It’s amazing to see Democrats, despite decades of pandering, implode when forced to deal with racial issues in a substantive way.
Monthly Archives: May 2008
Video: Karl Rove Comments on Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan’s Book
Scott McClellan is taking some shots and cashing in. This is to be expected at this stage of the game:
The book is so critical that it becomes difficult to imagine a future scene that Bush predicted on the day that McClellan’s forced resignation was announced.
“One of these days,” Bush, with McClellan at his side, told reporters that day, “he and I are going to be rocking on chairs in Texas, talking about the good old days and his time as the press secretary. And I can assure you, I will feel the same way then that I feel now, that I can say to Scott, ‘Job well done.’”
Scott didn’t exactly burn the bridge – he just sold it for a few million dollars.
Tunes 4 the Troops
CNN is highlighting the amazing work of Kaylee Radzyminski:
At 14, while attending the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet camp in Florida, Kaylee Marie Radzyminski asked one question to troops returning from overseas military service. Their simple answer spurred the small-town teen into action.
Kaylee Marie Radzyminski, center in black shirt, spends her Saturdays sorting CDs and DVDs for troops overseas.
“I asked, ‘What was the number one thing they missed?’ ” recalls Radzyminski. “The first thing was, of course, their families. But second to that was entertainment.”
They described limited access to Internet and satellite service, with some soldiers sharing just a few DVDs or CDs with an entire unit. So Radzyminski returned home and gathered her CDs and DVDs to send to the troops.
What started as an individual project at home is now 16-year-old Radzyminski’s nationwide nonprofit, Tunes 4 the Troops. Since 2005, she and volunteers have organized the collection and delivery of more than 200,000 CDs and DVDs to deployed service members around the world.
“My mission is not about supporting or opposing the war, it’s about supporting the troops,” says Radzyminski, whose own family has a military background. “They sacrifice so much for us, why can’t I do a little bit to give back to them?”
Here’s how you can get involved:
1. Send your new and used CDs and DVDs
To: Tunes 4 the Troops P.O. Box 2008 Cleveland TN 373202. Send a check.
You can send a check to help out with shipping costs to
Tunes 4 the Troops P.O. Box 2008 Cleveland TN 37320.
The checks can be made out to
Cleveland High School – Attn: Tunes 4 the Troops.3. Become a satellite location.
If you commit to become a satellite location you are committing to
collect at least 100-150 or more CDs and DVDs. I will send you a kit. A kit
consists of stickers to stick on the CDs and DVDs, return address labels,
and a form to fill out and mail back to me for my records. You put a
sticker on each CD and box them up. You pay for the shipping of the box overseas this way shipping only has to be paid once. (media mail is the cheapest!) If you know someone in your area that is overseas and would like to send a box to them, you are more than welcome. Although if you don’t, please let me know with an email and I will send you one.
Continental Airlines Pilot Reports Rocket During Flight From Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport
Model rocket or worse? Joint Terrorism Task Force officials would like to know:
A Continental Airlines pilot reported being startled by what he described as a rocket that shot past his cockpit window Monday when the plane was about eight miles north of George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force are investigating the incident, which occurred about 10:30 a.m.
“We don’t know for sure what the object was. But we think it might be somebody doing model rocketing,” said Roland Herwig, an FAA spokesman. “The pilot saw the rocket and some people saw the rocket’s trail (of smoke).”
Continental Airlines spokeswoman Kelly Cripe said Monday night that she could not discuss what was seen by the crew of Flight 1544. She would only say that the Boeing 737, with 148 passengers. left Bush at 10:17 a.m. and arrived in Cleveland, Ohio at 2:13 p.m.
She said the pilot made no diversionary maneuvers, and she added the plane was not damaged, and nobody was injured.
Eight miles out of IAH should put that aircraft at a height that is out of range of most hobbyist-level model rockets. However, a high-powered model rocket (video) could have been involved here. They can reach substantially higher altitudes.
Update:
Seem like the HPR rocket theory is the favorite:
Neither said conclusively what the pilot saw was indeed a model rocket, but an FAA spokesperson told 11 News that it was likely a high-powered model rocket. It is a federal crime to launch a rocket of any sort without notifying the FAA.
The plane was at about 5,000 feet at the time of the sighting and the flight continued on to Cleveland.
Sources told 11 News that the flight was met by Continental officials and FAA investigators to interview the passengers and crew.
Part of that investigation included a FBI call to John Etgen, who is an officer with one of the local model rocket clubs in the area.
When the FBI told him what had been reported, the rocket enthusiast was shocked.
“This is completely outside of all of our safety codes and all of our practices. We actually behave a lot like visual flight rules pilots. This is if we can’t see clear airspace and already have permission to be in that air space we are not allowed to launch and we don’t,” said Etgen.
Video: Rolling Thunder 2008
The White House has some pretty awesome photos of the President’s meeting with Rolling Thunder leaders – and a transcript of their remarks:
THE PRESIDENT: It’s been a pleasure of my presidency to get to know the leaders of Rolling Thunder. For our fellow citizens who don’t know Rolling Thunder, Rolling Thunder is the moment in time here in Washington, on Memorial Day Weekend, when thousands of motorcyclers come to the nation’s capital to pay tribute to those who have died in service, to those who sacrificed, and those who serve. And it’s a magnificent sight.
Members of the motorcycle group Rolling Thunder watch President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush land on the South Lawn of the White House from a visit to Camp David. White House photo by Chris Greenberg We just choppered in, Artie, and saw your brothers and sisters cranking up their machines and driving through the nation’s capital — many of them have got the flag on the back. And I am just so honored to welcome you back. I want to thank you and all your comrades for being so patriotic and loving our country as much as you do. I think this is the — I don’t know if this is the eighth time we’ve been together here, but it’s pretty close.
MR. Muller: Pretty close, sir – maybe one more.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, one more. (Laughter.) Anyway, Artie is the main man and this is his board of directors who have continued to rally people around the country. I went to Greensburg, Kansas, Artie, and I came into a town that had been destroyed by a tornado — I was going to give the high school graduation speech, and rode in from the airport and the motorcyclers were all lining the streets with the flags and it made me feel great. When people go to protest at the funeral of one of our brave soldiers that died in combat, Artie’s folks are there to make sure that those protestors don’t denigrate the moment.
So you’re doing a lot for the country.
MR. MULLER: Thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: And our troops appreciate you, the veterans appreciate you and your President appreciates you.
MR. MULLER: Thank you, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: Welcome.
More on Rolling Thunder here.
