Carrie spends the day with Justice Thomas

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is in town. Carrie was invited by the Dean of the Law School to spend the day with him.

How cool is that?

Thomas speaks of his 'overcoming'

Justice Thomas low-profile in visit

Captain Mark, very proud husband

Private Screening of Pirates of the Caribbean III

Arrrr... Spyglass crew members. Captain Mark announces that Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and The Political Spyglass are sponsoring a private screening of the New Pirates of the Caribbean III, At The Worlds End at the Jordan Commons MegaPlex on June 8th the Night before the State Convention.

Festivities will begin around 3:30 as Pirates take over the commons, and all candidates for party office have been invited to mingle with the crew. Photo Opportunities with Admiral Black Mark Shurtleff, Captain Mark Towner, and other notable Pirates will begin around 4:00 with the movie to begin around 5:30.

This event will be for State GOP Delegates and there be bunk space for only around 500 swabs to see the movie, so you better act quick and send in your requests for tickets to the Captain.

There will be prizes for best costumes of the main characters of the movie.

Come join us and make this a memorable event. Send an email to marktowner@comcast.net to let the Captain know how many tickets your crew be needing.

Captain Mark

We took them for HOW MUCH!!!!!!

Analysis: Funds separate '08 contenders
By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 55 minutes ago

DES MOINES, Iowa - Democrat
Hillary Rodham Clinton' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republican Mitt Romney raised breathtaking amounts of money for their presidential bids in the year's first three months. GOP candidates Rudy Giuliani and John McCain (news, bio, voting record) and Democrat
John Edwards' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> John Edwards also broke records. Barack Obama (news, bio, voting record) is expected to do the same.

Read full story...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070403/ap_on_el_pr/campaign_spending_analysis

Rescinding on Romney?

By Ryan Sager

Here, I'm tempting the Great Rule of Headline Question Marks with a question the answer to which is: not yet.

I've pondered in recent days whether I've been too harsh on Mitt Romney's faltering campaign for the presidency. But now we have a man described by the Hotline as "the most powerful Republican fundraiser in the South," currently in the Romney camp, speculating openly about his candidate dropping out of the race.

What's more, he's even naming the candidate whose team he wishes he could join — if only he hadn't committed too early to Mr. Romney: Fred Thompson.
In this interview with the Tennessean, Ted Welch talks up Mr. Thompson while ostensibly reaffirming his loyalty to Mr. Romney:

"Back in January, I had no idea that Fred was even thinking about it," Welch said. "I went ahead and committed to (Massachusetts Gov.) Mitt Romney because I thought he was the best of the lot that had shown interest in running. It would be very inappropriate and very unfair for me to say to Mitt Romney, 'Hey, Fred Thompson decided to run and I'm gone. Bye.' I'm not going to do anything like that. I made a commitment, and I'm going to stick with it, so long as he is in the race.

"If he, for some reason, were to drop out, my choice would naturally be Fred Thompson."
Welch made sure to say that last sentence several times: If Romney's out, Thompson is Welch's guy.

I can hardly imagine a less ringing endorsement for Mr. Romney. If Mr. Welch was committed to his candidate, and confident of his candidate's future, he wouldn't be speculating about his candidate's impending departure from the race.

Mr. Romney can post any dollar amount in the world. He can build a Scrooge McDuck-style campaign treasury and swim around in it all day. It still doesn't make him a viable candidate for the presidency.

The comparison is increasingly made between Mr. Romney's candidacy this year and that of the former senator from Texas, Phil Gramm, in 1995-96. Mr. Gramm, of course, raised a tremendous amount of money in that race, but he still didn't make it to the New Hampshire primary. And, one might note, they were both favored by National Review (OK, National Review has yet to endorse anyone, and one of the magazine's senior editors has come out publicly for John McCain. But Mr. Romney has been the subject of much glowing coverage in the magazine and on the magazine's blog).

The question, then, is when do major players start rescinding on commitments to Mr. Romney?

The answer: not yet. But it could be soon.

Mayor Giuliani continues to lead in major polls around the nation, including the battleground state of Florida.

Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani has opened double-digit leads over top 2008 Democratic presidential contenders in Florida, beating either New York Sen. Hillary Clinton or former Sen. John Edwards 50 - 40 percent, and topping Illinois Sen. Barack Obama 52 - 36 percent, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1297.xml?ReleaseID=1034

Captain Mark

New Orders from the Captain

Welcome Shipmates, this is your Captain speaking and I want to share with you some changes on the Spyglass Blogsite . I would ask you to click on the site and see for your self and provide me some feedback. Anything you post as a reply come directly to the captains cabin.

I have created a streaming ticker tape of the Presidential Campaigns that pop up as soon as they hit the web. I also have placed Video clips covering the same thing. All these are real time, searching Google Video and Your Tube.

I have received some recent comments that the emails I’m sending out are too long for many folks with PDA’s. So I’m going to try to post my commentary that will include links to other articles so as to keep the size of the messages smaller.

I have also installed a podcast and will begin a early morning podcast of the overnight news.

So please click over to the Spyglass and let you Captain know how you feel, and how we might make the voyage better.

Captain Mark

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

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.

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

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

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?

http://politicalspyglass.blogspot.com/

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

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

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

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

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......

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070321/ts_alt_afp/usvote2008newyork_070321203926;_ylt=AhWH18rHm48S7jSP9Myh3PVh24cA

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.

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

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.
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