The First-Pug...er...Lady says everyone should have a personal assistant!

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/05/07/work-life_balance_a_challenge.html
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By DeNeen L. Brown
First lady Michelle Obama called her "current life" in the White House "a very blessed situation, because I have what most families don't have -- tons of support all around, not just my mother, but staff and administration. I have a chief of staff and a personal assistant, and everyone needs that."

"Everyone should have a chief of staff and a set of personal assistants," Obama said with a laugh as she spoke before a crowd of business executives meeting today during a "Corporate Voices for Working Families" conference at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington.

Along with the issues of community service and military families, Obama has said as first lady she wants to focus on the struggles of working families.

During her 10-minute speech, Obama advocated for sick leave for parents, flexible work hours for employees and on-site child care, which she said "is something that keeps many of us up at night....You're just wondering where are we going to put our children where we feel like that they're being safe, that they're safe and being loved. That will relieve many of the stresses that parents feel on the job throughout the day."

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VIDEO | Michelle Obama Talks About Her Life Change

Obama said she personally knows the challenges of balancing work and family "trying to do a good job at both -- and always feeling like you're not quite living up to either -- and trying not to pit one against the other, really trying to balance."

She called herself someone who strives to do more than 100 percent at work. "If people here are like me -- I call myself a 120-percenter. If I'm not doing any job at 120 percent, I think I'm failing. So if you're trying to do that at home and at work, you find it very difficult and stressful and frustrating."

Obama told the story of her own childhood, growing up in Chicago with a father who worked as a city employee at a time when he could make enough money to allow her mother to stay home with the children.

"When I look back on my childhood and the life that my parents provided, working-class folks with not a lot of money, my father was a blue-collar city worker who worked a shift job," she said. "But because he earned enough as a shift worker without a college degree, he could still support a family of four on that salary. And because he could, with that salary, support us -- we rented a home, we didn't live lavishly -- my mother was able to stay at home. She could afford to make the choice not to go to work while we were growing up. That was how families balanced back then."

She said the economic situation has changed today. "One income really doesn't always cut it anymore. And that's in my lifetime," Obama said. "In most families, both parents have to work, and even if people want to make the choice to stay home. And again, there is no subjective analysis or -- of what is better. But people can't make the choice. It's even harder for single parents, and there are millions of them all across this country who are trying to build a life for themselves and their children, and they find in an economy that's tough that they're not just holding down one but they need a couple of jobs just to make ends meet."

Obama said when she was an executive, she learned that giving her employees more flexibility helped their productivity.

"I found that as I've managed staff, the more flexibility and opportunities that I gave them to be good parents, the more commitment that they made to working with me, the less likely they were to leave because they wouldn't find the same sort of situation somewhere else," Obama said. "So this isn't just about family balance. This is about making work places stronger and more effective, and keeping and attracting the most qualified people. This research is critical to empowering employers and is politically -- particularly important during our current economic climate."

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I find it funny she talks about her experience managing people in the workplace. Does she mean those jobs her husband got her in exchange for him getting those companies some serious money in government earmarks? Oh wait, she must all those jobs she earned based on her personal merits and skills, NOT on who she was married to and what position he held. (and as soon as we find one of those in her employment record, we'll believe THAT too.)

More on the Dis-honorable Sen. Arlen Specter...

Most smart people would try and stay out of trouble upon switching sides. Not Arlen Specter. Then again, there's no reason to accuse Arlen Specter of being smart. (Intelligent people everywhere would be offended)

What's he done this time? Read away...

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/cheat-sheet/050709white-house-cheat-sheet.html
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A series of odd incidents that have proceeded from Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter's party switch last week have raised questions about whether the newest Democrat has permanently damaged himself in the eyes of the state's voters.

The White House is concerned enough about the developments that deputy chief of staff Jim Messina and Ron Klain, a senior adviser to Vice President Biden, traveled to Capitol Hill on Wednesday and huddled with Specter to try to iron out the problems, according to informed Democratic officials.

Those problems -- in brief:

• Specter pronounced that he would be keeping his seniority when he announced his party switch last week -- maintaining that his ability to deliver for the state would not be diminished in any way shape or form by his move across the aisle. Except, that wasn't exactly right. The Senate's approval of Specter's junior status on a series of committees led to a "he said, he said" between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) and the newest member of his caucus. Asked about the back and forth by CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday, Reid stood his ground saying simply: "He is a person who's been in the Senate since 1980. I think he should be able to handle himself."

• In a sitdown with the New York Times' Deborah Solomon, Specter said he was hoping that the Minnesota courts would do "justice" and declare former Republican Sen. Norm Coleman the winner in the contested 2008 election. Whoops! Specter tried to walk the comment back told Reid that he briefly "forgot what team I was on."

• Specter has done little to back off his initial assertion that his decision to switch parties was based almost entirely on political calculations and had little to do with ideology. While most party switchers are almost certainly guided by personal political concerns (what politician isn't?), most don't come right out and say it because it is a turnoff for voters who want to believe that their politicians believe in, well, something.

For Pennsylvania voters -- especially Democratic primary voters -- this triptych of recent events is likely to be deeply troubling.

"His actions over this past week have done nothing to curry favors with either party," said Penny Lee, a former senior adviser to Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) and now a Democratic consultant. "He needs to show some willingness to be a Democrat."

Another Democratic strategist who follows Senate races closely was more blunt about the damage Specter has done to himself over the last week. "Do you think that any right-minded local Democratic elected official is going to stick his neck out for Arlen?" the source asked rhetorically. "Or any member of the Democratic Senate caucus?"

Even those Democrats who believe that Specter has done himself no real long-term electoral harm with his actions over the past week don't exactly give him rave reviews. "The pride swallowing can't be easy but he had no choice if he wants to get reelected, and he was honest about that," said one senior Democratic strategist.

Despite all of that criticism, Specter still has a number of things going for him heading into next year -- most importantly the support of an exceedingly popular president who commands massive loyalty particularly among the Democratic base and a campaign war chest bulging with nearly $7 million.

And, average voters are not likely to be following every jot and tittle of the Specter saga -- especially so far from an election. Still, insiders are paying very close attention and, if Specter's stumbles over the past week encourage Rep. Joe Sestak to run in the primary, then the damage will have been done.

What once looked like a huge coup for the White House -- and from a governing standpoint remains one assuming Al Franken eventually wins in Minnesota -- has quickly morphed into a gigantic political headache that almost no one saw coming.

Politics is great, ain't it?

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16 year-old US CITIZEN being held without charge under Patriot Act

Ok, so the police claim a 16 year old made a bomb threat from his room one night. Only problem, he wasn't there - and there is proof that he wasn't there. So here he sits, still in jail, with proof that he's innocent, and nothing is being done.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/5049867

Now, don't get me wrong - I'm all for holding suspected terrorists... HOWEVER... this should not apply to people apprehended on U.S. soil or U.S. citizens. There's a reason for the Bill of Rights. You know, those 10 original amendments designed to limit the federal government's power that it so often like to ignore... yes, those.

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Mom says Patriot Act stripped son of due process

Posted: Apr. 29, 2009

Oxford, N.C. — Sixteen-year-old Ashton Lundeby's bedroom in his mother's Granville County home is nothing, if not patriotic. Images of American flags are everywhere – on the bed, on the floor, on the wall.

But according to the United States government, the tenth-grade home-schooler is being held on a criminal complaint that he made a bomb threat from his home on the night of Feb. 15.The family was at a church function that night, his mother, Annette Lundeby, said.

"Undoubtedly, they were given false information, or they would not have had 12 agents in my house with a widow and two children and three cats," Lundeby said.

Around 10 p.m. on March 5, Lundeby said, armed FBI agents along with three local law enforcement officers stormed her home looking for her son. They handcuffed him and presented her with a search warrant.

"I was terrified," Lundeby's mother said. "There were guns, and I don't allow guns around my children. I don't believe in guns."

Lundeby told the officers that someone had hacked into her son's IP address and was using it to make crank calls connected through the Internet, making it look like the calls had originated from her home when they did not.

Her argument was ignored, she said. Agents seized a computer, a cell phone, gaming console, routers, bank statements and school records, according to federal search warrants.

"There were no bomb-making materials, not even a blasting cap, not even a wire," Lundeby said.

Ashton now sits in a juvenile facility in South Bend, Ind. His mother has had little access to him since his arrest. She has gone to her state representatives as well as attorneys, seeking assistance, but, she said, there is nothing she can do.

Lundeby said the USA Patriot Act stripped her son of his due process rights.

"We have no rights under the Patriot Act to even defend them, because the Patriot Act basically supersedes the Constitution," she said. "It wasn't intended to drag your barely 16-year-old, 120-pound son out in the middle of the night on a charge that we can't even defend."

Passed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S., the Patriot Act allows federal agents to investigate suspected cases of terrorism swiftly to better protect the country. In part, it gives the federal government more latitude to search telephone records, e-mails and other records.

"They're saying that 'We feel this individual is a terrorist or an enemy combatant against the United States, and we're going to suspend all of those due process rights because this person is an enemy of the United States," said Dan Boyce, a defense attorney and former U.S. attorney not connected to the Lundeby case.

Critics of the statute say it threatens the most basic of liberties.

"There's nothing a matter of public record," Boyce said "All those normal rights are just suspended in the air."

In a bi-partisan effort, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., and Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., last month introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives a bill that would narrow subpoena power in a provision of the Patriot Act, called the National Security Letters, to curb what some consider to be abuse of power by federal law enforcement officers.

Boyce said the Patriot Act was written with good intentions, but he said he believes it has gone too far in some cases. Lundeby's might be one of them, he said.

"It very well could be a case of overreaction, where an agent leaped to certain conclusions or has made certain assumptions about this individual and about how serious the threat really is," Boyce said.

Because a federal judge issued a gag order in the case, the U.S. attorney in Indiana cannot comment on the case, nor can the FBI. The North Carolina Highway Patrol did confirm that officers assisted with the FBI operation at the Lundeby home on March 5.

"Never in my worst nightmare did I ever think that it would be my own government that I would have to protect my children from," Lundeby said. "This is the United States, and I feel like I live in a third world country now."

Lundeby said she does not think this type of case is what the Patriot Act was intended for. Boyce agrees.

"It was to protect the public, but what we need to do is to make sure there are checks and balances to make sure those new laws are not abused," he said.

• Reporter: Amanda Lamb
• Photographer: Chad Flowers
• Web Editor: Kelly Gardner

Copyright 2009 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Now, interestingly enough... it appears there have been some changes in the case.

http://lewrockwell.com/grigg/grigg-w93.html

"First, the federal prosecutor in charge of the Ashton Lundeby case issued a press release denying that the USA PATRIOT act played any role in the investigation, arrest, and detention of Ashton Lundeby.

Secondly, Ashton’s mother Annette admitted that her son, under the screen name "Tyrone," had been involved in internet-facilitated pranks. "Tyrone" allegedly called in phony bomb threats to schools at the request of other teenagers who wanted an excuse to miss school – and then charging them for this illicit service.

While Annette Lundeby admits that Ashton made crank calls, she maintains that he was not involved in calling in phony bomb threats. She likewise continues to insist that someone in the group of on-line Gamers with whom Ashton carried out "pranks" stole his IP address and used his on-line identity while calling in the bogus bomb threats.

According to Annette Lundeby, her son’s court-appointed attorney and other officials refused to offer a straightforward answer when she asked if the PATRIOT act was involved. She also claims to have exculpatory evidence confirming that her son was set up by the same former on-line friend who turned him in to the authorities."

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At any rate, the bottom line is that the Bill of Rights is there for a reason and that ALL U.S. Citizens should have theirs respected by the government. Mr. Jefferson had many ideas about the government, including what should be done with it when it no longer works for the people. It's one thing to punish criminals... quite another to usurp the rights of citizens without cause. Stay tuned to see what happens in this case in the future.

Massachusetts: So screwed up the welfarites get free cars!

You think I'm kidding? No, no. If you're going to be a non-contributing member of society - i.e. a leech - Mass. is the place for YOU!

You can get welfare checks, free healthcare AND a car!!! All at the tax payer's expense!

http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/2009_05_07_Free_cars_for_poor_fuel_road_rage/srvc=home&position=also

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By Hillary Chabot
Thursday, May 7, 2009 - Updated 22d 7h ago

Gov. Deval Patrick’s free wheels for welfare recipients program is revving up despite the stalled economy, as the keys to donated cars loaded with state-funded insurance, repairs and even AAA membership are handed out to get them to work.

But the program - fueled by a funding boost despite the state’s fiscal crash - allows those who end up back on welfare to keep the cars anyway.

“It’s mind-boggling. You’ve got people out there saying, ‘I just lost my job. Hey, can I get a free car, too?’ ” said House Minority Leader Brad Jones (R-North Reading).

The Patrick administration decided last month to funnel an additional $30,000 to the nearly $400,000 annual car ownership program.

The program, which is provided by the State Department of Transitional Assistance, gives out about 65 cars a year, said DTA Commissioner Julia Kehoe.

The state pays for the car’s insurance, inspection, excise tax, title, registration, repairs and a AAA membership for one year at a total cost of roughly $6,000 per car.

The program, which started in 2006, distributes cars donated by non-profit charities such as Good News Garage, a Lutheran charity, which also does the repair work on the car and bills the state.

Kehoe defended the program, saying the state breaks even by cutting welfare payments to the family - about $6,000 a year.

“If you look at the overall picture, this helps make sure people aren’t staying on cash assistance. It’s a relatively short payment for a long-term benefit,” Kehoe said.

But Kehoe admitted about 20 percent of those who received a car ended up back on welfare, and while they lose the insurance and other benefits, they don’t have to return the car.

“Given the state’s fiscal condition, paying for AAA and auto inspection costs is outrageous,” said Senate Minority Leader Richard Tisei (R-Wakefield). “There are so many families out there trying to deal with layoffs and pay cuts. You have to wonder what the state’s priorities are at this point.”

Applicants for cars must have a job or prove they could get one if they had the car in order to qualify. Once they have the wheels, they must send DTA their pay stubs to prove they are employed.

To get the cars, they must be unable to reach work by public transportation and have a clean driving record. The program is only available to families on welfare with children.

Kehoe said the bulk of cars go to places with less public transportation, such as Fitchburg, New Bedford and Lowell.

“I can’t believe there are no restrictions on how they use the car,” Jones said. “I just don’t see this as a core function of government.

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Man, America... what a great place. The lazy get everything they ever wanted, and the hard working people trying to actually MAKE SOMETHING OF THEMSELVES, get to pay for it and watch the poor pass them by in standard of living.

Is it any wonder people from Mass. are leaving the state? Now let's just hope they don't come here and vote for higher taxes and more welfare benefits and wonder why it didn't work here either...

Saudi "Miss Beautiful Morals" Pageant

I find it hilariously ironic that the Saudi's are having a beauty pageant. Yes, even in the land of the Burkha, beauty pageants exist - just don't show your ankles, lest you die.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,519193,00.html

Yes, Saudi Arabia is having a Miss Beautiful Morals pageant. I imagine this is to celebrate which female embraces her non-existent rights the best. Think of it as the Islamic counter to the phrase, "...but she has a great personality!" That's right - "We have no idea WHAT she looks like ladies and gentlemen (and if we did see her face we'd stone her for being a whore just like Mohammed commanded), but she has beautiful morals!"

Dems patronizing Specter with sub-comittee chair...

Oh wait... not so fast. Specter's reward for playing Benedict Arnold... absolutely NOTHING!

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/07/source-durbin-gives-specter-judiciary-subcommittee-chair/

That's right, Specter switches sides, leaving the Republican's in the lurch, jumps to the Dem's thinking it will be better for his career, and gets NOTHING! ZIP! ZILCH!

And to that, this Virginia boy says... Sic Semper Proditor (traitors)