Canadian Women's Olympic Hockey Team

The IOC is going to investigate. Team Hockey has appoligized. The press is covering it like a scandal. What horrors!! There's a chance that they could ban the team from the Closing Ceremony or force them out of the Olympic Village. In the past Olympians were caught with steroids, political boycotts, cheating and judging scandals without all this hullabaloo. But a few puffs of a cigar and swigs or beer and champagne as celebration for a hard won Gold medal in their country's national sport on the ice where they could take it all in - is the latest scandal.

Gilbert Felli, the IOC's executive director of the Olympic Games, said that drinking in public was "not what we want to see" from athletes at an Olympic venue.

I've known many Canadians in my lifetime and in terms of the actual celebration, it's not exactly something uncommon in Canada and was a pretty mild celebration. No investigations was begun when Jon Montgomery won a gold medal for Canada in skeleton, and then he was photographed walking through the streets of Whistler guzzling from a pitcher of beer that he gripped with two hands.

But OF COURSE there is ONE big difference!! They are women! Quelle Horreur!! They should have been sipping tea with white gloves on and dainty dresses. What will the children think??!!

Congrats, girls!! Have a cool one on me! You earned it and deserve it!

WA State Republithugs Find Their Senate Candidate

The Republithugs have found their candidate to face Patty Murray: Superbowl hero Washington Redskin Clint Didier. He has a website for donations with the requisite waving flag and Reagan quote and states:

I am not a practiced politician. I am commited to representing you "the people" to the best of my ability. A team effort will be required to bring our Government back to its original definition under the Constitution.

Interesting since in his interviews and speaches his trademark issue is that we should abolish the separation of Church and State. I guess his Constitution that he always carries around with him is missing a page or two.

The Mount Vernon Statement

The CPAC clan has come out with the newest gimmick a sort of "Contract on American II", called The Mount Vernon Statement. It's all pretty with parchment background and scripty fonts and words like moral, honor, faith, God, traditional, freedom, etc. we are all invited to electronically sign on to the screed after the original signers. I for one will not "join" with these original signers nor do I ever want my name to be associated with these criminals who I would normally NEVER associate with those words:

Edwin Meese -- Remember Wedtech?
Wendy Wright -- her organization is against civil rights for gay and lesbians and is also the HPV vaccine (like Gardasil). She also wrote "An Ordinary Girl's Dialogue With God" one of those purpose driven life screeds
Lee Edwards -- who brags in his signature that he was present at the signing of the Sharon Statement. I preferred the Port Huron Statement.
Tony Perkins -- who has recently tried to prevent Planned Parenthood from providing earthquake relief to women in Haiti saying they were trying to promote their agenda (yes they were -- the agenda was to try to help women who had lost EVERYTHING PREVENT unwanted pregnancies, have healthy pregnancies, and safe births).
Brent Bozell -- who believes net neutrality amounts to a plot to "control the Internet."
Kenneth Cribb -- a professional Climate Change denier funded by Exxon
Grover Norquist -- remember the Abramoff scandal?

I don't think I need to go on. I for one will NOT be adding my name to theirs. I have NOTHING in common with these hacks.

However, I bet this screed gets tons of publicity and in the end it will be as effective as the the Sharon Statement 50 years ago or the Contract on America from 1994.

Put the Republicans on the Record

The Hill reports:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) lacks the votes to begin debating his targeted jobs bill, according to sources monitoring the legislation.

Reid needs 60 votes to open debate on the $15 billion jobs bill. The vote is scheduled for Monday, when lawmakers return from the Presidents Day recess.

I say FORCE the vote. Make every one of those Republithugs stand up and vote against a jobs bill. And then every Democrat needs to grab a microphone and point out to the country that the Republicans prevented a jobs bill from being passed. Then they should send staff over to C-Span and make sure they have a good clean copy of the tape of them voting NAY and add it to every one of their next campaign commercials and tell their constituients "go ahead and throw me out but look what you'll get."

Harry: Do the party the biggest favor you can. FORCE THE VOTE.

Render to Caesar

I shouldn't be shocked that these Haitian children kidnappers Baptists from Idaho think they are above the law because they say 'their intentions were good'. This is a convenient rationale.

But the leader of this bunch is a particularly irresponsible and reprehensibe citizen. She's defaulted on her obligations, refused to pay employees, didn't get required paperwork for her personal business, didn't show up in court when vendors sued her for non-payment, and skipped out on fines and taxes. Her local newspaper states:

But even before Laura L. Silsby and seven other Idahoans ended up in a Haitian jail accused of trafficking in children, Silsby had a history of failing to pay debts, failing to pay her employees and failing even to follow Idaho laws.

So I have questions -- why would ANYONE follow this woman? She was a disaster waiting to happen. But then when the disaster happens, why defend her?

Many of the excuses have centered around her deeply held religious calling. Bull shit. Jesus said “Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.” He is commanding his followers to respect the State's authority. You can save orphan children in the name of God but do it legally. This woman hasn't demonstrated any respect for Caesar or her neighbors for that matter. Don't tell me you are following Jesus' example in helping these children but then conveniently ignore his actual words instructing you to do it within the law.

Idiots. Hope you enjoy your time in a Haitian jail.