When asked why, the boy said that during the Pledge of Allegiance the teacher put up a large image of Obama next to the flag.

Thinking that the boy might be exaggerating, the man asked his son if he was sure, and suggested that by "large" he might mean an 8x10 photo of the president. The boy apparently said "No, it is a large picture of Obama and when we are done, the teacher turns off the image."

The same thing was not done for President Bush last year.

After investigating this morning, the other parent reported that what the boy said was true.

At least three of the five classrooms have an overhead projector and as the children stand to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, the teacher turns on the classroom overhead and a full body image of Obama, with six U.S. flags behind him, comes up about 4 feet away from the flag that hangs on the wall. The screen is apparently around five feet by six feet.

In the image, President Obama appears to be staring straight out with no facial expression, just a serious look. All of the kids in each class faced the President, instead of the flag that hangs in the corner.

Suspected terrorists at the military's detention center in Cuba are "no more dangerous in my district than in Guantanamo," Rep. John Murtha told Fox News on Wednesday.

Murtha's Gitmo Invite Could Be Stimulus for Western Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha says he'd be willing to house Guantanamo Bay detainees in his district. 

FOXNews.com

Rep. John Murtha's invitation to house Guantanamo Bay detainees in his district has some local officials seeing dollar signs -- even though Murtha's comment was met with disbelief by others. 

The Pennsylvania Democrat, chairman of the defense subcommittee for appropriations, is renowned for his ability to steer earmarked dollars to his district. 

And after Murtha told FOX News that he'd be willing to take in terrorist suspects, some saw it as a job-creation opportunity. His district's maximum-security prisons are full, according to the state Department of Corrections, so a new prison would likely be needed to house any of the 245 detainees now in Cuba. 

"We're looking for some jobs down here and Congressman Murtha has been exceptional with helping us with that," said Brad Geyer, a councilman in Connellsville, Pa., when asked about Guantanamo prisoners. "My constituents ... would probably err on the side of enjoying the possibility of some new jobs." 

State Sen. J. Barry Stout, whose district overlaps Murtha's, said a new maximum-security facility would certainly have to be built to accommodate the prisoners. And he said a new prison is a reliable, 'round-the-clock employer. 

"It could be constructed and operated in a safe manner, and it would have an economic impact in the region," Stout said. "You never shut a prison down." 

Stout voiced no opposition to Murtha's offer, though he said he would want to see the details first. 

"I trust Congressman Murtha," he said, adding that a new prison could reasonably be built in 18-24 months. 

"I would want to hear more details, but hey, let's face it -- there's money out there and I would say federal dollars," said Blair Zimmerman, mayor of Waynesburg, Pa. "If you build a new facility you've got construction jobs and everything else. ... I'll keep an open mind."

President Obama on Thursday signed an executive order calling for the closure of the detention facility within one year. 

A stream of congress members and senators voiced concerns about where the detainees would go. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., said he's been "pleading" with Obama's staff not to bring them to Fort Leavenworth in his home state -- something he believes is being considered. 

So Murtha may have just been proving a point when he told FOX News that he'd "take 'em" in his district. 

"They're no more dangerous in my district than in Guantanamo," Murtha said, adding that he saw "no reason not to put 'em in prisons in the United States and handle them the way they would handle any other prisoners." He said in a statement Thursday that Guantanamo had cast a "dark shadow" on America's moral standing in the world. 

But some residents of his 12th Congressional District were appalled by the safety implications of his statement. 

"It's just ridiculous and it's a direct insult," said Bill Russell, an Iraq war veteran who ran against Murtha unsuccessfully last year and is running again in 2010. He warned about the dangers of detainees mingling with stateside prisoners. 

"You've got the risk of recruitment where they're selling their brand of Jihad," he said. 

He said the proposal is also an insult to the passengers of Flight 93, one of four hijacked planes which went down near Murtha's district on Sept. 11, 2001. 

The long-serving congressman beat Russell in November even after calling his constituents "racist" and "rednecks" just weeks before Election Day. 

Kevin Miller, who lives in Murtha's district, told FOX News that, "He brings the pork home and people seem to like that." 

"I guess this is Jack Murtha's economic stimulus package," he quipped. 

But he said the idea that Guantanamo prisoners are no more dangerous in the 12th District is "just insane." 

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections had no comment on Murtha's remarks. 

Within minutes of taking off, the flight was a potential catastrophe in the making.

The pilot, Chesley Sullenburger, a former Air Force flight leader, expertly coasted the jet into the Hudson when he realized that an emergency landing in New Jersey would not be possible due to both engines being blown out.

Chesley and the crew are heroes. Chesley's years of flight experience and quick thinking prevented an absolute tragedy. The plane could have easily crashed into the GW Bridge, breaking off the life line between New Jersey and New York for hundreds of thousands of commuters each day and taking the lives of possibly hundreds of people. The pilot also refused to leave the plane until every single other person was confirmed to be off of the plane and on their way to safety.

The amazing part in all of this is that every single passenger and crew member lived. 78 were injured or experienced hypothermea. Most of the patients have already been discharged.

Even more incredible was the quick public response that prevented a tragedy. Not only the response of the NYC and NJ police and rescue workers and Coast Guard, but also the citizens on the ferries that transport workers from NJ to NYC each day that put their lives on the line to help the stranded passengers out of the icey waters.

It is a true testiment to the heart of America and the true spirit of the American people that so many people beyond the rescue workers gave their efforts to assist in rescuing every single passenger. Within 20 minutes, all of the passengers and crew had been carried to safety.

Wednesday, January 07, 2009