David Spade Guns for Phoenix Police Protection

Los Angeles (E! Online) – David Spade doesn't seem too interested in settling down, but his love affair with Arizona continues.

The who'da-thunk-it ladies man has donated $100,000 to the Phoenix Police Department to go toward the purchase of about 50 AR-15 rifles.

"These guys need to be able to do their jobs and I am just happy I could help," the Rules of Engagement star, who took action after hearing that some local cops had to pay for their guns out of their own pockets, said in a statement.

A police spokesman said that the department was very grateful for the monetary boost and that the rifles would be doled out to area patrollers.

And this isn't the first time that Spade, who grew up in nearby Scottsdale and graduated from Arizona State University, has opened his checkbook for local causes.

In August, he gave $10,000 to the Humane Society of the White Mountains in Lakeside, where his mother is a volunteer, to remodel its dog park and build a new puppy yard.

Collective "aw." No wonder the ladies like him.

Florida Woman Claims She Was Fired for Refusing to Say 'Happy Holidays'

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Tonia Thomas says she was terminated two weeks ago from her job at Counts Oakes Resort Properties in Panama City after balking at the rule because it went against her religion. She is suing for lost wages, she said.

Thomas offered to use a generic greeting or say "Merry Christmas" to callers instead, but that offer was denied by company President Andy Phillips, according to the Liberty Counsel — the Christian-based legal group representing her.

"She said, 'That goes against my religious beliefs; I’m participating in secularizing Christmas,'" Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mathew Staver told FOXNews.com. "She asked him for an accommodation ... and he refused."

Thomas, 35, said she doesn't like using the generic greetings at Christmastime and explained that to her former employer.

By JONATHAN WEISMAN

President-elect Barack Obama's economic team is crafting a stimulus package to send to Congress worth between $675 billion and $775 billion over two years, according to transition officials, and it expects a final price tag even larger.

The transition team has conveyed the figures to Capitol Hill, where the package is likely to grow as it works its way through the House and Senate. An Obama adviser familiar with the planning said the package could top out around $850 billion. Democratic leadership aides said it could easily exceed that before the package gets back to Mr. Obama's desk in final form.

"The biggest fear is that people will do too little," said one Democratic leadership aide, "like a start-up that fails because it didn't do enough."

Obama aides hope to keep the package below the trillion-dollar mark, a psychological threshold that could carry political consequences, as they fear being accused of adding too much to the country's long-term budget deficit.

Obama advisers and Democratic aides in Congress are accelerating their work on the massive economic recovery package this week, ahead of Mr. Obama's two-week holiday in Hawaii and the break between the disbanding of the 110th Congress and the forming of the 111th. Both sides in the talks want a package ready when Congress returns Jan. 6, so legislation can reach the House and Senate floors before Mr. Obama's Jan. 20 inauguration.

Even before the details are known, a coalition of liberal groups and labor unions on Thursday announced a major campaign to get the package passed before Inauguration Day, arguing that the new president should not have to expend political capital to rescue the economy left behind by his predecessor.

The coalition includes unions such as the Service Employees International Union and the AFL-CIO, the Sierra Club and umbrella group Americans United for Change, which helped sink President George W. Bush's effort to add individual investment accounts to Social Security.

The broad parameters of the package are known already. It will include a tax cut designed to pump $50 billion to $100 billion into the economy almost immediately; around $100 billion in aid to state governments, primarily to temporarily assume more of the cost of Medicaid, in hopes of staving off benefit cuts or tax increases; and funding in five main areas: traditional infrastructure, school construction, energy efficiency, broadband access and health-information technology.

But, in pursuing the largest fiscal stimulus since the Depression, Democrats are likely to add many more categories, legislative aides say.

Write to Jonathan Weisman at jonathan.weisman@wsj.com

I can't help but wonder if there is anyway that I can reject the money and be exempt from having to pay this back for the next decade? I don't want it. I don't need it.

Here is the absolute most laughable part of all:

"Obama aides hope to keep the package below the trillion-dollar mark, a
psychological threshold that could carry political consequences, as they fear
being accused of adding too much to the country's long-term budget deficit."

Newsflash to Obamessiah and Congress: You have already added too much to the long term deficit! My son is 11 months old and over $40,000 in debt. Thank you, Congress! You are officially all FIRED! Go directly to jail! Do NOT pass Go! Do NOT collect $200 more dollars of MY money!

Illinois House Speaker Creating Panel to Review Blagojevich Impeachment

State lawmakers are expected to consider impeachment proceedings against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich when they meet on Monday. 

The committee will work every day except holidays, Madigan said Monday at a press conference as lawmakers returned to the state capital of Springfield. Once the committee comes up with a recommendation, Madigan said, the full House will  decide whether to file impeachment charges against the governor.

Blagojevich, along with his chief of staff John Harris, has been accused of scheming to sell off President-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat. Lawmakers are taking up a bill that would call for a special election to fill the vacancy. 

But calls have mounted from across the country for state legislators to pursue impeachment proceedings against the governor. Madigan said there would be a vote Monday on a resolution to form a committee to study impeachment. 

He said lawmakers have been reviewing grounds for impeachment for about a year and that he  "was not surprised" by the charges against Blagojevich. 

"I'm not surprised at anything he does," Madigan said. "In light of what we've all seen ... how can anyone be surprised?" 

Madigan, a Democrat representing Chicago, had previously been quiet on how he intended to deal with calls for Blagojevich to resign.  

The governor, meanwhile, returned to work Monday and continued to ignore calls for his ouster. 

His spokesman, Lucio Guerrero, said the governor hadn't yet seen the bill calling for a special election, but that he might consider signing it. 

Monday's special session of the General Assembly is the first since the governor's arrest last week. It's unclear how successful the special election legislation will be, even as the governor indicates he's potentially receptive to it. Democrats originally made the call for a special election, but some are now having second thoughts. 

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin was an early supporter, but the Illinois Democrat is now calling for Blagojevich to resign so that the lieutenant governor can appoint Obama's replacement. 

Opponents of a special election say it would cost tens of millions of dollars and not produce a new senator until April. 

Republicans claim Democrats are wavering because they don't want to risk seeing a Republican candidate win Obama's seat. The Republicans  plan to run television ads pressuring Democrats to approve a special election. 

While he remains in office, Blagojevich holds the power to appoint a new senator. If he resigns, that power would go to Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn, also a Democrat. 

Illinois House Minority Leader Tom Cross told FOX News that he'd like to push forward on both a special election and impeachment proceedings. 

"The best avenue here is to actually have a special election," Cross said, adding: "I think there's a good bit of support for impeachment on both sides, frankly." 

The calls for impeachment put the spotlight on Madigan, who ultimately will decide the timing of any impeachment effort. 

David Dring, spokesman for Cross, said Republicans will step up the pressure on Democrats to remove Blagojevich, perhaps raising the issue on the House floor. 

"If they won't work with us, you'll probably see some good theater," Dring said. 

Madigan often has clashed with the governor; his office produced a memo this year outlining all the arguments legislative candidates could make in favor of impeachment. 

Madigan's daughter, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, has asked the state Supreme Court to remove Blagojevich from office, claiming he is unfit to serve. Lisa Madigan said Sunday she expects word from the court "probably just in a few days." 

Attorney General Madigan is considered one of the top Democratic candidates for governor in 2010. 

The state constitution gives lawmakers broad authority to impeach a governor for any reason they consider sufficient. The House would decide whether to file charges against the governor, and the Senate would ultimately rule on them. 

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court dealt industry a setback, ruling that consumers can sue a tobacco company under state unfair-trade laws even though cigarette labeling is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission.

The court broke along familiar ideological lines, with Justice Anthony Kennedy, a maverick conservative, joining the majority opinion by Justice John Paul Stevens. Justices David Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer also joined the majority.

Justice Clarence Thomas dissented, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Antonin Scalia and Samuel Alito.

Monday's ruling affirms a decision of the federal appeals court in Boston, which had sided with consumers. The smokers allege that Philip Morris used the "light" description of Marlboro Lights and other cigarettes to suggest that those brands were less harmful than regular versions, even though it knew that smokers would receive the same levels of tar and nicotine from both.

Philip Morris argued that federal regulation of tobacco advertising should bar consumer product liability lawsuits against the company in state courts. It also noted that the FTC repeatedly endorsed tobacco-company use of "light" and "low-tar" descriptions.

Last month, the FTC rescinded a 40-year-old rule that allowed cigarette advertisers to claim that their tar and nicotine ratings were endorsed by the commission.

The Maine lawsuit is similar to several state law class-actions that deal with the advertising of light cigarettes.

Iranian Students Fed up with Government

Posted by American Sweetheart on Monday, December 15, 2008 10:09:00 AM

DECEMBER 15, 2008

Iran's YouTube Generation

Defiance on display.

Iran's universities are again the scene of battles over the country's future. In the digital age, we're able to take a better peek inside.

Footage of recent student protests in Tehran, Shiraz and Hamedan are all over the Internet. In particular, one clip of a student dressing down a government dignitary reveals a remarkable willingness to defy the regime. On the video, a young man at Shiraz University rises to address the visiting speaker of parliament and former nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani. "I'm not going to ask you a question because I don't accept you as the legitimate speaker or the parliament as legitimate," the student says, citing the elimination of opposition candidates in the previous parliamentary election.

Sitting on stage before a hundred or so students, Mr. Larijani looks taken aback and says nothing. "Let me tell you what is weighing heavily on my heart," the student continues. "I hate three things. One, I hate [President] Mahmoud Ahmadinejad."

Applause erupts -- in itself an act of defiance, since the mullahs consider clapping, along with neckties, a Western habit. "Two, I hate him for his hypocrisy." At this point, some pro-regime students -- whom reports link to the government-sanctioned Basij organization, the mullahs' brown shirts -- interrupt with chants and heckles. Amid the mayhem, the video ends. We don't know the young man's name or what happened to him after this October 9 encounter. Some Iranians speculate he was arrested; others say he went into hiding.

Since the last student uprising was crushed six years ago, Iran has seen sporadic but growing resistance to the regime -- most recently at the "Student Day" rallies on December 6 that commemorate the 1953 killing of three demonstrators by the Shah's army. The Shiraz student calls to mind the lone man, that "unknown rebel," who stood up to Chinese tanks during the Tiananmen protests. President-elect Obama says the U.S. should engage Iran. As one of our friends points out, "He has a choice: Engage with what Larijani represents, or engage with the generation of that student."

I will post the video later or you can get the link to it here Full Article at WSJ (I am at work and do not have access to Youtube.)

 

Code Pink Upset about Obama's Cabinet! (Boo Frickity Hoo)

Posted by American Sweetheart on Thursday, December 11, 2008 11:56:00 AM

I apologize that this is sort of old news, but I have not had time recently to finish this, as I began writing it on Saturday, December 6. I also encourage you to follow the links throughout the article for video footage of Code Pink and their dispicable actions. (One of them is a beautiful interview conducted by Laura Ingraham of her and Lt. Pete Hegseth handing Medea Benjamin her behind!)

 

 

 

This woman makes me sick. All of them do.  Every last one of them.

 

This is a once in a lifetime for me: I am proud of Alan Colmes for standing up to this dumb broad. I don't agree with everything Alan says in the video as far as a diverse group of people surrounding him as his advisors. Aside from Robert Gates, staying on for at least another year, his picks are more of the same from the Clinton and Carter administrations. I understand that Gates is "more of the same" from the Bust administration, however we are in a time of war. He has been involved. He knows what is going on. He is in-tune with the intelligence and strategy. It was SMART (yes I said it, SMART) of Obama to keep him on board.

 

As far as Hillary Clinton is concerned, I am happy with her as Secretary of State. Hillary may be a lot of things, but stupid is not one of them. The woman is a tough as nails and I believe that she has the head on her shoulders, the experience, and the wearwithall to hold this office and take it seriously. I am actually on board with her. Her foreign policy is NOT that of Barack Obama and that pleases me greatly.

 

Code Pink, one of the most radical antiwar groups around are disappointed that Obama is turning out to not be radical enough for them! Code Pink does NOT represent the base of the American People. In fact, as of March of this year, a report came out that stated that the war has its highest support rating since 2006.  With the implimentation of the Surge, the turning over of Anbar Province to the Iraqis, and the progress being made in Baghdad, a victorious end is within sight, and the American people know this.

 

Not all Obama supporters are a part of the antiwar movement. Not all Obama supporters are as far left as he is. Most are blinded by rhetoric and desperate for something so different that they didn't care what they got. They just wanted the opposite of the Bush Administration, not caring about the cost.

 

This group is not for peace. They are not in support of our troops. They distrupted John McCain at a hearing with General Petreaus, they called our troops terrorists, they have referred to our Marines as war criminals, and they have dressed as ghosts and stormed Congress to interupt General David Petreaus's report on the war in April 2008. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

Now getting back to Alan Colmes, here is where I am in full agreement: Obama has not governed yet. His cabinet have not taken their respective offices yet and dug in to do the work. While most of us are skeptical of certain picks and what they may or may not be capable of, the fact remains that this is still a blank page. We don't know what they will do yet and how they will perform. We do not yet know how they will represent America as Obama's team of advisors. We can only speculate at this point.

 

I will be among the first to criticize when I believe them to be in the wrong. But I have no choice but to give them a chance and to hope for the best. I hope for all of our sake that they are not a disaster in the making. I hope that they bring out troops home in victory. I hope that they get Congress's spending under control. I am not holding my breath for a miracle. I know that a lot that this administration will likely do will not be the way I prefer because many of these peoples' ideals simply do not represent the Conservative base. But it does not mean that they do not hold the ability to make intelligent choices.

 

Now, Ms. Benjamin states that this war is $12 billion a month that could be better spent on what we need here at home. I strongly disagree! There is plenty of spending that could be cut here, but the left refuses to do so. For example, over $600 million was just spent on a Visitors Center in Washington D.C. that was supposed to cost $71 million. I am not completely in tune with contracting a building, however, if that is how much over budget they went on that building, I'd say the American taxpayers just got severely burned on that deal!!! Yet Harry Reid is not making a fuss over the price tag because now he doesn't have to smell us! The signers of his paycheck.

 

Code Pink recently visited the Middle East. Here is an excerpt from their blog (and trust me, I had to suck up a lot of pride to give their website a hit to pull this information for my readers!)

 

Among those joining us for tea was a famous woman filmmaker named Rakhshan Banietemad, a woman who runs an eco-tourism company, a producer of plays, and several women who work for peace.

We were so thrilled by the conversation that we asked if any of them would be willing to be filmed. We decided that it would be great to ask Iranians from all walks of life to comment on what they would say to Barack Obama if they had the chance. Some of the women were afraid to be videoed, but Rakhshan, who was in a more secure position because of her prominence, agreed. So with the help of Habib as cameraman, I interviewed Rakhshan about US-Iranian relations and what could be done to move our countries toward a more peaceful path. With so many incredible connections being made, our tea turned into dinner (which the Iranians refused to let us pay for) and we didn’t get back to the hotel until about 9:30 pm.

If you continue on, by following the link above, you can read the portion that Amanda Carpenter I believe had posted about them having to wear long coats and head scarves as so not to insult the men (but it was okay, because they Iranians are VERY open people!)

I am disgusted with these women. I had my first in real life encounter with Code Pink the day after Thanksgiving. I was at Macy's picking up an outfit for my son, and outside next to the man from the Salvation Army collecting money, were members of Code Pink, blocking the gorgeous Christmas display windows with their hateful banners in protest. They ruined what is normally actually a quite thrilling experience for me. I look forward to Macy's windows each year and the beautiful music that they play outside of the store. I had my camera with me, and am now sorry that I did not take photos of them to post. (And am very thankful that a few days later when I returned to Macy's with my son to show him the windows and to see Santa that they were no longer present or I most certainly would have had a confrontation that would have landed me on the evening news!)

 

I am sorry that Cindy Sheehan lost her son. I am deeply saddened for anyone whom has lost a loved one and appreciative of the sacrafice made by our fallen so that we can continue to live our lives free from tyranny. But Code Pink does NO justice to their memory. They are group of selfish, hateful women that dishonor our country, our belief system, and every person whom has ever served in our military.

We must support groups such as Vets for Freedom and other groups that do wonderful work for our veterans and to keep America safe. It is with the help of these groups on the frontlines that we can establish peace and put an end to the hate spewed by Code Pink.

 

 

Tags: war   vets for freedom   US military   antiwar movement   Protests   david petreaus   pete hegseth   Code PINK   medea benjamin   Iraq   Alan Colmes  

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Illinois Gov taken into Federal Custody

Posted by American Sweetheart on Tuesday, December 09, 2008 12:00:00 AM

This put a HUGE smile on my face!

 

Illinois Governor Taken Into Federal Custody

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was pulled from his home in  Chicago and put in federal custody Tuesday morning.

FOXNews.com

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested at his North Side home Tuesday morning. His chief of staff John Harris was taken into federal custody as well.

The criminal complaint by the FBI agents said the two had been arrested on federal corruption charges. Each were arrested on two charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery.

Blagojevich and Harris will have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court Tuesday. 

The arrest is the latest step in a three-year probe of "pay-to-play politics" in the governor's administration. A statement by U.S. attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said Blagojevich and Harris "allegedly conspired to sell U.S. Senate appointment, engaged in pay-to-play schemes and threatened to withhold state assistance to Tribune Company for Wrigley Field to induce purge of newspaper editorial writers."

Federal authorities were permitted by a judge to record the governor secretly before the November election after raising concerns that a replacement for President-elect Barack Obama would be tainted. 

Fitzgerald's office said the 76-page FBI affidavit alleges that Blagojevich was taped conspiring to sell or trade Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat for financial and other personal benefits for himself and his wife. 

According to the affidavit, Blagojevich floated the idea of "a substantial salary for himself at a either a nonprofit foundation or an organization affiliated with labor unions;" a corporate board seat for his wife worth as much as $150,000 a year; promises of campaign funds, including cash up front; and a Cabinet post or ambassadorship for himself.

The Chicago Tribune was first to report that the arrest. Informed Monday of the wiretap, Blagojevich told the Tribune that his discussions were "always lawful" and he defended a close confidant, John Wyma, who turned on him. Wyma as "an honest person who's conducted himself in an honest way," Blagojevich said.

"I should say if anybody wants to tape my conversations, go right ahead, feel free to do it," he said. 

 

 

 

It's time to go to work! Let's get ALL of the shmucks behind bars where they belong!

Tags: illinois governor   Blagojevich   ILLINOIS   federal custody  

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12 Days of Christmas Cost over $86,000

Posted by American Sweetheart on Monday, December 01, 2008 9:21:00 AM

I'm only posting this because this study was done by the head of my department at work :) And made Fox News (Please check out the blog below for the actual new blog I have up! It is part 1 of the next topic of my conservative education series!)

 

'12 Days of Christmas' Items Would Cost Over $86,000

Monday, December 01, 2008

PITTSBURGH —  Given the economic downturn, even the most romantic might balk at the $86,609 price tag for the items in the carol, "The Twelve Days of Christmas."

That's this year's cost, according to the annual "Christmas Price Index" compiled by PNC Wealth Management, which tallies the single partridge in a pear tree to the 12 drummers drumming, purchased repeatedly as the song suggests. The price is up $8,508 or 10.9 percent, from $78,100 last year.

"True loves may take it on the chin for a peck on the cheek," said Jim Dunigan, managing executive of investment for PNC Wealth Management, which has been calculating the cost of Christmas since 1984.

In this tight economy, what's a romantic to do?

The creative but cash-strapped consumer might consider some modifications. After all, who needs dozens of birds?

Instead of two turtle doves ($55) why not two Dove chocolate bars at about buck each? Don't have $4,414 for 10 lords-a-leaping? How about a "Riverdance" DVD? Plenty of leaping there, and it's only about $25 on Amazon.com. Save a couple grand by skipping the 11 pipers piping and getting a CD of Scottish bagpipe music for less than $20.

"The price of creativity, I think, has to be measured against the value of true love," said Dunigan. "Necessity is the mother of invention. So this year, it might pay to be a little more inventive."

While some sources suggest the gold rings actually refer to ring neck pheasants — apparently, all the birds were for feasting — Dunigan advises sticking with jewelry.

"At least my experience, if you had to lead with something, gold rings probably wouldn't be a bad idea," he said.

They are down about 11 percent, from $395 last year to $350, the result of pressures on discretionary spending, Dunigan said.

But sticklers for tradition might also save by procrastinating. With the economy in its first consumer-led recession since the early 1980s and energy prices falling as of late, prices could come down between now and Christmas, Dunigan said.

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. checks jewelry stores, dance companies, pet stores and other sources to compile the list. While it is done humorously, PNC said its index mirrors actual economic trends.

For instance, gasoline costs topped $4 this summer, driving up shipping costs for many goods. So a pear tree that cost $150 last year will cost $200 this year. (The partridge is up $5 to $20.)

Luxury items are also up, as reflected by the price of the seven swans-a-swimming, which are up 33 percent to $5,600.

But the faltering economy has also brought down the cost of some items.

The three French hens (down $15 to $30) and six geese-a-laying (down $120 to $240) reflect declines in food prices.

The eight maids-a-milking will cost 12 percent more, $52.40 from about $47 last year, thanks to their second annual minimum wage increase.

The 10 lords-a-leaping, 11 pipers piping and 12 drummers drumming are all up about 3 percent, reflecting the general average wage increase.

Tags: Christmas   christmas shopping   pittsburgh   holiday shopping   enconomy   pnc bank  

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