped into the state for a quick fund-raiser during the 2000 campaign for the Democratic nomination. So far, none of the big-name Democrats seeking the '08 nomination have come to Utah, but Taylor said both Illinois Sen. Barak Obama and former North Carolina senator John Edwards have expressed interest in making appearances here this summer.
E-mail: lisa@desnews.com

Friday, March 30, 2007

SEC Criticized by US Chamber

SEC Criticized by US Chamber

SEC Criticized For Delaying Short-Selling ChangesBy Judith BurnsOf DOW JONES NEWSWIRES459 words29 March 200712:30Dow Jones News ServiceEnglish(c) 2007 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission iscoming under criticism for delaying action on persistent problemsinvolving short selling abuses, an area where SEC Chairman ChristopherCox has said existing rules have been inadequate.The SEC announced this week that it is reopening the public commentperiod on changes it proposed last summer to tighten its 2004 rule,known as Regulation SHO. Although the comment period closed inmid-September, the SEC said a new, 30-day extension is warranted inlight of the "continuing public interest" in the matter and concernsraised by a handful of groups and individuals who complained the agencyhad not issued data it referenced when proposing the changes."There's really no reason why they should delay," U.S. Chamber ofCommerce chief operating officer David Chavern said in a telephoneinterview Thursday. "The things they're proposing make perfect sense."The proposed changes aimed to bolster the SEC's earlier efforts tocombat "naked" short sales. Unlike short sellers who borrow shares inhopes of replacing them later and profiting from a price decline, nakedshort sellers don't borrow shares they sell short, a practice somecompare to counterfeiting.Although Regulation SHO imposed new restrictions and stock deliveryrequirements, it contained an exception for options market makers andexcluded pre-existing failures to deliver stocks sold short. Cox told aHouse subcommittee Tuesday that the rule proved "inadequate" because ofthe so-called "grandfather" protections for prior delivery failures.Last July, faced with chronic failures to deliver certain stocksborrowed for short sales, the SEC proposed ending those protections.Eliminating the "grandfather loophole" and market maker exception are"no-brainers," according to Chavern, who urged the SEC to "move aheadexpeditiously with the reforms that they've proposed."The SEC said it is reopening the proposal for comment after releasingdata sought by the American Bar Association and others, including by CTCLLC, which specializes in options trading."We provided additional data because the commenters asked for it, and welook forward to considering their views," said SEC spokesman JohnNester.The SEC had previously referenced the data from the National Associationof Securities Dealers, but didn't release it because it contained"confidential, company-specific" findings. An edited version of the NASDfindings showed many of the stock-delivery failures over a 10-monthperiod in 2005 had pre-existing delivery failures and may have beenexempt under the "grandfather" treatment, while others appear to havebeen covered by the option market maker exemption.

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Rebecca Walsh Shows Her True Colors, Liberal Blue

You have the story wrong girl, get you facts straight. Vice President Cheney asked BYU. Would you be writing this article if it was former Vice President Al Gore. You need to check your own bias!
Mark Towner, The Spyglass

WALSH: Church shows true color - red
By Rebecca Walsh Tribune Columnist
Article Last Updated: 03/29/2007 01:50:47 AM MDT

Gordon B. Hinckley has blown his cover. The prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and all the rest of the church's elders are nominally nonpartisan. Every election year, they remind us of it with a tortured statement claiming they don't play favorites between the Democrats and the Republicans. Don't buy it. The decision to invite Vice President Dick Cheney to speak at Brigham Young University's April commencement shreds the LDS Church's perennial claims of political neutrality.

Read the entire story ...... http://www.sltrib.com/News/ci_5545433

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Sampson takes responsibility for firing debacle

By Suzanne StruglinskiDeseret Morning News
WASHINGTON — Utah-native D. Kyle Sampson will apologize to his former Justice Department colleagues for allow the controversy surrounding the firing of eight U.S. to grow into "an ugly, undignified spectacle," according to testimony released Wednesday. "What started as a good faith attempt to carry out the Department's management responsibilities and exercise the President's appointment authority has unfortunately resulted in confusion, misunderstanding and embarrassment," according to Sampson's prepared testimony obtained by the Deseret Morning News. "This should have not happened." Sampson is to testify Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee on his role in the bungled dismissal of U.S. Attorneys. Sampson is the only official to resign in the scandal that has Congress claiming it was misled in the White House's involvement in the firings. In this three-page statement, Sampson's statement says he resigned as Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' chief of staff earlier this month because he "simply felt honor-bound to accept my share of blame for this problem and to hold myself accountable."

"When members of Congress began to raise questions about these removals, I believe the department's response was badly mishandled," according to Sampson's statement. "It was mishandled through an unfortunate combination of poor judgments, poor word choices, and poor communication and preparation for the department's testimony before Congress." Sampson said the mistakes he made were done not intentionally to misled Congress or anyone involved. "The mistakes I made here were made honestly and in good faith," Sampson said. "I never sought to conceal or withhold any material fact about this matter from anyone." "The truth of this affair as I see it is this: the decisions to seek the resignations of a handful of U.S. Attorneys were properly made but poorly explained," according to his statement. "This is a benign rather than sinister story and I know that some may be indisposed to accept it. But it is the truth as I observed and experienced it."
E-mail: suzanne@desnews.com

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Rudy in Salt Lake this Friday

Mar 30: Rudy Giuliani Fundraiser at the home of Kelly and Steve Harmsen to benefit the Giuliani Presidential Exploratory Committee. A host reception with photo opportunity will be held from 6 to 6:30 p.m. costing $2,300 per person or $4,600 per couple. A cocktail reception costing $1,000 per person will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. For more info contact Kristy Coleman at krjcoleman@gmail.com
or 801-604-6303.
http://politicalspyglass.blogspot.com/
Mark Towner

Constitutional Crisis?




By E. J. Dionne Jr.Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Within three weeks, the United States could face a constitutional crisis over President Bush's war policy in Iraq. The president and his allies seem to want this fight. Yet insisting upon a confrontation will be another mistake in a long line of bad judgments about a conflict that grows more unpopular by the day.


Last week's narrow House vote imposing an August 2008 deadline for the withdrawal of American troops was hugely significant, even if the bill stands no chance of passing in the Senate this week in its current form. The vote was a test of the resolve of the new House Democratic leadership and its ability to pull together an ideologically diverse membership behind a plan pointing the United States out of Iraq.

Within three weeks, the United States could face a constitutional crisis over President Bush's war policy in Iraq.


To understand the importance of the vote, one need only consider what would have been said had it gone the other way: A defeat would have signaled House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's powerlessness to create a governing majority from a fragmented Democratic membership. In a do-or-die vote, Pelosi lived to fight another day by creating a consensus in favor of withdrawal that included some of her party's most liberal and most conservative members.


The vote is only the first of what will be many difficult roll calls potentially pitting Congress against the president on the conduct of war policy. It confirmed that power in Washington has indeed shifted. Bush and his Republican congressional allies had hoped Democrats would splinter and open the way for a pro-Bush resolution of the Iraq issue. Instead, antiwar Democrats, including Web-based groups such as MoveOn.org, discovered a common interest with their moderate colleagues.


Oddly, the president's harsh rhetoric against the House version of the supplemental appropriations bill to finance the Iraq war may have been decisive in sealing Pelosi's victory. "The vehemence with which the president opposed it made it clear to a lot of people that this was a change in direction and that it was significant," said Rep. Chris Van Hollen (Md.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Tom Matzzie, the Washington director of MoveOn, saw the Bush effect rallying his own antiwar membership. "Bush is our worst enemy," Matzzie said, "and our best ally."


Now, Van Hollen argues, Bush's "take-it-or-leave-it" approach to the bill is also "hurting the political standing of his Republican colleagues" in Congress by forcing them to back an open-ended commitment in Iraq at a time when their constituents are demanding a different approach.


Bush continued his effort to polarize the debate in his weekly radio address Saturday, condemning the House vote as a "political statement" and urging Congress "to put our troops first, not politics" by sending him "a clean bill, without conditions, without restrictions and without pork."


Bush's threat to veto the House bill might be seen as either safe or empty, because the final compromise that emerges from the House and Senate will be different from the measure passed by Pelosi's majority. But the president's uncompromising language and his effective imposition of an April 15 deadline for the funding bill -- after that date, he said, "our men and women in uniform will face significant disruptions" -- may solidify Democratic ranks without rallying new Republican support.


To the extent that there has been movement in the Senate, the indications are that support for Bush's policy has slipped. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) suggested yesterday that a bill containing a withdrawal provision could eventually reach the president's desk and require a veto. Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) has often voted with Bush but now favors Senate language that includes calls for withdrawal and benchmarks for judging success.


Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), a longtime Bush critic, issued one of his strongest condemnations of the war over the weekend. "We essentially are ruining our National Guard. We are destroying our Army. We're destroying our Marine Corps," he told ABC's George Stephanopoulos. "We can't sustain this. . . . I will not accept the status quo."


With most counts showing Senate Democrats needing only one more vote to approve the call for troop withdrawals next year, antiwar pressures are growing on Sens. John Sununu (R-N.H.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Norm Coleman (R-Minn.). All face reelection next year, as does Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), who is already seen as leaning toward the withdrawal plan.
Bush might still win this Senate vote and a reprieve for his war policy. But the president's refusal to acknowledge that the country has fundamentally changed its mind on the war makes it impossible for him to work with Congress on a sensible approach to a withdrawal that will happen some day -- with or without a constitutional showdown.
postchat@aol.com

Monday, March 26, 2007

Anti Voucher Ref. Dead?

FINALLY! An Actual Legal Opinion On The Voucher Ref.
From SLCspin, March 23rd, 2007
School voucher supporters aren’t waiting for the Attorney General to weigh in.
They have apparently solicited the advice of Parr Waddoups Brown Gee & Loveless
I think the Attorney General’s opinion will probably pretty much confirm this opinion

Read the Opinion : http://www.slcspin.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/cwltrgaryherbert3-16-07.pdf

To read previous sightings click http://politicalspyglass.blogspot.com/
Mark Towner, Spyglass

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Romney finds peril in checklist for '2008


Romney finds peril in checklist for '08
By GLEN JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 10 minutes ago
BOSTON - As Mitt Romney transitions from one-term governor to presidential candidate, he has been ticking through a presidential checklist, sometimes with perilous results.

Where he lacked foreign policy experience, his staff arranged one-day visits to
Iraq' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Iraq,
Afghanistan' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Check, check, check.


Where there were questions about Second Amendment issues, he enrolled as a "lifetime" member of the National Rifle Association.
Check again.


But this month, Romney scratched when he tried to wade through the cauldron of Cuban-American politics during a speech to South Florida Republicans.
"Hugo Chavez has tried to steal an inspiring phrase — 'Patria o muerte, venceremos.'" Romney said, referring to the Venezuelan president and persistent U.S. critic. "It does not belong to him. It belongs to a free Cuba."
In truth, the phrase does not belong to free Cubans. It has been the trademark speechmaking sign-off of their most despised opponent,
Fidel Castro' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Fidel Castro. And unlike Romney, Castro would switch to English to declare, "Fatherland or death, we shall overcome."
The mistake pointed up Romney's newness to the scene and the freshness of some of his positions.


"No human being can ever know every nuance to every issue. And the steeper the learning curve, the more likely you are to see inadvertent errors," said Dan Schnur, a Republican communications consultant in California. He worked for Pete Wilson's 1996 presidential campaign and Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record)'s 2000 presidential campaign, but is not involved in the 2008 race.
"I've never seen one of these things take down a campaign, but it's critical for the candidate to show these type of things are an aberration, not a rule," Schnur said.


Unlike some of his better-known Democratic and Republican rivals, Romney, 60, lacks extensive national and international political experience. Romney has made a series of foreign and domestic policy pronouncements as he rushes to close gaps in his campaign's portfolio.
On the plus side, Romney's mostly nonpolitical background — primarily as a venture capitalist, as well as head of the 2002
Winter Olympics' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Winter Olympics — means he does not have a long history on many contentious issues. That gives him great leeway as he adopts his policy positions.
At the same time, it puts him at a disadvantage with more experienced rivals, for whom many contemporary issues are second nature.
That lack of depth and familiarity increases the chance of missteps, as well as outright contradictions with past policy views.
In Romney's case, critics have lambasted him for reversals on abortion rights, gay rights and tax policy.


His Chavez comment to a March 9 Lincoln Day dinner in Miami-Dade County, as well as his mispronunciation of the names of several prominent Cuban-Americans, set off a murmur within the crowd.


Kevin Madden, Romney's spokesman, said the speech was overwhelmingly well-received despite any mistakes.


"I think what's new is there is a higher level of scrutiny now because he's a presidential candidate," Madden said. "But as far as the governor's ideas, the substance of his proposals and his blueprint for America, this is the first time everybody is hearing it, and we are confident that the substance of his policies is what's going to bring more and more people to his campaign."
To read previous sightings click http://politicalspyglass.blogspot.com/
Mark Towner, Spyglass

Friday, March 23, 2007

Iran seizes 15 British Navy personnel

This Can't Be Good!


Iran seizes 15 British Navy personnel
By Aref Mohammed 52 minutes ago
BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) - Iranian forces seized 15 British Royal Navy personnel who had searched a merchant ship on Friday, Britain said, triggering a diplomatic crisis at a time of heightened tensions over Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Britain said the incident took place in Iraqi waters, where it routinely boards merchant vessels with UN permission to search them. The Foreign Office summoned Iran's ambassador and demanded the immediate, safe release of the personnel.
The incident took place a day after
Iran' launched a week of naval war games along its coast, including the narrow northern reaches of the Gulf which control access to the vast oil reserves of Iraq' , Iran and Kuwait.
"This may well be a misunderstanding. We're certainly treating it as such at the moment. We're looking for the mistake to be corrected," said a British government source.

Read Full Story .....http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070323/ap_on_re_eu/british_seized_iran_8


To read previous sightings click http://politicalspyglass.blogspot.com/

Mark Towner, Spyglass

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Utah needs to re-think 2008 Presidential Primary date


What with this latest news about New York, maybe the Governor and the Legislature needs to re-think our Utah primary. If we are going to spend the money, then lets get something for it.

Mark E. Towner
The Spyglass


NEW YORK (AFP) - New York on Wednesday became the latest US state to bring forward its 2008 primary presidential elections, joining nine other states in holding a February 5 vote on "Super Duper Tuesday" next year.


Read full story......



Republican right wants Condi


OK you Political Junkies. Write this day down as I will make a prediction of upcomming events in Washington. Vice President Cheney will resign from office for medical reasons, and Condi Rice will be named to replace him. This will mean the Republican President has named the First and Second African American's to the office of Secretary of State, and then the first female, African American to the office of Vice President. Once that happens, all bets are off on the GOP nomination.
Mark E. Towner,
The Spyglass


Die-Hards Still Want President Condi
by Dave Eberhart

Condi may shyly say "no" to seeking the highest office in the land, but her many grass-roots fans shout, "yes!"


In the latest Zogby poll released Feb. 26, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice finished fourth behind Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani in a poll of likely Republican primary voters.
In the same poll, she finished third among self-identified "conservative Republicans" — behind Romney and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
Numbers like this excite Richard Holt, the national director of ThinkCondi.net, who said during a recent radio interview that Rice's impressive poll numbers are simply out there — without spending tens of thousand of dollars to promote her as president.


Grass-Roots Phenomenon
The Condi phenomenon also inspires about a score of other Web sites and a whole collection of blogs, despite the fact that the former national security adviser has never declared for the highest office and has given no sign of doing so. But for just raw enthusiasm, just spend some time with Crystal Dueker, the communications director for ThinkCondi.
NewsMax did and found a delightful loyalist to one of the most admired women in America, if not the world.


Dueker reveals that she was initially inspired by NewsMax contributor and all-round political guru, Dick Morris.
"After reading Dick Morris's book, ‘Condi v Hillary,' I realized that there was something that I could do to make a difference. That's when I contacted others about starting up a Condi Rice group on my own," Dueker says.
Dueker says that she and her colleagues are behind what she describes as the only real grass-roots effort to recruit Rice.


"There are others Web sites and dozens of blogs which have been helping promote the message that Condi Rice needs to run and that if she runs, she is highly favored to win the nomination as president," Dueker says. "But we have contacted these groups and they are only interested in speaking up for Secretary Condi — while the actual building of an organization they are leaving to us."


Rock Star Appeal
On the subject of whether Condi has the star appeal of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., Dueker is adamant.
"From reports in just the past year, she was a ‘rock star' at the Southern Baptist Convention in North Carolina, speaking passionately about defending our nation," Dueker admonishes. "People were overheard by reporters making comments that she should run for president and others who said, ‘I'll vote for her.'


"She was also a rock star at the American Legion convention in Utah — and she has been questioned around the world about running for president. Her job approval numbers are over 60 percent, and a recent Vogue magazine article also mentioned strong support for a future run for higher office by Condi."


Dueker also notes that in February 2007, Australian News columnist, Caroline Overington, wrote that Condi is a self-made woman who should run for president.
As to whether Condi has ever acknowledged her grass-roots support, Dueker says that during an interview on television, Secretary Rice was asked pointblank about the efforts of these groups promoting her for president. She said that she was flattered but that she was not going to run. However, when asked if she would tell the groups to stop what they were doing, she stated that it was their right to free speech.


Dueker was asked about people's reactions. "My car has bumper stickers ‘Condi Rice for President 2008,' and hundreds of people have honked their horns in support, and others say they hope she will actually run. From Iowa, to Texas, to Florida — most African-Americans, Hispanics, and Asians have told me that her running would be a good thing for the Republican Party. She is someone who is greatly respected by most people of all genders and all ethnic backgrounds."


Never discouraged, Dueker works four to six hours daily collecting information to send to prospective supporters and even more time making phone calls and meeting with local supporters to ensure the building of a strong organization.
If Condi is perceived as being less than enthusiastic about running for national office, Dueker shrugs it off as a good — and perhaps necessary — thing for the time being.
"She must not be seen a shirking her duty as our secretary of state and trying to seek higher office at this moment," she explains. "Since her time is consumed by meeting world leaders in Russia, China, South Korea and Japan to resolve the North Korean crisis, or flying for days to the Middle East to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I understand that she can't be distracted at this time by thinking about running for president."


The Will of the People
Dueker sees Condi's position as the top diplomat in foreign policy as a proven jumping-off point.
"This the same position of experience which groomed Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Van Buren, and Buchanan," she notes.
Dueker draws a comparison with the reluctant Condi to Gens. U.S. Grant and Dwight Eisenhower — both the subject of draft campaigns.
"It all comes down to the will of the people to select their own leaders," she concludes.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

You gatta Watch This.......

Tuesday March 20, 2007
That's the question.
First they win all the awards, and then they'll get served.
What a wild year ahead.

The Spyglass

Monday, March 19, 2007

Hillary E-mail: Get Karl Rove



From the NewsMax.com Staff
For the story behind the story... Monday, March 19, 2007 3:51 p.m. EDT


Hillary Clinton last week sent out a mass e-mail asking supporters to sign a petition calling for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to resign. Now she’s set her sights even higher and revealed her real target: top presidential aide Karl Rove.
A new e-mail from Hillary’s campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle urges: "Let’s keep the pressure on. Since tens of thousands of you joined Hillary in calling for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to resign, we have learned even more about the political motivations behind the firings of several U.S. attorneys.

"We know now that the White House’s involvement goes even deeper than we thought – all the way to Karl Rove and beyond – and we likely won’t find out the whole story until there is a full Congressional investigation. But one thing is still clear: Alberto Gonzales needs to go.”

The e-mail, which again asks backers to sign the petition, was paid for by the Hillary Clinton for President Exploratory Committee.
© NewsMax 2007. All rights reserved.

Federal Watch List Has 400,000 Names

Federal Watch List Has 400,000 Names
By Ronald Kessler
A federal watch list of people connected to terrorism now has 400,000 names. The list, called the Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment (TIDE), is maintained by the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), established by President Bush in 2005.
“Whether it comes from an operations cable from the CIA or a very sensitive SIGINT [signals intelligence] from NSA, if there’s a piece of derogatory information on a known or suspected terrorist, it goes in that database,” Vice Adm. John Scott Redd, director of the NCTC, tells NewsMax.

Each electronic file on an individual includes hyperlinks to the originating information, including raw FBI files and, if available, fingerprint files and photographs. In the future, the files will link to iris scans, facial recognition, and DNA data.

Americans are included only if they have been convicted of terrorist activities or are under investigation by the FBI. The standard is far lower for people overseas.
Definition of a TerroristIn an interview, Russell E. Travers, who is in charge of the NCTC list as deputy director for information sharing and knowledge development, raised the question of how one defines a terrorist.

“If you swear allegiance to bin Laden, that’s pretty easy,” he said. “If you went to a training camp and have a history of blowing up U.S. interests, that’s pretty easy also. What if you went to a training camp, but then you decided you didn’t like this and went home? What if you are the brother of someone who swore loyalty to bin Laden? What if you are a member of an Islamic non-governmental organization, and some in that organization have clearly funneled money to al-Qaida? So the point is that this can become very gray. And given that we’re dealing with information that may be contradictory or it may be partial, this can be a difficult balance for us. We look at all the evidence and try to apply a reasonable standard.”

In the case of a foreign individual, “If someone was in a safe house, and we just have a name that they were in some way associated with a known al-Qaida guy, then even though we may have no other derogatory information beyond that, that would be enough to get them in TIDE and get them on a watch list, so that they won’t be able to get a visa to come to the country,” Travers says.

From the TIDE database, the NCTC extracts the name, date of birth, and some additional basic information to identify each possible terrorist. The NCTC passes those names, each tagged with a TIDE number, to the Terrorist Screening Center maintained by the FBI. Those names then form the basis for the no-fly list and other lists checked by U.S. Customs officers and State Department officers issuing visas. The FBI includes the names on its National Crime Information Center list that police officers check when stopping traffic violators, apprehending fugitives, or identifying stolen property.

If a traffic violator who is stopped in Maine is on the list as a possible terrorist, the officer at the scene can call the Terrorist Screening Center and obtain instructions. If the man is wanted, the officer will arrest him. Or the local Joint Terrorism Task Force may be called into action to conduct surveillance of the individual.

Tracking Aliases
While the classified NCTC list has 400,000 names, 300,000 of them are separate individuals. The extra entries are aliases or different spellings of the same name. For example, there are dozens of ways to spell names like Muhammed. Osama bin Laden alone has more than half a dozen names or nicknames, including Mohammad. Usama bin Muhammad bin Ladin, Shaykh Usama bin Ladin, the Prince, the Emir, Abu Abdallah, Mujahid Shaykh, Hajj, and the Director.
The number of names on the no-fly list, maintained with the Transportation Security Administration, is far smaller. Only people who might pose a danger to civil aviation are supposed to be included, but there have been plenty of mix-ups.

A deputy assistant director of the FBI once found himself on the list. Massachusetts Democrat Ted Kennedy had a close encounter with the list when trying to take the U.S. Airways shuttle out of Washington to Boston. According to Kennedy, the ticket agent would not let him on the plane. With help from an airport supervisor, Kennedy was able to fly home, but then the same thing happened coming back to Washington.

“This is not an exact science,” Travers says. “But it is one of many defenses that the government has for trying to keep prospective bad guys out of the country.”
In some cases, the FBI may override the no-fly list because the bureau wants a terrorist to enter the country so agents can arrest him or follow him.

The ACLU and other civil liberties advocates have complained that there is something inherently insidious about the number of names on the lists. Timothy Sparapani, the ACLU’s legislative counsel for privacy rights, has called the numbers “shocking but, unfortunately, not surprising.”

When the watch list had 300,000 names, he said, “We have lists that are having baby lists at this point; they’re spawning faster than rabbits. If we have over 300,000 known terrorists who want to do this country harm, we’ve got a much bigger problem than deciding which names go on which list. But I highly doubt that is the case.”

Yet the problem before 9/11 was that there were too few names on the lists. Back then, the government maintained four different classified terrorist identity databases and 13 independent watch lists. It was in part because the databases were incompatible that two of the 9/11 hijackers managed to slip into the country.

Before 9/11, “The classified databases and the watch lists didn’t interact,” says Travers. “So the reason that Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi [two of the 9/11 hijackers] didn’t get watch listed was because parts of the government knew about them, but that information was not percolated all over the place.”

Typically, up to 50 people are denied entry to the U.S. each day because they are on the lists. Five or seven of those people may be on the no-fly list. There is a direct correlation between possible terrorists who are denied entry to the U.S. and the fact that we have not been attacked in over five years.

When it was revealed that the government rated travelers who fly in and out of the country by degree of possible threat, critics said the criteria should be revealed and that travelers should have the right to see their ratings and challenge them. Of course, that would only undermine the effectiveness of the risk assessment program.

Protecting the List
If a terrorist could find out what criteria were used and how information was rated, he could circumvent the system. Letting travelers know what the criteria are would make as much sense as the Internal Revenue Service forewarning a taxpayer before he files his tax return which portion of his return the IRS plans to audit. Rather than invading privacy, the risk rating system is a way to narrow scrutiny of millions of travelers and protect them from another attack.

What the ACLU forgets is that people from other countries do not have a right to enter the U.S. Inevitably, some will be listed in error. But the alternative is to limit the list so much that terrorists can enter the country and pull off another 9/11 attack.

Ronald Kessler is chief Washington correspondent of NewsMax.com.View his previous reports and get his dispatches sent to you FREEvia e-mail. Go Here Now.
Ronald Kessler Takes You Inside the Bush White House, the CIA, the FBI, and Congress.

Prosecutor's Firing Was Urged During Probe


Prosecutor's Firing Was Urged During Probe
By Dan EggenWashington Post Staff WriterMonday, March 19, 2007; Page A03
The U.S. attorney in San Diego notified the Justice Department of search warrants in a Republican bribery scandal last May 10, one day before the attorney general's chief of staff warned the White House of a "real problem" with her, a Democratic senator said yesterday.

Read Entire Story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/18/AR2007031801263.html

The Spyglass

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Iraqis: life is getting better


Marie Colvin
MOST Iraqis believe life is better for them now than it was under Saddam Hussein, according to a British opinion poll published today.


The survey of more than 5,000 Iraqis found the majority optimistic despite their suffering in sectarian violence since the American-led invasion four years ago this week.
One in four Iraqis has had a family member murdered, says the poll by Opinion Research Business. In Baghdad, the capital, one in four has had a relative kidnapped and one in three said members of their family had fled abroad. But when asked whether they preferred life under Saddam, the dictator who was executed last December, or under Nouri al-Maliki, the prime minister, most replied that things were better for them today.
Only 27% think there is a civil war in Iraq, compared with 61% who do not, according to the survey carried out last month.
Related Links
Resilient Iraqis ask what civil war?
Violence slashed as troop surge hits Baghdad
By a majority of two to one, Iraqis believe military operations now under way will disarm all militias. More than half say security will improve after a withdrawal of multinational forces.
Margaret Beckett, the foreign secretary, said the findings pointed to progress. "There is no widespread violence in the four southern provinces and the fact that the picture is more complex than the stereotype usually portrayed is reflected in today's poll," she said.
Have your say

Friday, March 16, 2007

GOP dissident out of jail for now

Update: Ridgway Charged

Case# 00740750Charge: Criminal Trespass (Upgraded to Class B Misdemeanor)Arraignment: 4-26-07

Republican Party dissident Michael Ridgway is out of jail after spending about 120 hours in the Salt Lake County lockup facility. Ridgway said he was released Tuesday night and no charges had been filed against him as of late Wednesday. However, the Salt Lake City prosecutor's office could file charges later, and Ridgway said he would have to post a $7,000 bond to avoid going back to jail. Ridgway was arrested by police who were called to county and state party headquarters last Thursday. He was arrested for investigation of criminal trespass, stalking and violating a no-contact court order, jail records show, although Ridgway denies he violated any of those laws. Asked if he would try to attend another county GOP executive committee meeting in the future, Ridgway said: "Why shouldn't I go?" However, he added that he wouldn't likely try again without a police escort to prove to GOP leaders that he was abiding by a previous no-contact order obtained by Republican Party leaders Mark and Carrie Towner.

Ridgway has been arguing with county and state party leaders for years and was stripped of his party offices two years ago. The no-contact court order, which Ridgway is appealing to the Utah Supreme Court, says that Ridgway can't come within 20 feet of the Towners. Ridgway complains that party leaders are purposely holding meetings in a small conference room at party headquarters in downtown Salt Lake City and if he goes into the room he is closer than 20 feet from the Towners. He said he called police last Thursday asking that an officer assist him to attend the meeting but no officer showed up. And after Ridgway walked into the party headquarters, GOP county chairman James Evans told him to leave. Ridgway said he did walk out, but police then arrived and arrested him. Ridgway said at no time did any party leader tell him that he was banned from GOP headquarters — and so he was not violating any trespass law — adding that officials are breaking their own open-process rules by threatening him with trespass arrest should he attend a meeting. But Evans says Ridgway will not be allowed to "disrupt" any executive committee meetings — which Evans says he can close to non-members any time he likes — and police will be called should Ridgway try to attend one in the future.

Real Deal falling apart?

Real investor Goldman Sachs pulls out of deal

By Leigh Dethman and Amelia Nielson-StowellDeseret Morning News

Big-time investment firm Goldman Sachs has pulled out as an investor for the Real Salt Lake soccer stadium. The global financier's real estate arm, Whitehall, was going to own a 50 percent share of the team with Real owner Dave Checketts' company Sports Capital Parnters. Another New York real-estate development firm will now step in as a 50 percent owner of the team. The firm, which Real officials declined to name, will also invest $24 million in the stadium project, another $24 million in other Real business ventures, and secure a $33 million construction loan for the stadium. "It doesn't change our business plan at all," team spokesman Eric Gelfand said. "They are stepping right in to what Goldman was investing." Sources say Whitehall grew impatient with the never-ending stadium negotiations and pulled out. Representatives from the investment firm could not be reached late Friday.

It just took so long. It went on forever," said Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan. "It was supposed to be done a year ago." Negotiations to give the team millions in public funds hit roadblocks throughout 2006. But last month, the Legislature approved a last-minute funding package for the stadium, with $35 million of Salt Lake County's hotel-room tax revenue. Currently, the team is also having troubles with a parking plan around the site at 9256 S. State Street. Thursday night, Sandy's planning commission recommended that $10 million the city has pledged to use towards infrastructure not be given to the team until crucial parking problems are solved. Per the state's $35 million funding package, $20 million must be used for 1,000 new parking stalls within a 5-minute radius from the stadium. The majority of the other spots will be temporary spots within a five- to 15-minute walk from the stadium. How to funnel 21,000 soccer fans from the stadium to their cars is of concern to Sandy city staff and elected officials.
E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com; astowell@desnews.com

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Al-Qaida No. 3 says he planned 9/11 Attack


Al-Qaida No. 3 says he planned 9/11
By KATHERINE SHRADER, Associated Press Writer 26 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - Khalid Sheikh Mohammed portrayed himself as al-Qaida's most ambitious operational planner in a confession to a U.S. military tribunal that said he planned and supported 31 terrorist attacks, topped by 9/11, that killed thousands of innocent victims since the early 1990s.

The Full Story.....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070315/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_terrorist_confession_34

I say we take this guy up in an C-130 airplane to 20,000 feet and make him walk the plank. Then he can experience what some of the people who jumped out of the WTC endured. This dude needs to suffer.

The Spyglass

House panel considers pros, cons of a 4th seat


By Suzanne StruglinskiDeseret Morning News
WASHINGTON — A proposed fourth seat in Congress for Utah has constitutional questions, experts said at a House hearing Wednesday, but three of the four witnesses believe a bill creating the seat and granting a vote for the District of Columbia can move forward. The debate will continue today as the House Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on the bill, which will determine if it gets a House floor vote. Supporters of the bill expect a floor vote by the end of the month, although it will not be without harsh criticism as illustrated on Wednesday. "Permit me to be blunt, I consider this act to be the most premeditated unconstitutional act by Congress in decades," said Jonathan Turley, the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at the George Washington University Law School.




The Spyglass

HAGEL Who? Click on Picture

Jay Leno: Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel—he’s a Republican—called a press conference to announce he’ll be making a decision about running for president sometime later in the year. So, he called a press conference to say maybe later in the year he’s going to say something important. This is the kind of bold, decisive leadership this country needs......

I rest my case!
The Spyglass

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Ex-Utahn resigns amid D.C. scandal


Ex-Utahn resigns amid D.C. scandalFormer Utah-based attorney and Brigham Young University graduate D. Kyle Sampson resigned Monday as chief of staff to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in the midst of a growing scandal involving eight fired U.S. attorneys.


The Spyglass

Ridgway released, but will he be charged by Gill?


Paul Rolly writes " Getting more bizarre: Salt Lake City Prosecutor Sim Gill filed trespassing charges against Republican dissident Mike Ridgway on Tuesday. This despite Salt Lake County Republican Chairman James Evans' fear that Ridgway, a persistent thorn in the party's side, would escape charges because Gill is a Democrat. Ridgway, who ran for the U.S. Senate in 2006, was booked into the Salt Lake County jail on Friday on charges of violating a protective order, stalking and criminal trespass. He was arrested when Republican officials solicited help from the police to remove him from a GOP executive committee meeting. Because of his alleged disruptive behavior, he has been banned from leadership positions in the party and banished from their meetings. One party activist has a protective order requiring Ridgway to stay away from him and his family. I erroneously said in my blog Monday that Ridgway had bailed out. Actually, he has remained in jail since Friday."


All this is news to my wife and I who have a protective order against Ridgway. The Salt Lake City Police were kind enough to let us know that Ridgway was going to be released last night, and if he showed up anywhere close to our home to call 911 and they would come and pick him back up. Messages left with the Mr. Gill's office have not been returned as of Wednesday morning.


The Spyglass

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

GOP dissident Ridgway is jailed in Salt Lake County


By Bob Bernick Jr.Deseret Morning News

A longtime Utah Republican Party dissident, Michael Ridgway, has been sitting in the Salt Lake County Jail since Thursday night, in lockup for apparently violating a stalking injunction and criminal trespass when he tried to attend a Salt Lake County GOP executive board meeting. "Mike knew that he couldn't attend meetings" in the county and state offices, which he had already been barred from coming into, said Salt Lake County GOP Chairman James Evans.




The Spyglass

Monday, March 12, 2007

Mt. Holly Club Selected as Prestigious Jack Nicklaus Club

Mt. Holly Club Selected as Prestigious Jack Nicklaus Golf Club
New Course Is Centerpiece of World's Only Ski-in/Ski-out, Golf-in/Golf-out
Private Luxury Resort

Full Story: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=SPORTNET.story&STORY=/www/story/03-07-2007/0004541269&EDATE=WED+Mar+07+2007,+08:00+AM


The Spyglass

Friday, March 09, 2007

Home Security Video




Mark

Jim Sumpter Show, give him a call!


Hey you Political Junkies out there, Have you ever tried to get on one of the National Talk Shows like Limbaugh, Hannity, or even KSL with Doug, but no luck? Here is a Nation wide syndicated show that you can watch (like Rush) but it’s free and you can actually talk with the host. They are taking advantage of the internet like it should be. Check it out today http://www.jimsumptershow.com/c/

Give Jim a call, and let him know you saw this on the Political Spyglass


Mark

New Bloghives Created


I have created several new Bloghives that you should check out.

The Bloghive: http://www.thebloghive.com/
Golf Bloghive: http://www.golfbloghive.com/
Investor Bloghive: http://www.investorbloghive.com/
Ski Bloghive: http://www.thesnowpac.com/

If you know of some good links to blogs for these sites, send them along to thespyglass@sent.com

Mark Towner,
The Spyglass

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Cheney Exit, Rice Entry Could Alter 2008 Race


Vice President Dick Cheney's health problems have triggered speculation that he may be forced to step down, a move that could potentially throw the Republican 2008 presidential nomination race into disarray.
Although only 66, Cheney has suffered four heart attacks in the past and has undergone angioplasty and bypass surgery. This week, he was diagnosed with a blood clot in his leg. Blood clots can travel to the lungs and result in a pulmonary embolism - a sudden blockage of blood flow in an artery in the lung - one of the leading causes of death in the U.S.
In the event of the vice presidency becoming vacant through resignation or death, the Constitution requires the president to nominate a vice president who must be confirmed by majority vote of both houses of Congress.
Bush would find it difficult to get a Democratic-controlled Congress to approve a conservative nominee, analysts say. At the same time, neither of the leading GOP 2008 presidential aspirants - former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani or Sen. John McCain of Arizona - would be eager to be seen as President Bush's heir apparent, should he tap either of them for the job.




Mark Towner,

The Spyglass

Here is a Great Idea to help Remote Utah Communities Grow

As many of you know, I'm a former Alaskan and I continue to follow the news up north. This is an article from the Daily Miner in Fairbanks

Too good to pass up: City of Anderson giving away free land
Staff ReportPublished March 7, 2007

Kids say the darndest things.
That is likely what the Anderson City Council thought when a class of students suggested the city lure people to the remote Parks Highway community by giving away free land. But the more they thought about it, the more they liked the plan. So, as of March 19, at 9 a.m., prospective landowners can put down a $500 deposit for a free lot in Anderson’s Northern Lights Subdivision.

“This will be on a first-come, first-serve application process,” city clerk Nancy Hollis said. “The person who is first on the list gets to pick a lot of their choice.”
There are 26 lots available, located behind the Anderson Fire Hall and near the Riverside Park. Each lot is 1.3 acres and includes electric and phone service already installed.
In exchange for the free land, the owner must build a minimum 1,000-square-foot residence within two years. Check with the city clerk for specific covenants. Lots will be selected in April.
“The purpose of this incentive is to encourage construction of new homes,” Hollis said. “We also hope to increase school and community population.”
The boom in population, expected when the Air National Guard moved into Clear Air Force Base, never happened because of a lack of housing. Those military families found housing in Healy, Nenana and Fairbanks.
What is amazing is that students — Daryl Frisbie’s class — sold the idea to the city council with a well-thought presentation.
“That changed their minds,” Hollis said. “They thought maybe this is something that could work.”
For information on the program, contact the city clerk at 582-2500 or e-mail coaclerk@mtaonline.net or visit http://www.anderson.govoffice.com/ and click on Free Lots.

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Cyberbullying targeted



Cyberbullying targeted
It is added as focus of Power in You program
By Tiffany EricksonDeseret Morning News
Lisa Read said she lived with harassment and fear for a month as anonymous calls habitually haunted her during the night.

Kevin Lee, for the Deseret Morning News
Utah's first lady, Mary Kaye Huntsman, discusses the Power in You foundation, which works on helping youths deal with issues like bullying, substance abuse and suicide. A ring would jolt her out of bed, and a male caller would make suggestive and harassing comments that left her uneasy. The caller knew her ex-boyfriends, that she was on the dance team and where she went to school, but refused to reveal his identity. "I felt unsafe in school, violated and disrespected from such cowardly and faceless acts," said the Taylorsville High School student. After about a month, the phone stopped ringing. But the experience was unwelcome and offensive — and a prime example of the kind of cyberbullying a large number of students deal with every day. Mary Kaye Huntsman announced Tuesday that cyberbullying is a new category in her Power in You foundation, a youth program that addresses issues such as substance abuse, suicide, bullying, gangs and eating disorders, and directs students to resources that can provide support. Cyberbullying includes using technology such as telephones, instant messages, Web pages, digital cameras and e-mail to harass, hurt or threaten people — something experts say has touched more than a third of U.S. teens who use the Internet. "When we think back, our biggest concern was checking 'yes' or 'no' on notes and not getting caught," Leigh VandenAkker, a teacher at Taylorsville High, said during a Power in You press conference. "Notes are the least of our worries now — enter the world of technology." Huntsman said she hopes to make parents aware of the growing problem of cyberbullying while teaching teens what they can do to protect themselves. Capt. Chris Ahearn of the Utah Attorney General's Office said cyber-harassment, threats and exploitations are taken seriously in Utah.

He said many people who engage in cyberbullying incorrectly assume they can remain anonymous. But thanks to technology, officials can zero in on and prosecute offenders. If someone finds themselves a victim of cyberbullying, they should not retaliate and, if possible, stop using the site all together. And if a victim receives threats or suggestions of a sexual nature, they should contact law enforcement. "There are really a lot of cool things going on with technology — this is your sandbox, but you have to play nicely. Otherwise, you can't play," said Steve Fletcher, chief information officer over technology for the state of Utah. For more information on what to do and how to report cyberbullying, visit http://www.powerinyou.org/.

New Huntsman appointee loves taking on challenges


Cox quick to dismiss her disability as she gets set to head Workforce Services
By Glen Warchol The Salt Lake Tribune Salt Lake Tribune

Kristen Cox laughs when she remembers the voter response to her foray into Maryland elective politics last year. "The reaction was, 'A blind Mormon woman running for lieutenant governor? How weird is that?'" Cox, 37, who will arrive in Utah next week to take over as director of the state Department of Workforce Services, has overcome her share of challenges, even before her unsuccessful political debut as running mate to former Maryland Gov. Bob Ehrlich in 2006. Cox has served as President Bush's special assistant to the commissioner of Rehabilitation Services Administration in the Department of Education. Her close political ties with Ehrlich stem from his asking her to head in 2003 his newly formed Department of Disabilities, the nation's first Cabinet-level position of its kind. Cox had met Ehrlich a few years earlier when he was a Maryland congressman and she was a lobbyist for the National Federation for the Blind, based in Baltimore. She acknowledges her first experience in election politics was "very intense, very humbling." On top of the gubernatorial campaign pressure and her Cabinet responsibilities, Cox and her husband Randy, have two children Tanner, 11, and 22-month-old Riley. Ehrlich's campaign attributed his defeat to voter backlash nationwide against the Iraq War and anger at the GOP-controlled Congress. In Democratic-dominated Maryland, a Republican victory depends on cross-over votes. The failed run "was a very appealing opportunity," Cox says. "To get things done, you have to take risks." And even as voters cast ballots against Ehrlich, they said they were impressed by his running mate. "At the end of the day, it was my blindness, not my being Mormon, that most people responded to," Cox says. "But the combination was unique and it got us a lot of positive press coverage." If there's a career challenge that Cox understates, it's her blindness. "It's an inconvenience in my life," she says. "You learn to work around it." Cox began losing her vision at age 11 as a result of a degenerative genetic condition. The loss came gradually and, at first, she was able to get by with magnifiers and large print books. During her studies at Brigham Young University, however, her vision "took a big dive," she says. "I had some rocky moments in the beginning." She was forced to memorize much of her course content from lectures and by having texts read to her. She graduated in 1995 in educational psychology, certified as special-education teacher. Before graduation, Cox went on an LDS church mission to rural areas of Brazil, futilely lugging along a powerful magnifier. "It was broken when I got there," she remembers. "I was moving around rural areas a lot and repaired units took a long time to get to me. And when I plugged it in in rural areas, it burned out again." Cox has since learned braille, which she uses to read to her children. Virginia Knowlton, executive director of the Maryland Disability Law Center, which has sued the state of Maryland over poor performance on paratransit and other disability services, has praise for Cox, if not the Department of Disabilities. "She accomplished some good things in her role as secretary," Knowlton says. "We were frustrated that she wasn't given more authority and funding that would have allowed the department to do more." Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. spokesman Mike Mower said Cox came to the governor's attention during her campaign with Ehrlich. "Kristen came with strong recommendations as a dynamic leader." Despite her Utah roots - Cox grew up in Sandy and graduated from Brighton High School - and solid political credentials, Cox may not be the kind of Republican Utah's arch-conservatives appreciate. "I consider myself a moderate," she says, but emphasizes that political labels can be misleading. Though Cox believes in government involvement in bringing disabled Americans into schools and the workplace, she argues it is a "two-way street" and the disabled must return on society's investment. Also, as a politically ambitious working mom, feminists - not Utah's most popular group - would welcome Cox into their ranks. "Women have so much to offer. The folks back here in the [Maryland] Mormon community have been extremely supportive," she says of her balancing career and family. "I know there can be that division between homemakers and women at work. I would be disappointed to encounter it in Utah - in fact, I know I won't." Knowlton has a suggestion for Cox's superiors: "She's bright and capable. Give her the reins and give her some money, and she'll accomplish some good things for Utah."

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Rudy Giuliani Fundraiser March 30th



Rudy Giuliani Fundraiser
An evening honoring former New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani will be held Friday, March 30 at the home of Kelly and Stephen Harmsen to benefit the Giuliani Presidential Exploratory Committee. A host reception with photo opportunity will be held from 6-6:30 p.m. costing $2,300 per person or $4,600 per couple. A cocktail reception costing $1,000 per person will be held from 6:30-7:30 p.m. For more information, contact Kristy Coleman, 801.604.6303.

McCain Staffers Bail Off the Crazy Train


From D.C. CONFIDENTIAL
OFF THE RAILS McCainJohn McCain's Obama-esque remarks about our "wasted" resources in Iraq weren't the only comments that landed him in hot water after a recent appearance on Late Night with David Letterman. Many of his staff were blindsided by his campaign announcement. And several aides were so outraged that they've quit, say Republican insiders.
"They're imploding—he had a game plan that had him announcing much later in the year," one top Republican aide tells Radar, adding that the campaign is "in serious trouble ... Romney's plan and Rudy's jump in the polls caused him to scrap his plans completely. When you do that, and you're not prepared for it, the staff goes crazy. Some of his coordinators in different states were pulling their hair out!"
Another insider, a guru to the conservative movement, says that McCain himself is growing increasingly desperate in the wake of his downward slide in the polls—a slip hastened by his steadfast support of the very man who savaged him and his family during the 2000 election, George W. Bush, and the president's unpopular plan for troop surge in Iraq. "One of the top aides to the Republican leadership told me that McCain has lost so much support, he's simply beside himself. He's wringing his hands. Things are sinking fast—in two or three weeks, we'll know if there is any recovery."
It didn't help any that McCain was the one leading Republican candidate who skipped last weekend's Conservative Political Action Conference. In CPAC's straw poll on Saturday, McCain came in fifth place—behind Sam Brownback. When the results were announced, attendees booed at the mention of his name.

Monday, March 05, 2007

McCain's Snub Stuns Conservatives



Ronald KesslerMonday, March 5, 2007

Aides to opponents of Sen. John McCain said they were "stunned" by his decision not to show up at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington.
After rejecting invitations to speak to the 6,000 attendees, McCain tried to schedule a private reception without clearing the request with CPAC. By then, all the rooms at the Omni Shoreham had been booked.
"It was a classic McCain move, dissing us by going behind our backs," said William J. Lauderback, executive vice president of the American Conservative Union, which sponsors the three-day conference.
"If you diss the girl before the dance, you're not going to be dancing with the girl when the music starts," said David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union.




Mark E Towner, The Spyglass

Annie & George W





Annie is a close friend to my youngest daughter (also a pilot) who is in Washington DC. These are pictures she took and some narative.

"Look: it's President Bush! It took so long to get through security for this. He spoke for about 45 minutes. We were at an event for the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (I am not exactly sure what this organization is, sounds like a good lobby to me though), so he was mostly speaking about Latin and South America and the people there. It occurred to me he might be pissing them off because he kept just giving examples of what America had done well there. Look at how we impacted this Bolivian farmer, or this 10-year-old in Peru or Guatemala's life. I felt like he didn't say what was going to happen, except that he is visiting all those countries later this week.

It was very cool though, I was probably the farthest person away and I still felt like I had a great seat. It was at the Ronald Reagan Auditorium in someplace they call the Federal Triangle. Definitely not tons of people or anything though.

He stumbled several times, but didn't say anything too ridiculous. Aside from all the Tex-Mex he used. At the begining when everyone was talking he told us all the Sientanse and chuckled to himself. Then, once when he said George Washington's name he paused and said "Jorge Doble-U" and he was pretty happy with himself for that one.

Love, Annie"

Mark E Towner, The Spyglass

Saturday, March 03, 2007

Giuliani up 25 points over McCain


47 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential hopeful Rudolph Giuliani, virtually tied with John McCain (news, bio, voting record) in a January poll, held a 25-point lead over the Arizona senator in a Newsweek magazine survey released on Saturday.

Among registered Republicans, 59 percent said they backed the former New York City mayor and 34 percent said they favored McCain, who announced on Wednesday he would seek the presidency in 2008, Newsweek said.
"Most registered Republicans are not familiar with Giuliani's positions on key social issues," the magazine said, listing his support for abortion rights and gun control as examples.
"When asked about whether Giuliani's views on these same issues would be enough to prevent them from supporting him, few registered Republican voters said it would," it said.




Mark E Towner, The Spyglass

Romney first choice in conservative poll


By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer 10 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - Mitt Romney won the most support for the Republican presidential nomination in a straw poll of GOP activists attending an annual conference.

Despite his record of inconsistency on some social issues, the former Massachusetts governor got 21 percent of the 1,705 votes cast by paid registrants to the three-day Conservative Political Action Conference. They were asked who their first choice would be for the Republican nomination.
Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor whose moderate stances on social issues irks the party's right wing, was second with 17 percent.




Mark E Towner, The Spyglass