JAN. 17, 2011, NEWS UPDATE
President Obama goes to Tucson, delivers eloquent, emotional speech about deadly shootings.........Even conservatives praise it....John McCain calls it "terrific".....reminds us why we elected Bam in 2008..... also makes us wonder where he's been past two years.....
But will Obama's call for national unity be heeded? At least temporarily, it seems. Dem. Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado has proposed that Democrats and Republicans sit together during President's State of the Union speech. Schumer (D-NY) and Coburn (R-Okla) have already agreed to sit together. Would it be impertinent to ask, Will they touch?
House Majority Leader John Boehner is already toning down his rhetoric. He no longer refers to health care reform as "job-killing." It's now "job-crushing" or "job-destroying." That's probably the only change that will result from Tucson shootings.
In all the wall-to-wall coverage of the Tucson massacre, why so little discussion of gun control? You know the answer.
Why should any private citizen have semi-automatic weapons? You know the answer.
Sen. Lugar (R-Ind.) says he'll introduce legislation to re-instate the ban on assault weapons, which was lifted in 2004. Why won't it pass--or even come to a vote? You know the answer.
Other members of Congress are proposing restraints on semi-automatic weapons, but they won't get approved either. Why? You know the answer. The National Gun Nut Association.
Republican National Committee gets new Chairman. Outgoing RNC head Michael Steele obviously judged by number of feet in mouth rather than number of new seats in Congress.
Appearing on Spitzer-Parker show on CNN, activist actor Alec Baldwin says he's "very, very interested" in running for political office. Spitzer-Parker is still on the air? The show's two viewers were split in their opinion about Baldwin.
New Rep. Gov. of Maine, Paul LePage, tells critics of his decision not to participate in any Martin Luther King Jr. events to "kiss my butt." Later changes mind and attends breakfast observing King holiday. Guess he decided he could use the five black votes in Maine when he runs for re-election.
Long-time Tunisian dictator goes into exile in face of public rioting caused by a a street vegetable vendor setting himself on fire after police took away his vegetable cart. Self-immolation obviously more effective than tweeting, even Extreme Tweeting.
Former long-time Haitian dictator, "Baby Doc" Duvalier, makes surprise return to Haiti. Guess he doesn't want to miss out on the opportunity to steal some of the tons of aid money pouring into the country.
Miss Nebraska, 17, crowned new Miss America.....You say you didn't know there still is a Miss America Beauty Pageant? Well, there isn't. It's not a "beauty pageant." It's a "scholarship program for women." It's not staged in Atlantic City. It takes place in that bastion of education, Las Vegas. And this year, they even let a bald-headed contestant compete with a wig. There were no contestants, however, who were flat-chested.
New York Jets upset New England Patriots, go to AFC championship game. Jets players put their money where Coach Rex Ryan's big mouth is.
Auburn wins national collegiate football title. Five years ago, Auburn ranked 4th in academic standing among 120 major American universities. This year, it ranked 85th. Way to go, student-athletes!