An Ol' Broad's Ramblings
Morning Coffee 06/24/08
U.S. considers Tehran office to issue visas
With the U.S. and Iran barely on speaking terms for nearly three decades, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice dropped an eyepopping hint Monday that the U.S. is considering a visa office in Iran to draw more Iranian visitors to the United States.
Two questions: Is she NUTS? And: Do we really want folks from Iran wandering our streets at will? Now, I have nothing about the folks of Iran, per se. I have MAJOR issues with folks who think I should be dead because I don’t fit into their “mold”.
Gov’t Says Head Start Made Millions in Improper Payments
A House Appropriations subcommittee has proposed $7.1 billion in funding for the Head Start program for Fiscal Year 2009, even though the program has made over $400 million in improper payments since 2005, according to government audits.
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies released a budget markup last Thursday that provides $7.1 billion for Head Start, $93 million more than President Bush’s request.
Another screwed up gubmint agency screwing the taxpayers. Dang, how surprising is that! When are we going to stand up and say enough!?!
Anbar Province switches to Provincial Iraqi Control this weekend
Once the most violent place in Iraq, Anbar province will come under Provincial Iraqi Control on June 28, a senior military official said on Monday.
So far, nine Iraqi provinces are under Provincial Iraqi Control, or PIC, in which Iraqi security forces perform day-to-day operations and U.S. troops provide assistance as needed, the military official told reporters.
“When you PIC a province, the coalition force goes into what we call an operational over-watch: They’re there, essentially as a security blanket,” the official said.
Hey Reed! 
Senate plans vote today on anti-foreclosure plan
A plan to help hundreds of thousands of homeowners avoid foreclosure is drawing bipartisan support in the Senate, setting the stage for high-stakes negotiations among congressional Democrats.
The far-reaching housing plan faces a Senate test-vote Tuesday, when it could also come to a final vote. The disputes among Democrats over key details, however, as well as a veto threat from the White House will almost certainly push any final agreement into July.
It is NOT the role of the federal government to “bail out” everybody from THEIR foolish mistakes! I’m sorry, but sometimes life sucks, and you have to take the hard knocks! That’s just the way it is. Learn from your mistakes!
Security Council Urges Zimbabwe to Halt Violence
After the United Nations Security Council issued its first sweeping condemnation of Zimbabwe’s violence, Morgan Tsvangirai, the beleaguered opposition leader, said Tuesday he would leave his temporary sanctuary in the Dutch Embassy in Harare within 48 hours following moves by Dutch authorities to assure his safety.
(…)
“It has always been and continues to be the view of our movement that the challenges facing Zimbabwe can only be solved by the Zimbabweans themselves,” the statement said. “Nothing has happened in the recent months has persuaded us to revise that view.”
“No no Mr Bad Guy! Mustn’t murder people who oppose you, or their families.” Gimme a flippin’ break! Where the hell was the non “Security Council” when this piece of trash was encouraging the torture of innocent women? Doing what they usually do….sitting on their thumbs and lapping up the excrement of terrorists!
Gaza truce shaken by rocket fire, killings in WBank
Militants in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip fired several rockets into southern Israel on Tuesday, breaching a five-day-old ceasefire after Israeli troops killed two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
“This is a blatant violation of the calm, and we will weigh options,” an aide quoted Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as saying after the rockets struck.
I’m surprised it lasted 5 days, much less 5 minutes. These people do not want peace. They want to destroy a whole people!
Dobson: Obama ‘Distorting’ Bible, Pushing ‘Fruitcake Interpretation’ of Constitution
As Barack Obama broadens his outreach to evangelical voters, one of the movement’s biggest names, James Dobson, accuses the likely Democratic presidential nominee of distorting the Bible and pushing a “fruitcake interpretation” of the Constitution.
The criticism, to be aired Tuesday on Dobson’s Focus on the Family radio program, comes shortly after an Obama aide suggested a meeting at the organization’s headquarters here, said Tom Minnery, senior vice president for government and public policy at Focus on the Family.
Well, DUH! There has been so much distortion of both the Bible and the Constitution in the last 40 or 50 years, it’s amazing that anyone can see through all the gobbledygook!
Soldier Suicide Ends Sarkozy Ceremony
A departure ceremony for French President Nicolas Sarkozy has come to an abrupt end after an Israeli soldier apparently shot himself at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv.
A police spokesman said the border policeman committed suicide during the ceremony, which was also attended by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
With so few details, I must admit, I’m extremely baffled.
Bredesen subpoenaed to testify against John Ford
Bredesen said prosecutors want him to testify about a 2003 encounter in which Ford asked that additional TennCare enrollees be assigned to a TennCare HMO for which the senator was a paid consultant.
The governor said he did nothing with Ford’s request for OmniCare, which was at the time one of TennCare’s biggest contract health maintenance organizations. HMOs oversaw the provision of medical services to more than 1.3 million TennCare recipients.
Well, he probably should have looked into the request. I’d wonder why the request was made from a sitting Senator who is a consultant for an HMO. But that’s just me.
McCain is trying to get past a gaffe by top adviser Charlie Black, who told Fortune magazine that another terrorist attack on US soil would “be a big advantage” to the Arizona senator, who is touting his national security credentials. Black on Monday issued a statement of regret, and McCain distanced himself from the remarks. But Obama’s campaign plans to stoke the furor with a conference call with Sept. 11 Commission member Richard Ben-Veniste.
Sadly, even though it’s regrettable he made the statement, it happens to be true.
Court bars Sharif from contesting poll
The decision was likely to deepen a rift between Sharif and his partner in the governing coalition over reinstating fired judges and could further destabilize the government.
“This ruling will undermine, in a major way, the effort for national reconciliation,” said Nasim Zehra, an analyst and fellow at Harvard University’s Asia Center. “It is not a politically sustainable judgment.”
They are already killing each other. I get the impression someone over there doesn’t want “reconciliation”. They want control.
Justices deny border fence petition
The government’s plan to build a 670-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexico border took another step forward Monday when the U.S. Supreme Court turned away a legal challenge from environmentalists.
The court’s action clears the way for U.S. officials to press ahead with the project with little fear that judges will be able to halt the effort.
These so called environmentalists have done nothing more than speed the destruction of the environment. How anyone can take their objections seriously boggles the mind. When you put a stupid mosquito, or whatever, before the safety and well being of humans, there is something seriously wrong with you!
Californians found less likely to worship
Nearly half of Californians say religion is an important part of their lives but they are less likely to pray and attend worship services than Americans in other parts of the country, according to a national survey on religion.
And we wonder why California is spiraling into the depths of hell. 
NewsmaxTV’s Ashley Martella reports; the <a href= Http://video.newsmax.com/?assetId=V2546260&promo_code=6356-1/>Supreme Court rules AGAINST Environmental groups & Homeland Security</a>!
@SheBee:
Thanks for the link. And yes, I realize they did rule “AGAINST”. My statement was that the environazis will push it to the limit, just to protect some stupid fly or other, totally disregarding reality.