John Boehner-Public Enemy Number 1

John Boehner has capitulated to the Tea Party and again adopted a hard-line stance in the budget deficit negotiations by announcing that he was backing out of a deal that would have reduced the deficit by up to $4 trillion.  Whatever happened to the Republican Party of old that negotiated in good faith with its Congressional Democratic counterparts?  The Tea Party has taken that party hostage with ridiculous intransigence on proposals that would allow tax hikes on wealthy Americans.  Patriotic Millionaires, a group of millionaires who are calling for tax increases, consider it a privilege to pay more taxes because they wouldn't have become millionaires without the benefit of living in this country.  Listen to their wisdom.

Do you remember the movie Network?  In it, Peter Finch, an aging network newsman, is about to get sacked because ratings have sagged.  Finch eventually has his own show where he spews his anger and gains the highest ratings of any show on television.  He uses the catch phrase, "We're mad as hell, and we're not going to take it any more," and incites his audience to chant it with him.  Well, I've reached that point when it comes to the nonsense surrounding the deficit talks.  How long will we stand for allowing Congress to posture rather than passing a budget deal?  If they don't pass something within the next 10 days, all of us will suffer because interest rates will climb on government debt and pass to citizens in a variety of forms.  In the past few days, many non-partisan financial experts have called for action to avoid a catastrophe.

So, why are they listening to the Tea Party, which obviously doesn't recognize the dangers of inaction?  Because Republicans in office want to win re-election, that's why.  Democrats want that too, but they have shown more willingness to compromise, and they don't have a schizophrenic split in their party.  Plain old common sense dictates that a budget must allow for revenue increases when it's in the red, not just reductions in spending. 

Read my lips, Mr. Boehner.  You and your fellow Republicans have a fiduciary duty to the citizens of this country to do your job.  That means allowing tax increases for people who have weathered all of the economic woes and remain wealthy.  It will not destroy jobs, as no direct connection exists between wealthy individuals and job creation.  You can also consider eliminating the extravagant pensions members of Congress receive when they retire. 

Your stubbornness and position flip flop can result in jeopardizing our future for generations.  Get on with it, and forget about the Tea Party.  What platform got you elected before the Tea Party formed?  Return to sanity and engage in a give-and-take exchange with Democrats.  As the leader of the House of Representatives, you have a duty that transcends party loyalty.  Live up to that responsibility. 

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Ham on Wry Award: Shuttle Launch Signals End of Space Program

Space shuttle Atlantic successfully lifted off from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center  at 11:29 a.m. EDT, leaving behind a billowing cloud of smoke as it hurtled skyward.  The four crew members, Commander Chris Ferguson, pilot Doug Hurley, and  mission specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, will write the final chapter in shuttle program history on this last mission.  The Atlantis is scheduled to dock with the space station on Sunday

Prior to the launch, Mike Leinbach, shuttle launch director, offered these words to the astronauts, "On behalf of the greatest team in the world, good luck to you and your crew on the final flight of this true American icon.  And so for the final time, Fergie, Doug, Sandy and Rex, good luck, Godspeed and have a little fun up there."

Atlantis' commander Chris Ferguson responded instantly.  "Thanks to you and your team, Mike. We're not ending the journey today, we're completing a chapter of a journey that will never end.  Let's light this shuttle one more time Mike, and witness this nation at its best. The crew of Atlantis is ready to launch."  Commander Ferguson captured the feelings of many Americans on this occasion.  Atlantis, along with all of the space program predecessors, symbolized American ingenuity and its people's can-do attitude.  John Glenn voiced his disappointment about the demise of the shuttle program during an interview with Brian Williams yesterday on NBC Nightly News.  When Williams asked Glenn whether he would feel differently if a new iteration of space vehicle were ready to go, he responded affirmatively.

Hundreds of thousands of spectators lined area roadways, beaches, and crowded into Cape Canaveral to capture the launch on camera.    As TV cameras panned the area, people cheered, clapped, and saluted when Atlantis lifted off.  I chose not to go early this morning because Pinellas County was experiencing a mini monsoon, and I erroneously concluded they would scrap the launch.  Bad call!

The future of US space exploration now rests in the hands of commercial aviation.  One can only hope that the effort will greatly exceed what we have experienced in the last decade on flights in this country.  A part of me felt a great sense of loss today, as I remembered watching the Apollo moon landing with my family while waiting for our table at one of our favorite restaurants.  Other patrons had also gathered around the TV, and watching men walk on the moon absolutely mesmerized us.  I'm certain this journey has a bittersweet flavor for the crew.  May they return to America safely, because, if a problem arises, we have no means of retrieving them.  They'll have to hitch a ride on a Russian spacecraft.

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The Weird World of Casey Anthony

Casey Anthony at Sentencing Hearing

Like the Energizer Bunny, the Casey Anthony story just keeps going and going and going.  This morning, Judge Belvin Perry sentenced Anthony to four years, the maximum allowable under Florida Law, for her conviction on four counts of lying to detectives in 2008.  Judge Perry listened to defense arguments that the four counts of lying occurred during one day in July, so the crimes should be considered as an aggregate offense with one year as the maximum penalty.  The prosecution countered that claim saying that the lies occurred over a twelve-hour period, giving Anthony ample time to reflect and conceive additional lies; thus, they occurred as separate crimes  Judge Perry agreed with the prosecution.

Determining how much jail time Anthony will serve involves much more complexity than one would assume.  First, the judge must consider time already served.  This might seem a simple task, but Casey Anthony pled guilty to check fraud on January 25, 2010 and was sentenced to time already served.  Does that mean that only the time from that day forward will be considered as time served for the four counts of lying?  I believe so, but I am not the presiding judge.  Then, the judge must receive information from the jail that will account for factors they consider in mitigating the sentence based on behavior and other considerations.  Absolutely nothing about this case has proven simple.

As Star Jones noted on  the Today Show, Anthony appeared ready to go home today in court.  She had literally, "let down her hair," and wore casual clothes during the hearing.  As the defense and prosecution presented opinions, she sat stone-faced listening to them, once again affecting an emotionless demeanor.  Outside the courtroom, a large group of protesters displayed signs and shouted opinions to the media covering the event.   Will we ever see the end of this case?

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Casey Anthony's Strange Choice of Attorney

A strange case gets even stranger when details about Jose Baez reveal that he sold bikinis during his hiatus from the law profession.  No, he didn't choose to stop practicing law intentionally.  He failed to pay child support and provide insurance for his children; thus, he was barred from practicing law for eight years.  Prior to the Casey Anthony trial, he had no noteworthy accomplishments as an attorney.  Anthony's selection of Baez is more bizarre than his lack of outstanding credentials.  Despite her family's advice against hiring him, Anthony gave greater weight to prison buzz about him and selected him as her attorney.  That created a win/win situation for both of them, at least in reference to the not guilty verdict and worldwide notoriety.  Baez will never have to declare bankruptcy or default on loans again.  I see books, movie deals, etc. in his future.

The downside to all of his new-found fame places him in harm's way.  People have tweeted death threats about Baez and the entire Anthony family.  George and Cindy Anthony are in hiding and Casey will learn tomorrow when she will released from prison.  If I were her, I might elect to stay there for a while longer until media coverage subsides.  Many people in this country believe that she should have received the death penalty and are evidently ready to carry out the sentence themselves.

Was Baez's success in this case attributable to his well-hidden brilliance as a lawyer?  It seems more like luck to me.  He is a master of the red herring, which served to throw the jury off track.  At least he's good at something. 

Beware future clients!  Don't expect Baez to win your case.  He has an underwhelming track record in the courts.  According to the International Business Times, "he had defended a man accused of killing the granddaughter of a boxer. Unfortunately, the accused was convicted of manslaughter, following which, a motion was initiated against Baez, accusing him of inefficiency that led to the conviction of his client."   In the same article, the reporter noted, "In a damming [sic] comment the Florida Supreme Court had said that Baez had 'a lack of respect for the rights of others and a total lack of respect for the legal system, which is absolutely inconsistent with the character and fitness qualities required of those seeking to be afforded the highest position of trust and confidence recognized by our system of law'."  Despite all his past problems, Baez emerged victorious yesterday--at least for now. 



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Casey Anthony Acquitted of First Degree Murder

Casey Anthony Awaits Verdict

Jurors in the Casey Anthony murder trial found her not guilty in the first-degree murder of her daughter Caylee earlier this afternoon, after deliberating for just under 11 hours. The jury also declared her innocent of aggravated manslaughter and aggravated child abuse.  They did find her guilty on four counts of giving false information to law enforement officers.  She could receive up to one year of additonal prison time for each count, but pundits doubt that will happen.

For almost six weeks, jurors, who had been selected from a pool of Clearwater, Florida residents, were sequestered in Orlando while they heard evidence in the case.  The prosecution portrayed Anthony as a mother who no longer wanted the responsibility of a child and preferred, instead, to lead the life of a party girl.  They believed that she murdererd her child by using chloroform to render Caylee unconscious and then suffocated her with duct tape.  The defense focused on the lack of physical evidence and presented an alternative theory of accidental drowning as Caylee Anthony's cause of death.  Both sides agreed on one thing:  Casey Anthony was a consummate liar.

She told her parents that Caylee was with a nanny named Zanny, a non-existent woman, as an explanation for her absence; that she and her daughter were with a rich boyfriend who doesn't exist; and that Zanny had been hospitalized after an out-of-town traffic crash, and that they visiting her.  None of it was true.  Why did Casey Anthony wait for a month to report Caylee missing?  That question will probably remain a mystery.  She also claimed that her father had sexually abused her starting at the age of eight, although no proof was offered to substantiate it.

One of the oddest parts of the prosecution's case came when Jeff Ashton showed a video of Casey playing with her daughter on the floor and holding her in the air.  Both had broad smiles and appeared to be thoroughly enjoying one another.  He then showed Casey Anthony living it up at a bar.  That tactic might have had the opposite of the intended effect.  It occurred late in the trial and could have left a lasting impression with some jurors that Casey obviously loved her daughter, despite the number of lies she told.

In the aftermath of the media circus, it will be interesting to see how the Anthony family handles life going forward.  George Anthony already tried to commit suicide in 2009,   Cindy lied on the stand about the internet searches involving chloroform, saying that she had done the searches, not Casey.  Casey's brother Lee was distraught during his testimony and visibly emotional when observing other testimony.  His relationship with his parents and Casey seems unclear.  I can already envision their hounding by the media and paparazzi continuing, despite the fact that the trial has ended.  I also predict we'll be seeing investigations on various true crime shows presenting their versions of what really happened.  Casey knows the true story, but I doubt that we ever will. 



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Poll Finds Many Americans Need History Lesson

Readers might have trouble believing this, but a Marist Poll conducted July 1, 2011 found that only 58% of the people polled knew that America declared its independence in 1776.  Twenty-six percent were unsure and 16% chose another date.  It sounds as though the 42% who didn't have the correct response might belong to the Palin/Bachman school of history.  One of my posts a few weeks ago detailed Palin's distorted account of Paul Revere's ride and Michele Bachman recently named John Quincy Adams, John Adams' son as one of our country's founding fathers--a difficult feat for a 9-year-old.

Fortunately, respondents redeemed themselves somewhat when 76% of them correctly identifed Great Britain as the country from which the US declared its independence.  However, that still leaves 24% who didn't know the answer.  Nineteen percent chose unsure and 5% chose another country.  First graders know the answers to these questions, but, evidently, some adults must have missed the lesson on the Declaration of Independence.  The most alarming result from this poll focuses on adults between the ages of 18 and 30.  Only 31% of the age group knew that the Declaration of Independence occurred in 1776.

A fundamental core of education is sadly lacking in this country, and it affects voting results and a true understanding of the founding principles of the United States.  In my experience, some of the most vocal critics of our government know the least about the constitution and the amendments that followed.  Florida even has a governor who takes pride in the fact that he doesn't read Florida newspapers.  What a great idea!  Why would he want to know what's happening in the state he governs.  It begs the question, "What does he read?" 

Wake up citizens of the United States.  All of us have an obligation to stay informed from independent sources and read publications that offer a wide range of views.  For some, this includes reading history books that provide information about the founding of this country and people from various historical periods who played a role in the events that have shaped it.  On this day that celebrates our independence, enjoy the fireworks and picnics, and then give thanks to all those who have fought to keep us free.  Happy July 4th!

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Ham on Wry Award-TSA Bungles Security Screening Again

Olajide Oluwaseun Noibi has discovered the cheapest way to fly: don't pay for the ticket and use someone else's boarding pass.  Noibi, a Nigerian national, used expired student ID from the University of Michigan  to make it through the initial checkpoint and the full security screening conducted by TSA.  Apparently, TSA considers 95-year-old women in wheel chairs much more dangerous than passengers without a valid boarding pass.or ID  Security agents can successfully identify a strange mass in a woman's Depends undergarment, but they can't  recognize a day-old boarding pass in another person's name, or an expired student ID.   Do you feel safer now?

This latest foul-up boggles the mind, and, it happened not once, but twice.  Noibi successfully boarded a Virgin Atlantic flight at JFK headed for LAX and wasn't discovered as a non-ticketed passenger until approximately halfway through the journey, when a flight attendant noticed he was sitting in an unassigned seat and asked to see his boarding pass.  After stalling for a few minutes, he handed her a pass that the ticketed passenger had lost on a subway the day before.  When he arrived at LAX, an FBI questioned and released him after determining that he posed no threat.

Five days later, Noibi used the same tactic again and made it through TSA a second time, but was arrested when he attempted to board a Delta flight.  Ten additional fraudulent boarding passes were found in his luggage, and he was scheduled for a hearing today.  This man knows no fear, it seems.

We can chuckle over this, but it exposes a serious problem with TSA screening.  They concentrate too much on exact rules and regulations and not enough on people exhibiting suspicious behavior.  As I did in the post dated June 27, 2011, I call for a review of TSA's policies and procedures.  It's time for some major changes when a harmless older woman is pulled aside for a full search and a man who could have been a terrorist makes it through security and boards a flight without proper identification and a valid boarding pass.  John S. Pistole should be held accountable for this breach and made to examine the procedures to improve them.  Otherwise, children and seniors will continue to suffer unwarranted embarrassment in the screening process while suspicious people make it through.  Check out what the former head of Israeli Airport Security said about TSA by clicking the link below.
http://deadlinelive.info/2011/06/29/tsa-is-a-joke-says-former-head-of-israeli-airport-security/

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