Monday, March 31, 2008

Clinton Antics Will Make Bill and Hil the Next American Idles

Posted: 31 Mar 2008 01:48 AM CDT

The amateurish ploys of the Clinton campaign are, at this point, so self-destructive that they seem tragic. We should all know that Bill Clinton is one of our most charismatic Americans. I found...

A Crop of House Candidates Worth Taking a Look At

Posted: 31 Mar 2008 01:48 AM CDT

There is relatively little attention being paid to this year's fight for the House of Representatives, since Republicans have no chance retaking the chamber in November. Even more important, most...

The Obama/Clinton Twins

Posted: 31 Mar 2008 01:38 AM CDT

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. -- Taking his last question at a "town meeting" here on Saturday, Barack Obama encountered an issue he neither expected nor welcomed: abortion. The eloquent senator from Illinois, who...

Age as an Asset: McCain's Appeal To Boomers

Posted: 31 Mar 2008 01:00 AM CDT

Echoes of the famous cry, "Don't trust anyone over 30," rebuke the boomers who took it as words to live by. Not only are many of them closing in on 60, they may soon be asked to put their trust in a...

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Casey Endorses Obama

Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:43 PM CDT

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

In Pa., She's Got a Friend in Murtha

Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:42 PM CDT

Washington Post

McCain Guru Linked to Subprime Crisis

Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:30 PM CDT

The Politico

Leahy Calls for Clinton to Quit

Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:29 PM CDT

Wall Street Journal

Donations from Subprime Industry Become Liability

Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:23 AM CDT

Wall Street Journal

McCain, Romney Reunite at Utah Fundraiser

Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:21 AM CDT

Deseret Morning News

Clinton Lays Out Health Care Premium Cap

Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:20 AM CDT

New York Times

Obama Pushes Tougher Oversight

Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:19 AM CDT

Wall Street Journal

Clinton Details Ideas, Stresses Unity in N.C. Appearance

Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:19 AM CDT

Fayetteville Observer

An Obama-Bloomberg Ticket? No Cheers from the Mayor

Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:17 AM CDT

New York Times

As Candidates Warm to Bush Tax Cuts, Economists Warn of the Effects

Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:16 AM CDT

Washington Post

Ex-Congressman Disputes Clinton's Boasts on Legislation

Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:15 AM CDT

The Hill

Obama Rewrites Rules of Online Fundraising

Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:14 AM CDT

Washington Post

Puerto Rico Governor, Obama Superdelegate, Faces 19 Counts

Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:10 AM CDT

Associated Press

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Clinton Seeks to Soften Impact of Misstatement

Posted: 26 Mar 2008 12:11 AM CDT

New York Times

Clinton: Wright 'Would Not Have Been My Pastor'

Posted: 26 Mar 2008 12:11 AM CDT

Pittsburgh T-R

McCain Outlines Plan for Housing Crisis

Posted: 26 Mar 2008 12:09 AM CDT

Wall Street Journal

In Obama's Message, Foes See Old Liberalism

Posted: 26 Mar 2008 12:09 AM CDT

Washington Post

Obama's Foreign Policy Ideas Fire Up Rivals

Posted: 26 Mar 2008 12:08 AM CDT

Wall St. Journal

Nancy Reagan Endorses McCain

Posted: 26 Mar 2008 12:07 AM CDT

Chicago Tribune

Obama Prospered as He Soared

Posted: 26 Mar 2008 12:07 AM CDT

The Politico

Why Are Dems Ducking Gun Control Issue

Posted: 26 Mar 2008 12:04 AM CDT

McClatchy

Dem Challengers Do Not Yet Believe in Obama

Posted: 26 Mar 2008 12:01 AM CDT

The Hill

Republican Jewish Group Wants McPeak Canned

Posted: 26 Mar 2008 12:00 AM CDT

The Hill

2008 Could See Turnout Tsunami

Posted: 25 Mar 2008 04:09 AM CDT

The Politico

Clinton Says She 'Misspoke' About Bosnia Trip

Posted: 25 Mar 2008 04:07 AM CDT

New York Times

McCain Says U.S. Succeeding in Iraq

Posted: 25 Mar 2008 04:07 AM CDT

Associated Press

Clinton Evokes Themes of Sisterhood, Motherhood

Posted: 25 Mar 2008 04:06 AM CDT

Philadelphia Inquirer

Clinton Details Mortgage Plan

Posted: 25 Mar 2008 04:05 AM CDT

Wall Street Journal

Indiana Shapes Up as State of Parity for Democrats

Posted: 25 Mar 2008 04:03 AM CDT

Washington Post

Bill & Chelsea Criss-Cross Indiana

Posted: 25 Mar 2008 04:02 AM CDT

Indianapolis Star

Clinton Camp Calls for Explanation of Obama's Negative Politics

Posted: 25 Mar 2008 04:00 AM CDT

The Hill

No Carville Apology for 'Judas' Remark

Posted: 25 Mar 2008 03:59 AM CDT

Associated Press

Ridgway gets the boot again in court


'Automatic delegates' win a round

Published: Wednesday, March 26, 2008 12:14 a.m. MDT

A judge on Tuesday blocked an attempt by a Republican to force his party to follow party rules.

Judge Glenn Iwasaki of the 3rd District Court denied Mike Ridgway a temporary restraining order to stop the state and Salt Lake County Republican Party from appointing so-called "automatic delegates" to vote at the county and state conventions.

Delegates wield a lot of political power, because they decide which two candidates in a race advance to the primary or, if 60 percent or more support one candidate, make that person the party nominee in the general election.

But Ridgway isn't giving up yet.

"I have no choice in my mind but to continue to press forward," Ridgway said shortly after the denial. He said he believes the judge was sympathetic to his cause.

He said he will continue to push the court to stop the state and county Republican parties from "consistently" violating party rules against appointed delegates. Ridgway has challenged the practice at both state and party conventions for years.

Party leaders believe they aren't breaking any rules. However, they admit there is some "ambiguity" to the party's delegate appointment rules, State GOP Vice Chairman Todd Weiler said.

Weiler said the state party constitution leaves delegate allocation up to the county parties.

Appointed delegates are typically Republican elected officials, like the county surveyor and GOP legislators. Other appointed delegates include the county party officers and executive committee members.

In the past, Ridgway said, Republican party leaders and elected officials did not get automatic delegate status, and it shouldn't be any different now.

"When you start giving perks to high-level important people you corrupt the process," Ridgway said. "If you can't even choose your own representative to the state Legislature, because that choice is already made for you by party leaders ... then why do we live in America?"

Ridgway is already preparing for a future win. Tuesday night he urged all Republicans attending caucuses to vote on an extra state and county delegate, so everything is cleared up before state and county GOP conventions in May.

If a judge eventually rules in his favor, 58 precincts would get to vote for one more county and state delegate, he said.

Ridgway said the local automatic delegates are worse than the "travesty" the Democratic Party has with superdelegates, who can vote for any presidential candidate no matter who Average Joe Democrats vote for at the polls.

"In the Republican Party, it's not just a travesty, it's unethical because the bylaws don't let them do it," Ridgway said.


E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com

Monday, March 24, 2008

Attorney Peter Stirba on KSL's Nightside Project

US Supreme Court to hear Utah case.

Here is the link
http://nightside.ksl.com/?nid=29&sid=2927395

The Captain

Two Divergent McCain Moments, Rarely Mentioned

Posted: 23 Mar 2008 10:28 PM CDT

New York Times

Both Obama and Clinton Embellish Their Roles

Posted: 23 Mar 2008 10:28 PM CDT

Washington Post

Advisers to Both Fault Obama Camp for McPeak Comments

Posted: 23 Mar 2008 10:27 PM CDT

AP

Bayh Points to Electoral College Votes as New Measure

Posted: 23 Mar 2008 10:26 PM CDT

New York Times

McCain, Traveling Along a Tightrope

Posted: 23 Mar 2008 10:24 PM CDT

Washington Post

Richardson Has Harsh Advice for Clinton

Posted: 23 Mar 2008 10:21 PM CDT

The Politico

Hagel Cool on Backing McCain

Posted: 23 Mar 2008 10:20 PM CDT

The Hill

Stirba and Associates to argue before the US Supreme Court

Supreme Court agrees to hear Utah case involving searches

Published: Monday, March 24, 2008 12:03 p.m. MDT
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court said Monday it will decide whether police may enter a home without a search warrant when an informant already is inside and sees evidence of a crime.

The case from Utah also will test whether the officers who conducted the warrantless search may be sued by the person they arrest.

Six years ago, an informant contacted police to tell them he had arranged to purchase drugs from Afton Callahan at Callahan's trailer home. Wearing a microphone provided by police, the informant entered the trailer, made the deal and signaled police. They entered the trailer without a warrant and arrested Callahan for possession of methamphetamines.

Utah courts ruled that the evidence that was seized from Callahan's home could not be used against him. Other courts have allowed prosecutions to go forward under similar circumstances.

Callahan then sued the officers for violating his constitutional rights. A federal judge ruled the officers could not be sued because there is disagreement in the courts over whether the search is illegal.

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver said the lawsuit could proceed because the officers should have known that people have a right in their home to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures.

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Even Billionaires like Mitt Romney have honey-do’s!


The Park City Home Depot crew and I just spent the last half hour or so helping Mitt Romney with some home repair projects. It’s not unusual for me to meet and help celebrity customers up at the Park City Home Depot, but because I’m a political junkie today was a special day. Mitt came in dressed in casual jeans and work shirt and needed some power tools to address some projects at his Park City Retreat. I guess the Romney's are celebrating Easter in Park City. We hooked him up with some Ryobi power tools and necessary hardware accessories. I left work around 4pm and walked out to the parking lot and we talked about the current situation in the presidential race. We shook hands and saw him get into a Black Jeep Cherokee. I have a white Cherokee and he followed me out of the parking lot. His car was not a new model, just like any other car. As I looked in my review mirror I was thinking to myself, man this guy was a serious candidate for President of the United States. In any event, all I can say was he was very nice and just a normal guy. Well this for sure made my day.

The Captain

Friday, March 21, 2008

Obama's Explanation Won't Fly in Long Run

Posted: 21 Mar 2008 01:44 AM CDT

In his hour of political need, Barack Obama went to his base -- the media. He delivered a speech about the nation's racial divisions that couldn't possibly get anything but lavish praise from the...

The Bailout Briar Patch

Posted: 21 Mar 2008 01:37 AM CDT

One problem with rolling is that it can be hard to stop. That's the Bush administration's challenge, as congressional Democrats try to flip it into another economic intervention -- this one a giant...

The Speech: A Brilliant Fraud

Posted: 21 Mar 2008 01:00 AM CDT

WASHINGTON -- The beauty of a speech is that you don't just give the answers, you provide your own questions. "Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in...

Another Angry Black Preacher

Posted: 21 Mar 2008 01:00 AM CDT

WASHINGTON -- Let's ask the hard question about the Rev. Jeremiah Wright: Is he as far outside the African-American mainstream as many of us would like to think? Because Barack Obama's speech...

A Brief For Whitey

Posted: 21 Mar 2008 01:00 AM CDT

How would he pull it off? I wondered. How would Barack explain to his press groupies why he sat silent in a pew for 20 years as the Rev. Jeremiah Wright delivered racist rants against...

The Reason for God

Posted: 21 Mar 2008 01:00 AM CDT

WASHINGTON -- In a flood of best-sellers by skeptics and atheists charging a nonexistent God with crimes against humanity, Timothy Keller stands out as an effective counterpoint and a defender of the...

The Crapshoot of Presidential Politics

Posted: 20 Mar 2008 05:00 PM CDT

This week's detour into the murk of racial politics underlines that it's going to be a long, hard slog on the Democratic side. The next opportunity for Democrats to resolve their deadlock will come...

Thursday, March 20, 2008

H.B. 493 or Ridgways Law signed by Governor

Enrolled Copy H.B. 493

1 STALKING AMENDMENTS

2 2008 GENERAL SESSION

3 STATE OF UTAH

4 Chief Sponsor: Lorie D. Fowlke

5 Senate Sponsor: Curtis S. Bramble

6

7 LONG TITLE

8 General Description:

9 The bill modifies the Criminal Code regarding the elements and penalties for the offense

10 of stalking.

11 Highlighted Provisions:

12 This bill:

13 < amends the definition of "course of conduct" to include contacting a victim by any

14 means, acting through third parties, and sending or delivering items to the victim;

15 < includes as an element a victim's fear for the victim's own safety or the safety of third

16 parties;

17 < defines "emotional distress";

18 < includes stalking by electronic communication as an offense;

19 < expands the reference to other parties whom the victim may fear for so the reference

20 includes any third party, rather than only immediate family; and

21 < provides that the defendant may not claim as a defense that the victim did not give

22 the defendant actual notice that the course of conduct was unwanted by the victim

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Carrie Towner & Stirba and Associates

Carrie L. Towner

Carrie Towner brings over 20 years of prior business experience to Stirba & Associates with her law degree from the University of Utah. She serves as the firm’s managing associate and assists in the firm’s specialty areas of municipal law, personal injury, business litigation, governmental entity defense, and healthcare law.

As a medical administrator, she directed the multi-office start-up and operations for the only Maternal-Fetal Medicine Clinic in Alaska. Her background with physicians, hospital administration, and Medicaid audits lends practical professional experience to the firm’s practice of healthcare law. Prior to law school, Carrie started her own successful business, which she continued to operate during her first year of law school.

Carrie Towner

Joined Stirba & Associates in 2006

Email: CTowner@stirbalaw.com