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Saturday, March 24, 2007

Son Informed Dad of Erin McLean's Affair

Knoxville, TN (TLS). Eric McLean, who is in jail on the charge of murdering his wife's lover, states that he learned of the affair between Erin McLean and Sean Powell through his 11-year-old son.

Eric McLean granted an interview with NBC Today's Matt Lauer Friday morning.

McLean expressed deep remorse for the killing of Sean Powell, which he says was an accident. The killing took place on the night of March 10, 2007 after Eric had initially dialed 911 to report an intruder in the McLean home. Eric's wife Erin later called 911 to report that her husband had shot Sean Powell outside their home.

In the aftermath of these tragic events Erin McLean moved to Nashville, where she is staying with relatives along with her two children. She made a suicide attempt just five days later on March 15. Police records indicate that Erin was transported to a local medical center after taking an overdose of pills, and that she was discharged from the facility a few days later.

Eric McLean, on the other hand, is in jail after being charged with the murder of Sean Powell. His interview with Matt Lauer on Friday provides more insight into the scenario that led to the tragic events of March 10.

McLean states that he was in denial about his wife's involvement with one of her students. He had confronted her in December about the affair--an accusation that Erin McLean fiercely denied. Eric also confronted Sean Powell at the time, to which Powell also denied any involvement with Erin McLean.

However, the McLeans' 11-year-old son reported to his Dad that his Mother had been seen walking hand-in-hand with Sean Powell in a park. When confronted by the information provided by their son, Erin once again denied any involvement and, according to Eric, severely punished her son later for 'squealing on her to his Dad.'

At that point, according to Eric, he became fearful for the safety of his children.

A local newspaper in the area, the Knoxville News Sentinel, has the complete story on Eric McLean's interview with Matt Lauer. Read all about it here:
http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/0,1406,KNS_347_5434233,00.html

Bill Clinton Holds Fundraiser in Exercise Club

New York, NY (TLS). 35 scantily clad females and 5 males paid $2300.00 a piece to exercise while Bill 'Cigars' Clinton spoke to the group, took questions from attendees, and raised funds for wife Hillary at an exercise club in Manhattan.

In order to spend an hour or so with the ex-President, club members who paid the fee agreed to cover up their skimpy exercise attire with large, long-sleeved t-shirts in 'deference' to Clinton.

Obviously, club owners didn't wish to overly tempt 'Cigars' Clinton by parading scantily clad, good looking females in front of him while he spoke.

This affair took place at the 'SoulCycle' Spinning Studio on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

One of the participants was a writer by the name of Charla Krupp, who stated, 'There was more makeup in that spinning class than I had ever seen in my life. Everyone looked like they had just come from the beauty salon.'

After giving a short speech, Clinton took questions for roughly a half-hour.

Several women who attended the event reported that they were more than just a little dazzled by the ex-President. One stated, 'He was incredible, he was engaging, exciting, warm, brilliant, phenomenal. It only gets you more excited to do more.'

Wow. Sounds like this chic got hot enough without doing any cycling.

Another said, 'There’s no question why he’s the most popular former president. But again, Hillary’s the front-runner. It’s now our time, women’s time, to have a vote.'

Don't worry, dear. If you can get Hillary out of the way by placing her in the Oval Office, she will be much too busy to care about Bill's dalliances--just in case you have designs.

Bill was able to raise over $70,000 for Hillary's campaign during that one event...35 women and 5 men in an exercise club. News personnel and photographers were not allowed at the private fundraiser.

Wonder if Bill passed out the cigars?

Update on School Bus Terror Plot

Washington, DC (TLS). By now everyone knows that the nation is definitely a target of a terror plot in the making--a plot that utilizes the nation's school buses. The silver lining in this dark cloud, however, is that the FBI is aware of it and is tracking it.

However, the FBI's handling of the information is troubling.

As 'Political Mavens' columnist Stefan Kanfer shows below, the FBI's oxymoron in alerting law enforcement officials about overseas terrorists attempting to buy and drive school buses, while at the same time assuring the public that it has nothing to fear and that our children are safe, is an exercise in 'cognitive dissonance.'

In short, both of the FBI's statements cannot be true. It is either one or the other. Either there is no real terror plot involving school buses, or our children are clearly NOT safe due to the fact that there IS such a plot in the works.

Needless to say, parents, students, and teachers need to be on high alert.

Here is Kanfer's column:
http://politicalmavens.com/index.php/2007/03/20/bus-pass/

Friday, March 23, 2007

LIBERTY ALERT! SHOWDOWN IN THE GULF

Washington, DC (TLS). Tensions are high in the Persian Gulf this evening as U.S. and British forces reinforce their presence in the region in light of the kidnapping of British soldiers by the Iranian military. The British soldiers were taken in Iraqi waters just off the coast of Kuwait.

The situation has grown so tense that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad cancelled a much-publicized trip to New York to speak before the U.N. General Assembly on Saturday prior to a vote on a resolution further condemning Iran's nuclear program.

Observers are puzzled, however, that at such a critical moment in Iran's attempt to avoid further recriminations from the United Nations it would perpetrate such a blatant act of hostility.

The bottom line is that Iran is a rogue state seeking to develop nuclear bombs. Its President has made it clear he would not hesitate to use those bombs against Israel, Europe, and the United States. He has also made it perfectly clear that he wishes to annihilate the nation of Israel entirely, wiping it from the map.

Unless the British navy-men are released unharmed, then the U.S. and Britain must take immediate military action to stop the spreading scourge of radical, Iranian Islam. This can only be accomplished by military strikes from the air and sea, aimed at nuclear facilities and Iran's houses of government in Teheran.

Before Blaming Pet Food Manufacturers....

Washington, DC (TLS). Reports from university lab studies of the tainted pet food that has thus far resulted in the deaths of 15 cats and 1 dog indicate that rat poison is the culprit.

Lab results have pinpointed the exact type of rat poison--aminopterin--which is not sold legally in the United States. Early indications point to wheat gluten that came from China as the source of the poison. However, this has not yet been substantiated.

The CEO of Menu Foods, the manufacturer of the pet food that is sold under dozens of different name brands, stated in a press release today that he accepts full financial responsibility for any pet whose death can be directly traced to tainted food. While this is an admirable move, it is premature to affix blame for the deaths on the food manufacturer.

This story is shaping up to be a deliberate act of harmful intent. The question is, who is behind it and why?

Americans' love for their pets is well-known around the world. Most of us who own cats or dogs consider them to be trusted friends and companions, even members of the family. The quickest way to hurt me is to hurt my dog.

Thus, the obvious question arises as to whether or not this act of the mass poisoning of pets is a terrorist-related crime. Or is this merely the demented work of a sick individual, closely akin to the now-infamous Tylenol tainting 20 years ago?

There is yet another possibility that points to motivation that is even more sinister--the possibility that the pet poisonings are a trial balloon, a 'dry run' by a terrorist group intent on a mass poisoning of the nation's food supply, the effectiveness of which is first determined by the level of success in causing the deaths of dogs and cats.

Needless to say, the possibility of such an attack shows that at the very least the vigilance of America in considering ALL fronts in a possible terrorist act, including the tainting of the nation's food supply, is an absolute life-and-death necessity.

New Update on Allenna Williams Ward Case

Clinton, SC (TLS). The parents of the five teenagers who accused Bell Street Middle School teacher Allenna Williams Ward of engaging in sexual conduct with them all over town are planning a candlelight vigil in Clinton on Monday evening, March 26.

Vigil organizer Rosa Booker stated, 'These kids are going to school and getting their virginity taken away from them. These children need to know this is something that you don't keep quiet.'

Of course, Booker is right when it comes to sexual assault and inappropriate behavior on the part of teachers toward underage students. If such activity is taking place, it is imperative that the students in question report it.

The nation has seen a barrage of such activity in recent years as female teachers seem to have cast aside all ethical, moral, and professional restraints in going after teenage students. This activity is deplorable and should be condemned. The guilty should do jail time.

However, in the Allenna Williams Ward case, so far all we have are accusations and charges based upon those accusations. No proof has yet been produced that exposes any guilt on the part of Ward. She has not even had a trial. Yet a small but vocal group in Clinton is all but proclaiming her guilt and using the accusations as a springboard from which to conduct grandstanding activity in town, as if to convict Ward in the court of public opinion and create a sense on the part of the public that the accusations of the teenagers should not be questioned.

The practice is despicable and is on the same par as the deplorable actions on the part of the Durham community last Spring when three Duke lacrosse players were falsely accused of rape. Certain community leaders, including the administration and 88 faculty members of Duke, made accusatory statements to the press and conducted rallies in town denouncing the three innocent students.

The result was a charade, a three-ring-circus that perpetuated one of the biggest hoaxes in the history of American jurisprudence.

Is the same thing beginning to happen in Clinton?

One would hope that we as a society have learned something in the aftermath of the Duke rape hoax. But if the actions of certain citizens in Clinton are any indication, apparently we have not learned our lesson well enough.

Displays such as the candlelight vigil to be held on Monday should be reserved for after the trial in the event that Ward is found guilty.

Until such time, such displays only add to suspicions of a set-up.

Newt's Got a Big Problem

Washington, DC (TLS). Newt Gingrich has emerged as one of the potential 'dark horse' candidates who could rise to the top of the pack at the last minute in the race toward the Republican Presidential nomination.

However, Newt's got a big problem.

Gun Owners of America (GOA) has published a complete informational rundown on the candidates in both Parties and how they stack up with regard to 2nd Amendment rights. According to Gun Owners of America, Newt often thwarted attempts to get gun rights bills placed on the docket when he was Speaker of the House, leading to less than admirable ratings by the GOA.

At one point, GOA states that Gingrich garnered no better than a grade of 'D' on gun rights.

What this means is that Gingrich is only one grade ahead of the dismal ratings of 'F' and 'F-' that GOA has given to candidates Giuliani and McCain. The GOA states that Romney has been all over the board so much on various issues, including gun rights, that it is difficult to tell what, exactly, the candidate truly believes about the 2nd Amendment.

By far the best candidates on gun rights are Duncan Hunter, Mike Huckabee, and Ron Paul, with Tom Tancredo moving up fast.

While Newt's stance on other issues of great interest to conservatives may, in the long run, overcome any weakness on gun issues, at this point it appears that he has a long way to go in convincing gun rights groups that he is our man.

On the other hand, none of the Democrats have anything that could be construed as an acceptable record on the 2nd Amendment, with the possible exception of Governor Bill Richardson. While the GOA has yet to rate Richardson on their grading scale, the rest of the pack among the Democrats rate an 'F' or worse...'F-' being the absolute worst (candidates Clinton, Obama, Biden, Dodd, and even Gore rate an 'F-').

Thus, a Gingrich candidacy would be much preferred over the likes of anything the Democrats have put forth.

Click here to get the scoop directly from the GOA website:
http://gunowners.org/pres08/

Approval Rating of Congress Plunges

Washington, DC (TLS). Here is some interesting news for those of you who are politics and media watchers. The public's approval rating of Congress has plunged to a dismal 28% in a new Gallup poll.

According to the Gallup organization, apparently the public has quickly become just as disenchanted with the new Democrat Congress as it was with the old Republican Congress.

Following the November 2006 election cycle, the public seemed ready to give the Democrats the benefit of the doubt, as approval ratings for Congress rose in the polls.

However, a mere two months after the Democrats took control of Congress, the public's approval rating has plunged back to the low ebb it exhibited just prior to the November election.

Thus, the next time you hear the mainstream media gleefully report on the President's low approval rating, just remember that the public views Congress as even worse.

Here's more:
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=/Politics/archive/200703/POL20070321b.html

Dems Show Contempt for Gun Rights in D.C.

Washington, DC (TLS). The House of Representatives was in complete disarray Thursday afternoon as a bill supporting voting rights for residents of the District of Columbia was pulled by House leaders, placing the measure on indefinite hold.

The reason? House Republicans had attached a measure to the bill that would repeal the D.C. gun ban, a ban which a Federal Court has already ruled as unconstitutional.

At least 50 conservative Democrats were set to align themselves to vote with Republicans on this important measure to restore Constitutional rights to bear arms in D.C. But House leaders decided that they had rather pull the D.C. voting rights bill than to be embarrassed by the defections of conservative Democrats in joining with Republicans to restore 2nd Amendment rights.

Thus, in this single move, House Democrats, with the exception of the 50 defectors who would dare defy Pelosi's Commi-House, have shown beyond any doubt their utter contempt for the gun rights of citizens in D.C.

The extremist Leftist House leadership would rather withdraw the entire bill from consideration than to allow 50 of their most conservative members to join with Republicans in restoring the Constitutional right to keep and bear arms to the citizens of D.C.

Observers of the House report that at this point the entire chamber disintegrated into disarray. Pelosi was missing in action. Hoyer was yelling at his staff. Democrats on the floor were angrily yelling about how those awful Republicans would be so brazen as to attach a measure insuring gun rights to a bill insuring voting rights (BOTH of which are Constitutional rights). Republicans were fuming about how the Democrats withdrew from the table any consideration of voting rights SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT BRING THEMSELVES TO ALLOW CITIZENS IN D.C. TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS, AS THE CONSTITUTION AFFIRMS.

The one central fact that has risen to the surface in this shameful display is that the contempt of gun rights by House Democrats outweighs any concern about voting rights. They had rather D.C. not have representation in the House than to allow citizens to exercise their Constitutional right to own and carry guns.

As we have said many times, the Democrat leadership is an absolute disgrace to the country.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

LIBERTY ALERT! ALL CHARGES TO BE DROPPED IN DUKE RAPE SCANDAL

Durham, NC (TLS). The Liberty Sphere has learned that all charges are to be dropped against the three accused students in the Duke lacrosse rape scandal. Paul Caulfield, writer for Inside Lacrosse Magazine, told FOX NEWS today that sources close to the case state that all of the remaining charges against the three students are to be dropped within the next few days.

Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong had already dropped the charges of rape when the accuser changed her story about what happened for a 2nd or 3rd time. But charges remained against the three for kidnapping and unspecified sex crimes.

Caulfield stated that his sources were not only defense attorneys in the case but others who would have the inside scoop on what to expect.

While Caulfield refused to specify who, exactly, provided him with this information, he implied that the information came from both the defense AND the prosecution. The North Carolina Bar had issued a scathing report in a brief filed this week on Mike Nifong, who is now a defendant charged with ethics violations, prosecutorial misconduct, and lying to the court.

In that brief the Bar expressed incredulity toward Nifong's defense of his behavior, which consisted of using previous erroneous statements to prove that he had not lied to the court.

In short, Nifong claims he did not lie by pointing to previous lies before the court--a most curious line of reasoning given that trying to prove one's trustworthiness by pointing to previous lies certainly doesn't help one's case.

The brief filed by the Bar has perhaps given us a foreshadowing of things to come, namely, that Nifong faces an uphill battle at best in coming out of this thing unscathed. Further, if records show that the accusers made false charges and that Nifong mishandled those false charges, then civil litigation on the part of the families of the three students is almost a certainty.

Taking the long view, that one brief filed by the North Carolina Bar this week may well be the signal of the end to this long nightmare. The predictions made by sources who spoke to
Paul Caulfield may be the confirmation of the broad speculation that the poignant words of the Bar concerning Nifong's behavior could well be the long-awaited sign that the North Carolina judicial system is finally ready to rid the state of this stain on its reputation.

We can only hope that Caulfield is right.

Conyers Introduces Bill to Muzzle Christians

Washington, DC (TLS). Well, he did it. He actually did it. Rep. John Conyers, who was appointed by Nancy Pelosi as Chair of the House Judiciary Committee in spite of his breaking of federal campaign laws, has introduced the long-awaited bill that would criminalize your Pastor if he reads from the Bible that homosexual behavior is a sin.

According to Conyers, this constitutes 'hate speech' and thus qualifies as a 'hate crime.'

As if this were not enough, the bill also would define hate speech (a hate crime) as writing or verbalizing a term that extremist Muslims find offensive, such as 'Jihadist,' or 'Muslim terrorist,' or 'Islamic Fascists.'

In short, telling the plain truth will be outlawed in the United States of America.

Many Congressional observers wondered if Conyers would actually have the audacity to introduce such extremist legislation, given that his Party is quickly becoming known as the haven for the most subversive, Leftwing nutcases in the world. Yet Conyers can hardly help himself since for the first time in over a decade the Leftists have a little power.

And make no mistake. The ones who have the power in the Democrat Party are the ones who are the most out-of-touch, extremist Leftists.

Barely had Pelosi been sworn in as Speaker of the House when the Dems began their assault on gun rights, free speech, freedom of religion, the right of bloggers to alert readers to contact Congress concerning pending legislation, and a host of other subversive legislation.

Thus, it is actually no surprise that Conyers wants to muzzle Christians and Jews, and most sane Americans, by passing federal legislation aimed at making a hate crime out of the exercise of free speech.

If there were ever any doubt that the Democrats would do this and thus show their true colors as extremist Liberal collectivists who want to rob the citizens of their rights, those doubts have now been permanently erased.

Remember this in 2008.

You want to charge me with a hate crime, Conyers? Try this on for size. You are a criminal slime-ball who has no business serving in Congress at all much less being the Chair of a committee. You are part of the forces of anti-freedom who wish to rob citizens of their rights, and thus, you are a disgrace to your country and to the ideals of the Founders.

Here is more info on Conyers' Commie-bill:
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=/Culture/archive/200703/CUL20070321a.html

Outrage Erupts Over Gun Ban in Community

Nashville, TN (TLS). A Nashville suburb is ablaze with controversy over a new rule implemented by the homeowners' association that forbids firearms within the community. Antioch, Tennessee is a bedroom community in the Nashville metro area that is home to a subdivision by the name of 'Nashboro Village.' Homeowners within the subdivision recently received a notice from the homeowners' association informing them that guns are no longer allowed within Nashboro Village.

Perhaps the homeowners' association under-estimated the resolve and power of gun owners.

Stating that their Constitutional rights are being violated, homeowners took to the streets to express outrage that their community would not allow them to exercise a liberty guaranteed to them by law.

The homeowners' association responded with a notice that they will change their regulations to allow gun ownership, but residents will not be permitted to fire those guns.

Say what?

Tell that to the single woman who is the victim of a break-in, reaches for her revolver by the bed, and finds herself staring at an intruder who is intent on harming her.

I'll tell you what--tell those morons who run the homeowners' association that they are too dumb to exercise oversight of a residential community, and that they can simply go jump into the nearest lake.

Here is the complete story in the Nashville media:
http://www.wtvf.com/Global/story.asp?S=6242822

How To Pressure Colleges to Change

Atlanta, GA (TLS). The shocking story of the Georgia Tech student who is the recipient of death and rape threats because of her involvement with conservative campus groups has raised the question, what can the average American do about it?

Donors to colleges and universities are often unaware of the blatant anti-American propaganda that is disseminated on a daily basis by faculties and administrations across the country, nor of the intimidation students receive for their opposition to these atrocities.

If most donors knew the real truth, they would be up in arms.

And this is the preferred method of attack. Get the truth to the donors. The donors will then refuse to give money. Money talks. In spite of the Leftist, anti-capitalist blather one hears on most college campuses these days, the campuses cannot survive without that capital that capitalism provides. And administrators know it.

Let one multi-million-dollar donor to a university find out that his Alma Mater is teaching students that capitalism is evil, and that university may find itself several million dollars in the hole next year.

This is precisely the thing that happened to the College of William and Mary in the dispute over the removal of the Wren Cross from the chapel by college President Gene Nichol.

A major donor withheld his donations. Never had anyone seen Nichol move so fast to get the Cross back into the chapel.

Our favorite intellectual, Dr. Walter Williams, has the complete story here:
http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/williams032107.php3

Conservatives Get Death Threats at Georgia Tech

Atlanta, GA (TLS). Does the name Ruth Malhotra mean anything to you? Probably not. But it should, and perhaps after this story makes its rounds, it will.

Malhotra is a student at Georgia Tech in Atlanta who has been the recipient of numerous death threats, including threats of rape, after she joined up with College Republicans to oppose the so-called 'gay pride' day at the school.

So far, administration officials at Georgia Tech have engaged in excessive foot-dragging in conducting investigations into the threats. Atlanta police officials say they have no leads into who is behind these despicable acts of domestic terrorism on the college campus, in spite of the fact that some of the messages contain the signatures of the persons who sent them.

The Liberty Sphere has become increasingly aware in recent days of a massive problem brewing just underneath the surface on college and university campuses across the nation. Conservative speakers such as Victor Davis Hanson and Ann Coulter have been heckled into silence. Ex-Jihadist Nonie Darwish was not allowed to fulfill a speaking engagement at one university due to threats by Muslim students. College Republicans at Michigan State University were the target of Congressional investigations due to a party they sponsored called 'Find the Illegal Alien,' in order to highlight the nation's explosive problem with illegals invading our country. The highly respected conservative student organization, Young Americans for Freedom, was designated as a 'hate group' by the Southern Poverty Law Center for its support for enforcing the nation's immigration laws, for the definition of marriage as being that between and man and a woman, and for the desire to end affirmative action as a racist/sexist program that places merit in a subservient position to race and gender.

These examples are only the tip of the iceberg, however.

Take the case of Ruth Malhotra at Georgia Tech. Her problems began when she complained about a course taught by Georgia Persons, who told her that because she attended a meeting of the Conservative Political Action Committee, which necessitated her missing one class, that she would fail the course, in spite of having an 'A' average.

It was all downhill from there.

Milhotra reports that conservatives on campus are thwarted by the faculty and administration in every move they make, while Leftist groups are given a green light.

But it was campus conservatives' opposition to a gay pride day and their protest of 'the Vagina Monologues' that seemed to mark the beginning of the death and rape threats against Malhotra. She was even summoned to a meeting with the President of the School, during which she was told that her involvement with the College Republicans was 'distasteful' and violated the spirit of civility they wanted to foster on campus.

Malhotra then presented the President with a litany of examples that Georgia Tech is anything but civil when it comes to the overt support of Leftwing politics. Stating that the College Republicans were muzzled on every hand by administration, Leftwing groups on the other hand were given free reign in violently condemning President Bush, the War in Iraq, and Christians on campus. Malhotra contends that Christians, such as herself, are often targets of vile and demeaning insults on campus by fellow students.

To this, Molhotra was given the brush off.

In fact, it appears that the series of death threats and rape threats have ALSO been given the brush off by Georgia Tech officials.

Yet a lawsuit filed by Molhotra against the school resulted in a major legal setback for Georgia Tech. A Judge found that Tech's regulations on speech and its selective manner of enforcing those regulations was unconstitutional.

Molhotra's victory in court against Georgia Tech brought forth even more death threats. One stated, 'So you're not dead yet? You will be soon.'

Another threat stated, 'Don't even try to protest our National Coming Out Day. If you do you will regret it. You are already hated on campus, and you should fear for your life.'

The shocking aspect to all of this is that in spite of the fact that some of these threats contain the signatures of the persons who wrote them, Georgia Tech officials and the Atlanta Police have yet to do one thing about it.

If something happens to this courageous young lady, steps should be taken to investigate every single member of the Administration of Georgia Tech who, through their silence, have been co-conspirators in the intimidation and criminal threats against a student.

In fact, if something is not done about the obvious clowns who run this Leftist, communist organization that fronts as a university, then steps should be taken to shut it down. They are a disgrace to American academia.

Read the entire details of this story here:
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=27434

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

ALERT! Erin McLean Attempts Suicide

Nashville, TN (TLS). Erin McLean, the 30-year-old married mother of two whose affair with an 18-year-old high school student that ended in the student's murder at the hands of McLean's husband, has attempted suicide.

According to emergency 911 records in Nashville, a call was placed to 911 on the evening of March 15, summoning paramedics to the home of relatives where Erin and her children were staying after the murder in Knoxville.

Relatives state that apparently Erin attempted suicide by taking an overdose. The incident occurred a mere five days after Erin's husband fatally shot 18-year-old Sean Powell, with whom Erin was having an affair.

Erin McLean had met Powell while doing a teaching internship at West High School in Knoxville as part of a graduate program in education at the University of Tennessee.

On Monday of this week, March 19, officials at the University of Tennessee stated that Erin McLean had been placed on indefinite leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation into violations of university policy.

It is unclear as to whether or not Erin McLean was admitted to a medical facility following the suicide attempt. Relatives declined to provide further information, and medical facilities are under strict confidentiality guidelines with regard to patients.

'Tis the Season When Candidates 'Get Religion'

Saluda, NC (TLS). The first World War provided the backdrop for a new phrase to be added to the modern vernacular: 'There are no atheists in foxholes.' The reference, of course, was to the innovative development in waging war that utilized the digging of trenches in the ground to provide soldiers with extra protection from enemy fire.

While 'trench warfare,' as it was called, represented a major step forward in waging war, the fact was that troops by the millions died just as effectively while embedded in a foxhole as they did in an open field. The scene was frightening as scores of young men watched as their fellow soldiers died all around them from bullets, mortar, grenades, and the like--all of which was made even more poignant by the close proximity of soldiers huddled together like sardines in a can within the trenches.

It was said that many a prayer went up to heaven from those foxholes as soldiers petitioned the Almighty for a safe passage back to America. Even the hardened of the non-religious were said to begin a very active, devoted prayer life the first time they heard bullets whizz passed their heads while embedded in a trench.

This year in the life of our nation we see the political candidates for national office already beginning their long, uphill climb toward the primaries in early 2008. The brave souls who dare to announce their bid for the Presidential nomination are in many ways like those soldiers down in the trenches. The first shots have already been fired from the media, opponents, and the voters themselves out on the stump.

Thus, most candidates 'get religion' in a hurry.

Of course, I use this term as a metaphor for the tendency of most candidates to begin to truly listen to the voters and make some concessions that belie their record.

We need look no further than John McCain to see an example of this phenomenon. In Iowa over the weekend McCain, when dogged by questions concerning his indefensible position on opting for a program of open borders in response to the problem of illegal aliens, stated that he 'may be forced to rethink his position on the issue.'

The question is, is McCain truly beginning to 'get religion' or is he merely engaging in the suspicious practice of 'deathbed repentance?'

It is not that McCain is unique in this regard. Politicians have long been known to suddenly see the light on issues when they are forced to face the voters in an election. The problem, historically, has been that once they get elected they forget all about their promises to the electorate, thus making their claim of seeing the light on certain issues nothing more than an excercise in pandering to voters and betraying their own true thoughts and feelings.

The perfect illustration of this phenomenon is the story of two men who were stranded on the open seas in a small row-boat. Without water or food, the two were near death. The weakest of the two knelt down in the bottom of the boat to pray while the other looked through binoculars to see if he could spot land.

He said, 'I am not a praying man, but if it works in getting us out of here, I'll do it.'

About a 5 seconds later the other said, 'Wait a minute. Wait a minute! You don't need to do something stupid like praying now. I think I see land!'

'Seeing the light' and 'getting religion' is a convenient, opportunistic ploy of seasoned politicians who have amassed a record of votes on issues that do not resonate with the public. Such a politician can face the voters and claim a 'change of heart,' or a 'sudden recognition that they had been wrong' in the past, or even better, my favorite excuse--'I have grown and matured since those misguided days of my youth.'

The gullible fall for this balderdash and re-elect the repentant, only to be fooled again when the politician in question resumes his or her old tricks, securely ensconced in office and insulated from the public for at least 2 years, sometimes 4 or 6.

Thus, Hillary Clinton can claim, 'If I knew then what I know now, I would have never voted in favor of the Iraq War.' Barack Hussein Obama can embrace an evangelical Christian group, talk about Jesus and such, while conveniently hiding the fact that his voting record is the most Leftwing of all of the candidates. Rudy Giuliani can claim that the only reason his record on gun rights is so dreadful is that NYC needed extreme measures to reign in the crime spree. Mitt Romney can talk about how he has progressed from one who supported abortion rights to one who is solidly pro-life.

This is not to say that some candidates are not being honest when they claim a progression in thought and feeling through the years. We all change with time in certain ways. However, as my old Baptist preacher used to say in my youth, 'The ONLY instance of genuine deathbed repentance in the Bible is the thief hanging beside Jesus on the Cross.'

The message in this, of course, is that genuine deathbed conversions are possible but rare.

So, who do you trust?

The proof is in the pudding, as they say. Many of those running for President have been around a very long time. It should be clear to most who have eyes to see and ears to hear that most of these simply cannot be trusted. They will say anything to get elected, and then, once in office they unleash a steady stream of legislative initiatives and policy statements that make everything they said during the campaign a lie.

One need look no further than so-called 'Blue Dog Democrats' who ran as conservatives but once elected proceeded to march in lockstep with Nancy Pelosi's extremist, Leftwing agenda.

But after all, it's all about nothing more than getting elected, isn't it?

Malkin: 'The Witch Hunt Against Gun Owners'

Saluda, NC (TLS). Charlton Heston, the famed actor and former President of the NRA, became well-known for stating that the only way government could deprive him of his gun would be to 'pry it from my cold, dead hands.'

Heston could be quite profound and often waxed eloquent in his impassioned defense of Americans' right to keep and bear arms.

'The Second Amendment,' he once said, 'is America's first freedom. The Second secures all of the rest.'

That these words have largely fallen on deaf ears in many segments of American society is shocking, given that a mere cursory knowledge of history exhibits the stark truth that all of America's freedoms were won and maintained by the use of the firearm. Without this basic, inalienable right, no freedom is secure.

Heston made this point clear in a speech he delivered before the National Press Club in the mid-1990s, during which he chastened the media for its complicity in attacking law-abiding citizens for utilizing their Constitutional right to keep and bear arms.

In that watershed speech, Heston stated, 'Clearly, too many have used freedom of the press as a weapon not only to strangle our free speech, but to erode and ultimately destroy the right to keep and bear arms as well. In doing so you promoted your profession to that of constitutional judge and jury, more powerful even than our Supreme Court, more prejudiced than the Inquisition's tribunals. It is a frightening misuse of constitutional privilege, and I pray that you will come to your senses and see that these abuses are curbed.'

During this particular season in the life of the nation as we set our sights toward the 2008 nominations and election cycle, the mainstream media needs to be reminded of these words yet again.

Columnist and political pundit Michelle Malkin effectively and eloquently provides this reminder in her latest column entitled, 'The Witch Hunt Against Gun Owners.' Read her striking commentary here:
http://www.vdare.com/malkin/070320_second_amendment.htm

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Rohrabacher: Bush Arrogant, Shows Contempt

Washington, DC (TLS). Using his strongest language yet to lash out at President Bush, U.S. House Representative Dana Rohrabacher, R-CA, described the President as 'arrogant' and exhibiting an utter 'contempt' for Congress in the Border Patrol scandal.

Rohrabacher made his remarks in a speech before the U.S. House on Monday afternoon.

Claiming that in response to the outcry of Congressmen such as Rohrabacher, Duncan Hunter, Tom Tancredo, and others, who have all but begged the President for a pardon for the two falsely accused agents, Bush instead 'dug in his heels' and stubbornly refused to hear the mountain of evidence concerning Johnny Sutton's lies, the lies of the Department of Homeland Security, and the pain suffered by the two agents and their families.

The Department of Homeland Security, said Rohrabacher, is raging out of control with nobody truly at the helm to make sure justice is done. The Department has just now released transcripts of the Ramos-Compean trial, a full two years after the incident at the Border took place, despite persistent requests from Congress that the documents be released.

Rohrabacher further described other incidents of foot-dragging on the part of Homeland Security in providing much-needed information on the case--a case in which the Department admitted it lied.

The Congressman points the finger directly at Johnny Sutton, Alberto Gonzalez, and President Bush in fixing the blame for the debacle. In spite of written documentation proving that the government violated the chain of custody in handling vital evidence of bullet fragments in the case, and in spite of the fact that a Homeland Security official allowed the illegal alien drug smuggler to stay overnight at his personal residence after his release from the hospital, the government doggedly pursued the prosecution of agents Ramos and Compean, suppressing evidence that most assuredly would have changed the opinion of the jury.

In a display that shows just how passionately Rohrabacher feels about this case, the Congressman angrily suggested that Bush has become a puppet of the Mexican government when it comes to our southern border and that law enforcement agents are prosecuted at Mexico's bidding.

Rohrabacher stated that a Congressional investigation would ensue into charges of undue influence-peddling by the Mexican government in the U.S. judicial system--illegal activity that has been met with no objection from the Justice Department, Attorney-General Gonzalez, or President Bush.

The Liberty Sphere reported many weeks ago that this one case could spell the unraveling of the Bush Presidency. In the midst of ridiculous and laughable saber-rattling by Democrats on such insignificant matters as the firing of eight U.S. Attorneys (because the Dems are afraid their replacements will investigate in earnest the ample corruption of Congressional Democrats), the one thing that could legitimately bring down the Bush Presidency has been conspicuously ignored by Democrats.

This is because they share culpability with the President over our nation's despicable practice of deliberately failing to enforce federal law on illegal aliens.

Once more, I would like to remind the President, Attorney-General Gonzalez, Johnny Sutton, and at least 300 Democrats that the U.S. Code plainly states that aiding and abetting illegal aliens is a FELONY.

I am almost at the point of charging ALL of them with committing felonies and getting rid of the entire lot.

The nation can be most thankful that 2008 is on the way!

Immigration Fraud and Terrorism

Knoxville, TN (TLS). As we have reported previously on The Liberty Sphere, Michael Cutler is one of the nation's leading experts on counterterrorism. Culter gave testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security on March 15, 2007.

That testimony indicates that at present, the nation's broken system of handling immigration is the single largest terrorist threat to the United States.

Cutler's shocking and eye-opening words to Congress indicate that allowing 20 million illegal aliens to remain in the country unaccounted-for points to massive immigration fraud that threatens not only the fabric of the culture but the security of the citizens.

The Border Security issue is only part of the problem, however. The U.S. system of granting political asylum and naturalization to political dissidents from overseas has created a entire sub-culture of immigration fraud throughout the country. Cutler maintains that upwards of 40% of illegal aliens in the nation did not illegally enter the U.S. by running the border and avoiding customs inspections. Rather, this segment of illegals enters the U.S. through a recognized port of entry, receive legal admission for a specific purpose, but then go on to violate the terms of their admission to the U.S. by overstaying their authorized period of admission, securing illegal employment, and becoming involved in criminal activity.

This is the preferred method of entering the U.S. by most terrorists, according to Cutler.

Thus, while it is important to secure the nation's southern border, it is also of vital importance to change the method of allowing legal entry into the United States.

Cutler suggests a program of detention for those seeking political asylum from overseas.

Read the text of Cutler's testimony before Congress here:
http://counterterrorismblog.org/2007/03/my_congressional_testimony_on.php

NC Bar Issues Statement on Nifong

Knoxville, TN (TLS). The North Carolina Bar has issued a preliminary statement concerning its hearings into prosecutorial misconduct, lying to the court, and ethics violations on the part of Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong.

In a preliminary statement that many observers say indicates that Nifong is in serious trouble, the Bar stated that the Durham D.A. had attempted to 'skirt the system' in his handling of the Duke lacrosse rape scandal.

In a legal brief filed on Monday of this week, the Bar used the most striking terminology in describing Nifong's behavior. The brief states that the Bar does not accept Nifong's explanation for withholding DNA evidence and further claims that he is 'twisting words' to make his explanation fit with the law.

The brief also expresses concern that Nifong did not provide defense attorneys with a summary concerning the results of the DNA tests. That summary, according to the brief, is an essential aspect of remaining within accepted ethical boundaries.

A key component of the Bar's brief, however, is contained in these telling words: 'Nifong is arguing that he can make false statements to a court…then use his misrepresentations to claim he committed no violation.'

Judicial observers, including legal scholars, state that the wording of the Bar at this point is most poignant and points toward an attitude of incredulity on the part of Bar officials toward Nifong's defense of his behavior. This is the reason that the brief is viewed by most observers to be an early indication that Nifong is going to have a very tough time convincing the Bar that he has no culpability in his handling of this case.

Nifong's hearing before the Bar is scheduled for sometime in June.

Duncan Hunter on Gun Issues

Knoxville, TN (TLS). Ever since U.S. Representative Duncan Hunter, R-CA, announced his candidacy for the Republican Presidential nomination, The Liberty Sphere has been taking a periodic look at the candidate's stand on various issues.

Today we look at Hunter's stand on gun issues, the Second Amendment, the use of firearms, and the freedom of Americans to manufacturer and use ammunition.

Very few politicians in Washington or anywhere else can match Duncan Hunter's record on the issue of gun-and-ammo rights. As we have mentioned before, our favorite 2nd Amendment advocacy group, Gun Owners of America, has given Hunter the rare grade of 'A+' on gun issues.

In addition, the NRA has also given Hunter the rating of 'A+.'

While we have all the respect in the world for the NRA, it is actually much more difficult to attain Gun Owners of America's grade of A+ than it is to get the same rating from the NRA. We support both groups, but Gun Owners of America's standards are very tough when it comes to their perfect rating of A+.

What this means, of course, is that among citizens elected to public office within the United States, Duncan Hunter is part of an elite group of fierce defenders of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which recognizes and protects the right of individual citizens to keep and bear arms.

An important adjunct in the support of the 2nd Amendment is the support of the right to purchase ammunition for firearms without restriction. The Second Amendment is rendered null and void if politicians load up the U.S. Code and local laws with needless restrictions on the manufacturers of gun ammunition.

The politicians know this. Thus, their attempt to negate the 2nd Amendment by making it nearly illegal or impossible to manufacture and buy ammo is an underhanded, sleazy attempt to subvert the U.S. Constitution by the 'backdoor method.' This is one of the reasons why the forces of anti-freedom, such as the Brady Bunch and N.Y.C. Mayor Bloomberg, are targeting the manufacturers of ammunition.

Duncan Hunter is one politician that understand this and has a clear voting record of opposing attempts by the Left to pass restrictions on the manufacture and sale of bullets and other ammo.

Here is a small sampling of Hunter's votes on gun-related issues:

*Voted YES on prohibiting product misuse lawsuits on gun manufacturers. (Oct 2005)
*Voted YES on prohibiting suing gunmakers & sellers for gun misuse.(Apr 2003)
*Voted YES on decreasing gun waiting period from 3 days to 1. (Jun 1999)

The Liberty Sphere still views Duncan Hunter as the most attractive candidate for the Republican Presidential nomination. We are encouraged that over the past few weeks two high-profile conservatives have indicated the willingness to consider entering the race--Fred Thompson and Newt Gingrich. Both of these candidates would be formidable against Democrats.

However, we still think that Duncan Hunter's views best represent ours and the majority of most Reagan conservatives. The only hurdle he faces is the monumental task of fund-raising. This is due to nothing more than the lack of name recognition.

Although the name recognition issue can be overcome in short order if one has the funds, Hunter will need to raise 100 million dollars by January 1, 2008 in order to overcome this handicap and mount a viable and competitive campaign against the heavy war-chests of Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and Mitt Romney.

The Liberty Sphere is willing to give Hunter a shot in order to see if the candidate gains the broad-based appeal to raise that 100 million bucks. It's still a long way to Jan. 1, but this is a lot of money. It is time for Hunter's financial supporters to break out the checkbooks so that the candidate can take his campaign up to the next level.

Monday, March 19, 2007

Teacher Sex Scandal Ends in Murder

Knoxville, TN (TLS). The city of Knoxville, Tennessee, tucked neatly beside the Tennessee River in the beautiful Smokey Mountains, is normally a quiet southern city that has a crime rate that should make it the envy of the world.

Knox County is home to deeply religious mountain folk who love their churches, their guns, and their bluegrass music. One would think that such a setting would produce more than its share of violent crime, particularly that which involves guns.

One would be quite wrong in making that assumption.

Gun violence is rare here, although the vast majority of the population owns them. Character, honor, and Christian values permeate the culture here, keeping a valuable check on any innate human tendency to engage in destructive behavior.

Every now and then, however, violence does shake the foundation of this mountain paradise. Knox County is known for ending the year with only one murder for the record books--for the entire year. Thus, when those rare murders creep into the community, you can be sure it becomes the talk of the town.

This murder, however, has all the trappings of a Hollywood tabloid scandal.

This story involves a young married school teacher, her husband, and an 18-year-old high school student. Quiet rumors of an affair made their rounds in this close-knit southern city, except in this case the nature of the affair was enough to send shock-waves racing through town like a live-wire in a bathtub.

This affair involved the ultimate taboo in a town that loves Jesus and its Gospel Music. The teacher allegedly was involved with one of her students.

30-year-old Erin McLean was in her final semester at the University of Tennessee, studying for a graduate degree in education. She met 18-year-old Sean Powell in the Fall of 2006 while doing a teaching internship at West High School in Knoxville. Powell dropped out of school in November of 2006 for unknown reasons, and moved to Nashville where he stayed with his formerly estranged mother, Debra Flynn.

It was at this time that a text message allegedly appeared--from Erin McLean to Sean Powell, stating, 'Come home, baby. I love you. You are beautiful.'

Flynn stated that her son admitted to the affair.

Apparently, the plea of the text message on that cell phone worked. On the evening of March 10, 2007, Erin McLean's husband, Eric, dialed 911 to report an intruder in their home. Seven minutes later Erin called 911 herself, stating that her husband had just shot Sean Powell outside--in the car that Powell was driving.

At this point Eric McLean fled the scene in his car, later leaving the vehicle at the high school where his wife taught. Police later found McLean 6 miles away walking along a railroad track, allegedly still carrying the shotgun he used to kill Sean Powell.

Eric McLean's attorney acknowledges that his client killed Powell, and thus, his defense at the trial will focus on WHY Eric shot Sean Powell to death.

Did he catch his wife and her 18-year-old lover in the act? Or did Sean Powell come to the home to see Erin and confront her husband--a meeting that resulted in a deadly argument?

These questions will be answered at the trial.

Sources close to the investigation state that Eric McLean had been aware of the affair between his wife and Powell, and that in a moment of rage he snapped.

As for Erin McLean, she moved to Nashville to stay with relatives along with her children. She has also hired her own attorney, although police have not charged her with any criminal wrongdoing. At the time the affair began, Powell was well-beyond the age of consent in the state of Tennessee.

Needless to say, this trial will focus on the biggest scandal these mountains have seen in many a year. Apart from the rarity of this sort of thing in these parts, this case will raise several tragic issues--the growing phenomenon of teacher-student sexual liaisons, the lack of clearly-stated guidelines that are strictly enforced by school systems regarding the professional wall that exists between educators and students, and the internal psychological dynamics of a spouse that is so thoroughly enraged by the fact that his wife was having an affair with a student that he loses control and kills her lover.

Thus, this trial will be of great national significance.

Top News/Commentary for Monday, March 19

Charlotte, NC (TLS). Good Morning! I hope all of you have a wonderful Monday and a productive work-week.

Scroll down for the following top news/commentary on The Liberty Sphere for today:

**A pro-liberty group, Young Americans for Freedom, has been designated as a 'hate group' by the ultra-Leftwing 'Southern Poverty Law Center.' Read the real truth below.

**The nation's counterterrorism experts view the FBI's warning about school bus terrorism as reason for much alarm. Read the entire story below.

Have a great day!

Pro-Liberty Group Designated as 'Hate Group'

Charlotte, NC (TLS). The Southern Poverty Law Center, an Alabama outfit that has taken up every extremist, ultra-Leftwing cause imaginable, has designated a highly respected, long-standing conservative group as a 'hate group.'

In the April issue of its monthly publication, the Southern Poverty Law Center plans to name 'Young Americans for Freedom' at Michigan State University as a 'hate group' along with subversive groups such as the Klu Klux Klan, Aryan Nation, and the Nazis.

Young Americans for Freedom was founded in 1960 by venerable conservative intellectual William F. Buckley. The late actor John Wayne had been a member.

During the early 1970s as I was making one of my first forays into politics, I became a member of Young Americans for Freedom, primarily due to the fact that in those days the organization was raising funds for and promoting the candidacy of Ronald Reagan for the U.S. Presidency.

I had become profoundly disillusioned with both Democrats and Republicans during those years. It seemed that Democrats were slowly but surely embracing radical extremism represented by the likes of Hanoi Jane Fonda, George McGovern, John Kerry, and dozens of others. Republicans had been moving leftward after the Watergate scandal under 'moderates' such as Gerald Ford, Nelson Rockefeller, and Henry Kissinger, who had decided the best we could do with Communism was declare a standoff--which back then was referred to as 'detente.'

'Detente' was the brain-child of appeasement-oriented advisers such as Kissinger, who believed that if the Soviet Union and the United States would simply agree that since we both had enough nukes to end the world, we should simply agree not to use them. The world could attain peace through the recognition that if either power launched a missile, the other would respond in kind, resulting in complete global annihilation.

The problem was that 'detente' did not result in peace.

The Soviet Union continued its march toward world domination through intimidation, such as the shooting down of civilian airliners and other such acts of barbarism--and, invading Afghanistan.

Reagan believed there was a better way.

And he was right. Reagan believed the only way to achieve a peaceful solution to the menace of Soviet Communism was to build up America's military and munitions arsenals so thoroughly that an economically unstable Soviet Union would crumble attempting to keep up.

Ever since Reagan delivered a keynote address on national TV in 1964 endorsing Presidential contender Barry Goldwater, I knew that this was a man who not only had the message but the communication skills to take that message to the American public in a highly effective manner.

Reagan believed in peace through strength; that America should accept nothing less than being the absolute best at everything we did, and that included becoming the world's ONLY superpower; that the average citizens were ultimately good and trustworthy and did not need 'big brother' watching over every move they made; that big government is bad and small government is good, as Jefferson maintained; and thus, that lower taxes were the only road to true economic prosperity, that when government is cut back to live within its means, the people are left with more of their own money to spend as they see fit.

For these reasons Young Americans for Freedom jumped on the Reagan bandwagon. And this was the primary reason for my involvement.

There was never any hate or animosity expressed toward anyone of any color, creed, or gender, or nationality. In fact, the Reagan revolution consisted of people from every walk of life--Caucasian, Black, American Indian, Hispanic, poor, middle class, upper class, blue collar workers and white collar workers.

One of Reagan's largest sources of support came from 'rust belt' blue collar workers who feared their jobs were endangered due to a small but growing phenomenon called 'overseas outsourcing.' These were known as 'Reagan Democrats' as they had traditionally voted for Democrat candidates but were solidly in Reagan's corner.

We didn't care about race, gender, religion, or nationality when it came to supporting Reagan. All we cared about was patriotism, optimism and hope, the belief that America's best days were ahead and not behind us, and a stubborn unwillingness to accept the intellectual elite's prognosis that America was in decline and that we had best accept our fate as a former world power.

This was what Young Americans for Freedom was all about.

Yet here comes that consortium of Leftist ideologues of the Southern Poverty Law Center who have now decided that Young Americans for Freedom is a 'hate group.'

Their reason? The Michigan State University chapter of Young Americans for Freedom stands for enforcing the nation's laws on illegal aliens, the definition of marriage as being that between a man and a woman, and the belief that affirmative action is a racist/sexist program that makes decisions based solely on race and gender when the goal is for persons to be selected for their intellect and skill no matter what their race or gender.

For this the Southern Poverty Law Center has designated Young Americans for Freedom as a 'hate group.'

My friends, this should be an outrage to any sincere, patriotic American. The definition of what constitutes a 'hate group' according to the Southern Poverty Law Center includes the vast majority of American citizens! Most credible national surveys show the vast majority of Americans believe that the flow of illegal aliens into this country should stop, that marriage is a sacred commitment between a man and a woman, and that you don't correct past racism/sexism by perpetrating MORE racism/sexism through affirmative action.

If we let the Southern Poverty Law Center get away with this, you can rest assured they will not stop there. They will proceed to designate other groups as 'hate groups.'

Here are some examples:

If you attend a Baptist church, and your preacher reads from the Bible that marriage is between a man and a woman only, you can count on Southern Poverty Law Center to designate your church as a 'hate group.'

If you are a member of any gun rights group, such as the NRA, Gun Owners of America, and other 2nd Amendment advocacy groups, then you can expect that the Southern Poverty Law Center will more than likely designate your group as a 'hate group.'

Remember, we've already had a Leftwing, gun-hating columnist in the Roanoke Times compare gun owners to child molesters!

Thus, if you believe that it is OK for a citizen to own a handgun and use a handgun in self-defense, then you will be labeled by these purveyors of hate in the name of stamping out hate.

Remember, U.S. Rep. John Conyers, whom the Southern Poverty Law Center affirms as a shining example of what a politician should be, given that he agrees with all of their views, has proposed legislation that would make your preacher guilty of uttering 'hate speech' if he publicly reads from the Bible in church that homosexuality is a sin.

I am thinking about putting together my own list to include such extremist mobs as the Southern Poverty Law Center. I will call it, 'The Anti-Freedom Black List of Subversives.'

And you can bet your last bowl of grits that heading that list will be the Southern Poverty Law Center.

FLASH! Update on School Bus Terrorism

Charlotte, NC (TLS). Michael Cutler, one of the top counterterrorism experts in the nation, states that the recent FBI warning concerning the possibility of school bus terrorism should be taken with utmost seriousness.

Although the FBI downplayed the significance of the threat by stating there is no current credible threat to the nation's students and school buses, Cutler maintains there is ample reason for alarm.

Citing a known history of terrorist groups utilizing school vehicles either as a cover for covert operations or as a means to launch direct attacks, Cutler states that a prudent course is to maintain a heightened level of alert. Terrorists have done this sort of thing before, many times.

Here are some examples:

*In the summer of 2006 the New York Times reported that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police had taken down a terrorist cell operating out of Ontario. One of the ring leaders of that terror cell was a local school bus driver who used his position to recruit for the Jihad and to gain easy access to hundreds of students on a daily basis.

*In August of 2004 terrorists attacked a school in Russia that resulted in the deaths of 323 hostages, including 156 children. According to a CNN report of that terrorist attack, the perpetrators had access to the school through unexpected means--such as school buses, among others.

In addition, according to Cutler, school buses make excellent covers for surveillance and covert operations. The FBI reports that Muslim terrorists have been buying school buses and getting licenses to drive them. Thousands of school buses dot the landscape each day throughout America to the extent that no one notices them except when they put out the 'STOP' signal. What better way to conduct subversive and dangerous operations within the United States than to use a school bus as a cover?

Further, Cutler states that these buses are the perfect vehicles for transporting explosives, bombs, and other weapons. These vehicles are large and ubiquitous, and thus, they provide a perfect place to pack full of explosive devices. At that point a school bus automatically becomes one large weapon of mass destruction.

The FBI claims that most foreign nationals who are now driving school buses are 'legitimate.'

How do we know this? How do they define 'legitimate?'

If the term 'legitimacy' is defined in the same manner that illegal aliens who run drugs into this country from Mexico are defined, this nation faces a most serious, dire threat.

The United States government has taken such a lackadaisical attitude toward illegal aliens that even foreign criminals are granted immunity in exchange for testifying against our own Border Patrol agents. Given the government's track record on the immigration status of nearly 20 million illegal aliens, it is awfully difficult to buy into their notion that all of these foreign nationals who drive school buses are 'legitimate.'

In short, no matter what the FBI says publicly, the nation's counterterrorism intelligence apparatus believes that this is a most serious threat to the nation's security.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Famed Gospel Piano Artist Dies

Roger Bennett, age 48, who rose to fame with the world-renown Cathedral Quartet, died this morning at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas after a long bout with leukemia.

Bennett was currently serving as the accompanist for Legacy Five, a popular Southern Gospel Quartet that was formed after the Cathedral Quartet retired from the road in 1999 following the death of longtime manager and lead vocalist Glen Payne.

Bennett had won the fan award for 'Favorite Pianist' for 14 years in a row--more than any other piano artist in Gospel music.

Known as a joyful man with a great sense of humor, often serving as the quartet comic in their on-stage routines, Bennett's knack for quit-witted quips and heart-felt emcee work was only out-matched by his masterful keyboard wizardry. Fans were often mesmerized by his seemingly effortless manner of keyboard precision.

Bennett was much more than a straight quartet piano man. His uniqueness was exhibited by his penchant for the nuance--those tiny, barely-recognizable aspects of keyboard technique that alerted the most astute listeners that this was much more than an ordinary quartet pianist.

A little-known fact about Bennett's 20-year stint with the Cathedral Quartet was that a significant number of their fans were keyboard professionals--church musicians, piano teachers, studio keyboard artists, and the like--who came and sat spellbound as Bennett showed them how a true professional masters the ivories.

This is not to mention the fact that professional vocalists were treated to the masterful performances of Glen Payne, George Younce, and the other singers in the group, who showcased how singing with the correct vocal technique could lengthen one's career. Payne and Younce both sang professionally for over 50 years.

Perhaps the most endearing aspect of Roger Bennett's career in the eyes of most fans was his sincerity. Bennett's reputation was well-known, not only in music circles but within the Christian community. He was truly a role model for all young aspiring Gospel artists. The proof of Bennett's sincerity was ultimately expressed in the manner in which he handled the long struggle with leukemia. His faith never wavered though his physical and emotional strength often did.

The fans will never forget Bennett's series of devotionals called, 'Midnight Meditations,' the majority of which were written from his hospital bed. These meditations were published on a regular basis in Southern Gospel Music's flagship magazine called 'The Singing News.'

Throughout his long ordeal with his disease, Bennett was sometimes prevented from traveling with his beloved Legacy Five, which he started with close friend and former Cathedrals' baritone Scott Fowler. During those programs that Bennett was unable to attend, Fowler would take a phone call from Bennett during a segment of the program--a phone call that would be amplified so that the entire audience could hear it. Though Bennett could not be there physically, it was always comforting for the fans to hear his voice, and I'm sure the Fowler and the other guys were encouraged by the moral support from their ailing pianist.

Those who knew and loved Roger Bennett will never forget him. His skill, artistry, faith, humor, and tireless promotion of Gospel quartet singing will never be forgotten.

May he truly rest in peace, and may the Good Lord accept Him joyfully into that place of eternal peace 'over there.'

The Principal and a Teacher, Some Students and Suds

Charlotte, NC (TLS). John and Mary Clark never dreamed that when they gave their son a graduation party last year that they would be hauled into custody to face charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Yet last Wednesday the Clarks found themselves sitting in the office of Circuit Solicitor Jerry Peace being charged with passing alcohol to minors.

The Clarks are both educators in Newberry County, South Carolina schools. John Clark is an assistant principal at a high school. Mary Clark is a middle school teacher. Their son was graduating, and the Clarks wanted to do something special for him by throwing a keg party at their Lake Greenwood home. Not only were their son's friends--all students--at the party, but they enjoyed the flow of the suds from the keg of beer the Clarks had brought to the residence.

Allegations were made that the Clarks charged the students 5 bucks a piece for drinking out of the keg. However, that allegation is in dispute. Sources close to the investigation state that the 5 bucks was for a special cup that the students could purchase, out of which they could drink the beer.

Prosecutor Jerry Peace was alerted to these 'hardened criminals' when a student who attended the party told parents about the keg. Those parents alerted Peace's office.

Being one who never turns down an offer to go after 'teachers gone bad,' Peace apparently alerted the Clarks to the pending charges, and the Clarks 'turned themselves in' and were released on a $5000 personal recognizance bond.

Both in their early 50s, the Clarks are long-time educators and have never had a stain on their record. Major questions persist as to whether or not what took place at their Lake Greenwood home constitutes such a stain.

The Clarks maintain that their deal with the students was that no one who drank the beer could drive home. Thus, the Clarks chaperoned an overnight stay at their home for their guests. This kept students off of the road after having imbibed.

This doesn't seem to be irresponsible or reprehensible behavior at all on the part of the Clarks.

The other curious caveat to this story has to do with the ages of the students. This was a graduation party. It can be safely assumed that most if not all of the students were at least 18 years of age. Back in the Clark's teen years, 18-year-old adults could drink legally. Today in South Carolina, however, the legal drinking age is 21.

Yet Prosecutor Jerry Peace says he has no idea about the ages of the participants. He simply knows 'there were a lot of kids there.'

18-year-olds are old enough to join the army and get sent to war. They can vote, and they are also considered adults. Yet in S.C., when it comes to alcohol, they are 'kids.'

I'm sure that makes perfect sense to somebody, somewhere.

That debate, however, is for another column. The issue here is the Clark's reputation. They had a private party for their son on their private property. At one time what happened on private property was considered private for all matters except the most obvious things such as murder, theft, rape, etc.

We are not talking murder or rape here, however. The Clarks allowed 18 year olds to drink beer (psst--I got news for you..these 'kids' are already doing it with NO adult supervision!). They exercised responsible behavior by mandating that those teenagers who drank beer had to stay overnight.

So why are these two responsible educators sitting in Jerry Peace's office being charged with a crime like common criminals?

It looks like Jerry is simply continuing his target-practice against school teachers.

Dems to Raise Cash on Bush Firings

Charlotte, NC (TLS). Democrats see a cash cow in manufacturing a scandal over the Bush firing of eight U.S. Attorneys. DNC Chair Howard Dean smells blood and is using the faux scandal to raise cash among the Party faithful, who see nothing better than a massive scandal as a means to raise mega-bucks for the Party.

Remember that The Liberty Sphere warned readers last October and November of how a Democrat-controlled Congress would attempt to manipulate the news media and public opinion by bombarding the citizens with the continuous message that 'Bush' is be thought of only with the term 'scandal.'

We also predicted that if there were no real scandal, the Democrats would manufacture one and keep it at the center of focus until the 2008 election cycle.

Dean wasted no time in getting the ball rolling, claiming that this is Bush's 'Watergate.'

Bull.

What Dean and the Democrats are deathly afraid of is what the replacements of those eight prosecutors will do with the scandals involving top-name Democrats in Congress.

John Conyers broke federal campaign laws. Yet he was made Chair of the House Judiciary Committee by Nancy Pelosi. Harry Reid's hand was caught in the cookie jar accepting illegal contributions. He gave the money back after he was caught.

What if the average thief were treated the same way? I mean, what a way to go. Steal money, get caught, give the money back, and not only will you not face jail time, you will probably be elected Mayor of your town.

Barack Hussein Obama has also been caught in shady dealings involving land.

And these are merely the tips of the icebergs.

If Bill Clinton can fire all 93 U.S. Prosecutors for political purposes, then surely Bush can fire eight. But it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that it is not the firings themselves that have these ethically-challenged Demos in a dither. If such firings were the real issue, then they would have all had strokes over Clinton's canning of all 93.

The real issue is that the new U.S. Attorneys will more than likely be much more aggressive in investigating the massive corruption of Democrats in the U.S. Congress.

Here's more on the Dems' cash raising efforts:
http://washtimes.com/national/20070316-123422-2755r.htm

America's 'Berlin Wall'?

Charlotte, NC (TLS). Mexico's President recently referred to the proposed Border Fence between his country and the U.S. as 'America's Berlin Wall.'

What an outrageously misguided, erroneous, and insulting comparison!

Anyone with even an elementary understanding of the nature of the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain knows that the notion of our Border Fence is not even slightly comparable to the Communist desire to keep their citizens from leaving a dark and evil regime. The Border Fence is intended to keep illegal aliens OUT. The Berlin Wall was designed to keep citizens of Communist East Berlin walled IN.

The demagoguery of the Mexican President is troubling in these unsettling days of Mexico's consorting with the U.S. Government to break our nation's clearly-written immigration laws. Our citizens are reaching a state of rebellion as they realize our government not only allows but ENCOURAGES its citizens to commit felonies by aiding and abetting illegal aliens.

Political commentator Paul Kengor highlights the deplorable comparison in this must-read from Political Mavens:
http://politicalmavens.com/index.php/2007/03/16/americas-berlin-wall/

Hypocrisy of the Leftwing Speech Police

Charlotte, NC (TLS). The Leftwing hack called 'the Daily Kos' has been mounting a campaign to get advertisers to pull their ads off of Ann Coulter's website for using the term 'faggot' in a recent speech. The Liberty Sphere and a few other brave souls came to Coulter's defense in the face of a wall of criticism, even among some conservatives.

As it turns out, the Daily Kos has used the term 'faggot' more than once in reference to various and sundry human beings whom the Koz obviously thinks are beneath contempt.

In fact, there is widespread hypocrisy on the matter of so-called 'hate speech' on the part of the Leftwing, which consistently takes on the role of the speech police when it comes to conservatives, although they rarely live up to their own standards.

Here all about it in this CNS News Service commentary on the subject:
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCommentary.asp?Page=/Commentary/archive/200703/COM20070309a.html

The Day's Collection, Sunday, March 18, 2007

Here is a collection of today's top news stories from around the nation.

1. SC Educators Charged in Selling Alcohol to Minors
http://www.aikenstandard.com/news/23416021773331.php

2. Info on Bell Street Middle School, Clinton, SC--the school where Allenna Williams Ward taught 7th grade Language Arts--including racial profile and academic rankings
http://sc.localschooldirectory.com/schools_info.php/school_id/76001

3. Liestoppers posts citizen journalist reports of meetings around N.C. concerning the Duke lacrosse rape hoax
http://liestoppers.blogspot.com/2007/03/citizen-journalist-reports-on-iwf-forum.html

4. Pamela Geller exposes the Jihad-promoting CAIR for attempting to gain access to airline passenger list
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2007/03/cair_wants_your.html

5. A viewpoint from the perspective of a woman whose info was published by the Roanoke Times in their anti-gun tyrade:
http://www.thebitchgirls.us/?p=6549

6. And finally, our favorite intellectual, Walter Williams, writes on 'Smoking and Economics'
http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/williams031407.php3