It saddens me to say this

but I believe the time has come for Illini coach, Bruce Weber to go. Make no mistake about it, Bruce Weber is an excellent coach, probably one of the top five coaches in the nation and if his only responsibility was in taking a young group of players and turning them into a championship team, Weber would be the Illini's coach for life.

However, we all know there is more to collegiate coaching than just "coaching". He is also responsible for recruiting top quality player to the university and on a scale of 1 to 10 Weber would score a -5. His recruiting has been dismal at best and I see no improvement long term.

It was no fluke that Illinois made it to the finals in 2005, he took a bunch of kids who were good players and molded them into a TEAM that was OUTSTANDING. Weber made that team what it was. Bill Self recruited the players, but Weber made those players a team. It seemed that with the success of 2005, Illinois had finally reached the pinacle of collegiate success yet since that time Weber has been unable to recruit a single top player in the country.

Weber recruited assistant coach Tracy Webster in hopes that he would be able to tap into the Chicago talent and in losing him to Kentucky on Friday, he has also lost Darius Miller, who committed to Kentucky on Friday.

I like Weber, I liked him when he was at Southern and will probably always like him but I am no different than the thousands of other Illini fans who after tasting success want more of it. I have no problem waiting a couple of years for success but when a coach has shown that he possesses no ability to recruit top flight talent, I am left with little choice but to call for his replacement.

The success we enjoyed in 2005 could not have been accomplished by any other coach and Weber is to be commended for that, however, one appearance in the finals is not enough to ensure a coach a life long position and with that I have finally, reluctantly I might add, joined the chorus of fans that are now calling for Weber to be replaced.

New links

I have added a few new links:

1. Jewish Republican Coalition.

2. Illinois Review (A good conservative website).

3. Fred Thompson Campaign website.

The links are in addition to the Backyard Conservative, and GOP Bloggers; both of which are excellent conservative blogs.

Enjoy,

D.W.

Interesting statistic

It has been 9, 553 days since Ken McElroy was murdered in downtown Skidmore, MO in front of 25+ people in broad daylight and nobody has been indicted, tried or convicted for the murder.

The American Justice system at its finest.

Sentences, Bond Amounts and disparity in the Justice System

I am sure that I am not the only one that has noticed the disparity in the justice system in Illinois.

If one is charged with a crime in Morgan County, the odds of you receiving a low bond amount are nill; yet the same crime in Chicago, Rockford, or Peoria will only cost you a few hours until the bond can be posted.

If you are convicted in Sangamon County you will on average receive a sentence that is 50% longer than if you were convicted in Cook or Winnebago County.

I do not advocate the lowering of bond amounts or sentences, what I do advocate for is a justice system that is fair and uniform throughout the entire state, instead of this huge difference between the various counties and cities. Allowing a hang 'em high judge to unduly punish a person is no more acceptable than a french bread judge that is afraid of ruining some kid for life.

If the State of Illinois adopted a uniform sentencing and bonding plan, there would be far less dissatisfaction with the general public.

Thompson - His Race to Lose

Senator Fred Dalton Thompson is a conservative, much to the chagrin of the Los Angeles and New York Times. It is important to note that when a newspaper attacks a candidate (which both of these have done with Thompson) it is for only two possible reasons: 1. they are attempting to sell more papers, or 2. they are scared of the candidate. It does not take a Nuclear Engineer to determine which is the case here.





Thompson has a down home likeability to him however more importantly he has a shoot-straight personna that many have compared to President Ronald Reagan and that voters have a tendency to migrate towards. He is well spoken and has a voice that is very easy to listen to.

The leading Republican candidates: Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, and John McCain all face the troubling prospect of losing support almost immediately.

Mitt Romney will lose the conservative voters who are not ready for a Mormom to be elected President and the social conservatives who do not believe Romney has a strong enough history to be trusted with the nations highest office.

Giuliani will lose the social conservatives that believe in a strong defense but are wary of Giuliani on the social front.

John McCain - He is one presss conference away from pulling out of this race. McCain wanted to be annointed the heir apparent, but the new breed of Republican voters are no longer willing to entrust the nations highest office to someone just for party loyalty....you need to stand for something, and John McCain has flipflopped one time to many for a lot of them.

This is Thompsons race to lose.....the real question is, will he?

Planning a run for Mayor?

It has been brought to my attention recently that Ward 1 Alderman, Frank Edwards, is laying the groundwork now for a possible mayoral bid in 3 1/2 years. Despite having the ability to run for what would be a guaranteed reelection as alderman (Edwards could serve one more term beyond his current term), it appears that he has his sights set a little higher.

Could Frank be planning a jump to Mayor and then onto the Governors mansion?

Thoughts from the Deck

I was sitting on my deck late last night and was pondering about the state of politics today. Idaho Senator Larry Craig is in deep trouble; and maybe the Republicans in the Senate have returned to their roots. Despite the protestations to the contrary, Craig plead guilty to engaging in what I will call unsavory behaviour. If you believe him, and I do not, he was not smart enough to hire an attorney to handle the matter for him; instead, he plead guilty in hopes that it would just all go away.

I would consider Craig a man of reasonable intelligence and as any man with a reasonable amount of brain would tell you - YOU NEVER HANDLE A LEGAL MATTER WITHOUT CONSULTING WITH AN ATTORNEY - and you do not plead guilty to a crime you did not commit. Craig of all people should have realized that sooner or later the story was going to break and it would spin endlessly out of control.

The Senator has two-stepped this issue faster than a 20 year old couple on a Country & Western dance floor.

Of course that also brings us to the Republican leadership, who almost immediately asked the Ethics Committee to open an investigation into his actions and determine if any Senate Rules have been violated. They moved a few nano-seconds shy of the speed of light in doing so, which of course was the RIGHT thing to do. Now, there are distant calls from within the Republican Party for Craig to resign.

Now that I am thinking about it, Craig is not a man of reasonable intelligence, if he were he would have first not engaged in the behaviour, second he would have hired an attorney immediately, and third he would have already resigned.

Two hats off for the Republican Leadership and a pair of dirty trousers for the Senator.

-------

I find it amusing that when a Democratic fundraiser is accused of malfeasance, there is one excuse after another from the left (as has been the case with Norman Hsu - a fundraiser for the Clinton campaign) yet let even a moderate Republican be caught up in a mess like this and the Democrats pull out the rope and call for a 1880's hanging.

I am a Republican through and through, and make no apologies for that; but I also call 'em like I see 'em and when a Republican engages in behaviour that I believe is detrimental to the party or country I call for them to go; likewise when someone accepts contributions from a thief who is on the run, I call on them to return every dime immediately.

So, Senator Craig - I call upon you to resign your seat immediately and Hillary I call upon you to return every dime you have received from Hsu.

I will not bet the mortgage that either will listen to me.

Governor goes to Court

This almost feels like a nightmare. The Gov really does think he is G-d and has the right to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants and for whatever purpose he wants. Instead of actually sitting down and working with the House and Senate to craft a budget that all could agree to, he throws temper tantrums, calls people names, and basically acts like a three year old.

Hot Rod is hot under the collar, and for what? Because Mike Madigan ran the House as he saw fit, which by the way - as Speaker of the House he has the right to do, and without consulting the Governor on each step.

It is a well defined matter of law that the Speaker of the House sets the agenda and the time it is in session, not the Governor; however, that matters little to the Gov, he wants total control.

We are in for a fun summer as these two square off in court over who has the authority to actually set the times of the House sessions and whether or not the Governor has the authority to redistribute budgetary money for purposes not included in the budget.

Watch closely, the punches and body blocks are just beginning.

Correction on Gonzales

Apparently my facts were a bit off in the post about Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. He has officially resigned as Attorney General but will not be stepping down until September 17th.

I am not suprised by the news, Gonzales was being dogged by the Democrats at every turn, despite the fact that they have not uncovered any illegal activity on the part of the AG; what I am suprised with, is that he held out this long.

Congress has become like a part of my family, Packer fans who on Monday morning talk and act as though they could always do a better job than the current staff. Unfortunately we will have to endure another year and a half of partisan investigations that in the end will produce nothing; Gonzales though, will be able to sit back and smile knowing that he will no longer have to put up with the moronic diabtribes of 535 wannabes.

Gonzales said to have resigned

The word out of Washington this morning is that Attorney General Gonzales has officially resigned as Attorney General.

His resignation is said to be effectively immediately.

More to follow I am sure.......

Davlin a "MINI" Thompson?

Anne with an "E"'s father compared Springfield Mayor Tim Davlin to former Governor Jim Thompson this morning; going to far as to compare him to Jim Thompson.

I just about fell off my chair. Davlin may be charismatic, he may even be likeable, but this comparison borders on the insane.

I kow Jim Thompson, Jim Thompson is a friend of mine, and Tim, you are NO JIM THOMPSON.

Thompson knew how to work with the legislature, you have not been able to work with a single Republican on the city council.

Thompson knew how to get things done, you have not had a single one of your own initiatives pass.

Anne with an "E"'s father needs to pay more attention to the details before making such a laughable and completely ignorant comment.

A heartfelt thank you

To all of you that sent condolences to my family, I want to thank you very much....it was appreciated.

Thank you.....

D.W.

No Posts this week

Due to a death in the family, there will be no posts this week.

Anti-semitism is no trivial matter

I have refused to be dragged into this whole debate, and will only make this comment in response to a couple of emails I have received.

Anti-Semitism is no trivial matter, it is a serious issue and making jokes about it serves no useful purpose, and at worst is a disgrace to the entire debate.

I will not give the blog the satisfaction of mentioning their name, but their attempt to trivialize the issue is reason enough for any Jew or a supporter of Israel to boycott their site until such time as an apology is issued.

I can only suspect that since they have never been on the receiving end of this type of behaviour they have no clue how damaging it is.

"Consider the source" is appropriate in this case.

Boots a Farmer does not Make

Governor Rod Blagojevich did not attend last nights Governor's Sales of Champions; supposedly he was working on budget matters. Instead, he sent his wife in her brand, spanking new cowboy boots.

Now, if Patti Blagojevich wants to purchase cowboy boots, that is her business; but to make a point so say she did it to support state agriculture was the most laughable statement I have heard out of the Blagojevich's this year.

I have news for you Patti, a pair of cowboy boots does not a farmer make, nor does it show any support for the State of Illinois agriculture. It shows how contemptable you find this part of the state fair. I would venture to say those boots will be relegated to the back of the closet for a few months before they find their way into the used boot bin at the Salvation Army Thrift store.

If you really wanted to show your support, you would have donned a pair of WORK boots, a pair of ratty jeans, and a t-shirt and gone down to the cattle barn and actually helped some of those kids clean out stalls and fit their animals for the show. Now, that would be showing support.

How about spending a couple of days on a farm actually doing the work Patti? Oh, I am sorry such work is beneath someone of your elegance and grace.

Making an issue out the boots only made Patti Blagojevich look more like the idiot who is Governor, instead of Illinois' First Lady showing support for the kids and our great agriculture heritage.

Father of Anne with an "E" Perfects Softball Interview Style

Ever since I was a little boy, I have been fascinated with interviews, especially those that ask a question, wait for a response and then ask follow up questions based upon the answers given.

It appears that is a dying art. Of the last four interviews I have heard Anne with an "E"'s father have, he has not asked a single follow up question to an answer given; regardless of how evasive or ridiculous the answer is. He simply allows those he is interviewing to spin their answer like a cotton gin would spin a ball of thread and then hit it out of the ball park like a Hank Aaron home run.

Slow pitch underhanded softball is for grade school kids, not a radio stations' interviews.

Anne with an "E", you seem to be the smart one in your family, maybe your dad would be willing to retire and allow you to conduct all future interviews.

I am no fan of Chris Matthews, and he is anything but hardball, but his interview style is far more informative than Anne with an "E"'s father ever thought of being.

Rove Departure Nothing New

The mainstream media is making political hay out of the resignation of Karl Rove, effective August 31, 2007, as though it is some major political event. The truth is, with only 526 days in office remaining Rove's departure was to be expected.

There will be more in the coming days. Since 1960, the only administration that did not lose a substantial number of the staff was Johnson's when he took over for Kennedy. High level staff members know the end is near and will be making career changes, aligning themselves with potential presidential candiates, and taking time off from the constant grind of governmental work.

Yes, Rove is a very close friend and advisor of the President, and yes not having him there on a daily basis will leave a void, but nobody is beyond replacement; especially in politics and we can be assured that despite Rove's departure, he will only be a phone call away. Nobody refuses a call from the President, regardless of party or positions.

Iraqi Tet - Would the outcome be the same as '68

On January 30, 1968, the Viet Cong launched a series of offensives that were designed to shake American support for the Vietnam war. Speaking from a military standpoint, the tet offensive was a horrendeous loss for the Viet Cong, but from a political and press standpoint it turned the war on its head and ultimately led to the United States withdrawing from Vietnam.

There is a concern within the administration that Al Qaeda may be planning a series of offensives as were executed in 1968. The administration is worried, because such an offensive could have a tremendous influence on support for the war, regardless of the outcome militarily.

History sometimes repeats itself, and the likelihood of a "tet" in Iraq is probably better than 50%; the aftermath is where history could change course. The President for all of his faults, has refused to give up on this war and truly believes it is winnable, and is more than willing to stake his entire legacy on that belief. Such a move would be directly opposite of President Johnson, who after the Tet Offensive, began the slow withdrawal of American forces from Vietnam.

Al Qaeda may plan and execute such an offensive, but absent a huge loss militarily, I do not see this President changing course. Good, bad or otherwise - he will ride the Iraq war to its ultimate end.

Cindy vs. Nancy (War of the Century)

In the left corner is Cindy "I hate Bush" Sheehan, and in the right corner comes Nancy "I hate Bush" Pelosi.......this could shape up to be one of the most exciting House races we have seen in a century. You have two extremely liberal, far outside the mainstream, candidates who have built their political careers on the backs of others.

I cannot wait to see which of the two draws blood first!

As an amatuer oddsmakers, I am laying 4 to 3 for Pelosi.

Comparing two of the same

Mark Erickson blasted Barry Bonds in his article today, comparing him to of all players Cal Ripken. Bonds is a jerk, he is an egotistical, pompous ass; whereas, Cal Ripken does come across as a very likable fella and there has not been as much as a sliver of a hint that he used steroids in any fashion.

However, this infatuation with Ripken over his 2,632 consecutive starts is dubious at best. Was he a durable player? Absolutely and he showed up for work, every single day. Let us be honest though, there were more than one occasion where the Orioles put him in the lineup long enough to get credit for a game and then pulled him; for no other reason than to push his consecutive streak along. At best, it was padded; at worst one could say the Orioles helped him cheat his to a record he did not deserve.

I still like Ripken and would call him one of if not the most durable baseball player in history; Bonds? He's still a jerk and should be stripped of the home run title. Comparing these two players is like the pot calling the kettle blac, neither of them deserve their respective titles.

Blame Game

In in the wake of the Minnesota bridge collapse, we have several pundits, and many bloggers blaming the Bush Adminsitration for this catastrophe; it seems that no matter what horrendous event occurs, its always something the Bush Administration and more precisely, the President Himself could have prevented.

The divide between the right and left is at its widest point in my recollection, there is no longer civility between the sides and it seems many want to make everything politics personal.

If you stand on principle and those principles are rooted in fact, I have no issue; if not, then your message is not worth listening to regardless of which side of the isle you stand.

The Minnesota tragedy is not the fault of the President or the Bush Administration; actually, at this point we have NO IDEA who or what is at fault and until we get the facts playing the blame game serves no valuable purpose.

Anne with an "E"

Anne Madonia appeared on her fathers radio show this morning and wanted to make sure that if any bloggers mentioned her name, they would spell it correctly.

There ya go Anne with an "E" Madonia, we got it right!

Anne with an "E" seems like a very likeable and charming lady and I wish her and her child the very best in the future.

Mayor Davlin Challenged

Tuesday evening the Springfield City Council approved an ordinance that would give alderman access to personnel records as it pertains to their jobs funding the various departments. This ordinance past over the objections of the Mayor and the two legal hacks from the CWLP and police unions.

With the new makup of the council, the Mayor no longer will be allowed to operate unchallenged and it appears that there is not a single alderman that is going to take their marching orders from the Mayor blindly; which is a far cry from the likes of Chuck Redpath.

Speaking of Redpath, he was on 1450 WFMB this morning blabbering away that the council needs to know their place. Well I have news for Chuck Redpath, the council apparently knows their place a lot better than you did; they so far refuse to stick their head in the sand and just take whatever the Mayor says as gospel.

Now we will see if the Mayor has the wherewithal to actuall veto the ordinance, I would give 3 to 1 odds he just signs the ordinance.

It is time

I have been waiting for months now with anticipation for Senator Fred Dalton Thompson to announce his decision on whether to seek the Republican nomination for President. So far, the Senator has only formed an exploratory committee and gave a few speeches.

Considering the field of Republicans who have already announced, Thompson would be the hands down choice for conservatives, and yet, we still wait.

Time is running out on the Senator, staffers will only wait so long for a candidate to make his/her decision and the available funds is also dwindling; a fact that I am sure the Democrats have not missed. Recently, the LA Times made an attempt to paint Thompson as an abortion flip flopper - the question is why? Are they scared that Thompson represents the best chance the Republicans have next fall? Are they afraid that Thompson has face recognition with his portrayal of District Attorney Arthur Branch on the NBC series Law and Order? Or are they just afraid that a fresh face will shake this race up and turn it on its head?

Only the LA Times knows, but this much I do know - it is time for the Senator to either get in or get out.

Smelling like a rose in a barn.

It is now Monday night, and with the deadline of Wednesday (as per Dan Hynes) for a new budget looming large, its time for Mr. Madigan to call the Governors bluff.

The illustrious Governor of Illinois has threatened to shutdown the state government if he does not get his way with the budget, despite the fact that he has come up with nada ways of paying for his spending packages; unless of course you count the ill-fated GRT (Gross Receipts Tax) which has already been shot down by the legislature.

I could be proven wrong, but I just do not think this Governor has the cojones to actually receive a budget passed by the two chambers and just sit on it for 60 days and then veto it. Even if he did, I believe its time for Madigan to call him on it and force him to actually shut everything down.......the ball is in Madigans court at this point.

Hanging in the balance of course is the Illinois State Fair, which is scheduled to begin Wednesday with the 4H cattle and showmanship shows that evening. It would be a real shame if this hairdo Governor put his political showmanship above that of these kids who have worked their tails off all year to get this point.

Come on Madigan, if you handle this right you really could come out of the barn smelling like a rose.

Most Compelling video

From time to time I receive an email from a friend, business associate or family member with a link to a video or clip; most of the time they are humorous in nature. Seldom do I come across a video that pulls at my heart strings.......well here is one that did just that.

No politics involved, just a video that expresses a 15 year olds view......

http://www.youtube.com/v/ervaMPt4Ha0&autoplay=1

I hope that you will find it as moving as I did.

18th Congressional seat could be a barn burner

From the rumor mill:

With Congressman Raymond Lahood deciding not to seek relection next year, the 18th Congressional Seat race could turn into the barn burner of the decade. Two popular politicians are being touted as the answers to each parties success in holding on or gaining the seat.

From the Republican side there is talk that Sangamon County Sheriff Neil Williamson coming off of his landslide reelection would be the perfect choice; he has voter appeal, an outstanding track record as sheriff, no major baggage to contend with, charismatic, and is popular with both Republicans and Democratic voters. I would agree that Williamson would be a great choice and with the recent personnel moves within the sheriffs department, it is a better than 50% bet that Neil will toss his hat into the ring.

The only issue is, he does not currently live in the 18th and would have to move out of Chatham; but that is not the first time a politician has moved for political reasons.

On the Democratic side there is the current Springfield Mayor, Tim Davlin. Davlin also is coming off of a landslide victory, is charismatic, can talk it up with the best of them and has a huge warchest available. He is tight with Dick Durbin and as much as it pains me to say, he would prove to be a formidable candiate if for no other reason than he is quite good at making lemonade from lemons when it comes to bad press.

The mayor does have some issues which he will have to contend with, his volatile relationship with the Springfield City Council, his handling of the budget issues, his secret deal with the Sierra Club, and his relationship with the Governor. On the other hand, Peoria is a Democratic stronghold and would have excellent curb appeal with the voters there.

If I were a betting man, I would call this a horse race at this point between these two; Williamson if he is able to articulate his positions clearly would have the inside edge, but with his good ole boy personality, it will take more than just a half hearted effort.

Rumors are flying about

I ran into a State Rep tonight at a convenience store on the South East side of Springfield and they hinted that there was a good possibility that the Illinois Legislature would be voting on a budget Thursday.

Is there actually a light at the end of the tunnel or is this another one of those high hopefuls that never materializes beyond the figment of my imagination stage?

Customer Service - Something AMFAM need work on.

I came across a situation today that I thought I would share with you. Let me preface by saying that I am sure we can all agree that when it comes to service related industries (such as insurance companies), taking care of the needs of the customer are vitally important and honesty is ALWAYS the ONLY policy.

A friend of mine described the following ordeal he has experienced with American Family Insurance Company and it brought up the issue of customer service front and center. Back in May AMFAM apparently informed him that they were going to be increasing his rate; as it turns out the rate increase was over 60% from last year to this year. His homeowners policy was set to expire / renew on June 1, and they did not inform him of what the rate amount was going to be until approximately two weeks before its due date. You can be sure they had already invoiced the mortgage company for the money.

Like the rest of us, he was livid. With only one claim in his life on a home (amounting to less than a thousand dollars) there was little justification for that type of rate increase. As I am sure you would expect he started shopping the business. Within two days he had executed a new policy with a new carrier at a rate amount significantly less than what AMFAM wanted. He called his old agent and (listen carefully this is important) said the following "You are to cancel the homeowners policy effective immediately".

What part of that does anyone not understand? He is emphatic as to exactly what he said, and I have no reason to doubt him. If you made that statement to me I think even half drunk I would understand that you wanted the HOMEOWNERS POLICY cancelled immediately and without delay.

As it turns out, his agent was either not listening, did not care, or just wanted to get rid of him as a customer, because she cancelled his auto policies as well. He spent the next week and a half operating a motor vehicle without insurance. You can also bet that had their been a loss, AMFAM would have denied the claim and hung him out to dry.

It apparently took over ten phone calls to the corporate offices of AMFAM in order to get the issue resolved; or so it seemed at the time. Prior to this cancellation his auto policies were paid by AFT (automatic funds transfer) from his checking account. It seems that both the corporate offices of AMFAM and the agent were not very diligent in getting things set back up correctly because NOBODY mentioned to him that the AFT was not restored. A little over a month later the carrier cancelled the policy again because of what they claim was non payment.

Where was the agent in all this? MIA. Even after speaking to her two weeks before the cancellation and telling her specifically to restore the AFT, she did not get it done; now, the carrier has basically told him, go find another insurance carrier - we really do not want your business.

To top it all off, he was talking to another agent about the problem, hoping to get it resolved and found out that his agent was spreading several lies about the matter, which could only be to cover her own ineptness.

Now to some of you, this is no big deal - I certainly am not what one might call an insurance company hater and I have defended them on numerous occasions but when you are mandated by state law to carry auto coverage, as an insurance company you do not cancel a policy without making damn sure that is what the customer wanted.

I have been with my carrier for over 20 years, I would have considered AMFAM but this episode certainly makes me pause, because if there is one thing that I demand as a consumer - its customer service and if you make a mistake (such as the agent did originally) you admit it and go on.

Baseballs, they should be BANNED!

Since the Governor of Illinois wants to use the overtime session to implement some of his more dracoanian gun laws, I suggest the legislature also ban baseballs; because it is apparent after a minor league coach is killed by a line drive shot baseballs are too dangerous and we need governmental help in protecting ourselves.

Come on Gov, let's ban those nasty things........a kid has a better chance of getting clipped by a baseball in this state than he does of getting shot.

BAN 'EM I say and BAN 'EM NOW!

Health Call

Men have historically avoided doctors, hospitals, clinics and other medical services. As a result, we have paid a huge price.





The number one killer of men is prostate cancer; and the statistics are even more sobering.





This year alone, more men will die of prostate cancer than women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.





If you are 40 or older and have not had a prostate exam, I strongly suggest you take action. If diagnosed in its early stages, prostate cancer can be treated effectively, left unchecked you can be certain that your days on earth will be far fewer than planned.

Horseing drunk

Police in Virginia arrested a man and woman for attempting to ride horses while intoxicated.



The couple, Eric Scott Kyff, and Laura J. Allen were reportedly arguing near the police depot Thursday, when police officers Lonnie Myers and Tim Chilton charged them with public intoxication, the Media General News Service said.


Kyff and Allen reportedly wanted to "travel home several miles by horseback to avoid drinking and driving," police told the Media General News Service reported.
Kyff even "took off along the railroad tracks" but didn't get far before Chilton stopped him, said a police spokesman.
The two where taken to the Culpeper County Jail where they were held until the morning. Their horses were also held and returned upon their release.

Tanished

When I think of baseball, many names come to mind - Reggie Jackson and he 3 home runs in game six of the '77 World Series; Rollie Fingers and his performance in the 1982 split season as a relief pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers; John Smoltz and his ability to move from his role as a starter to one of the best relief pitchers in baseball history and back again as a successful starter; and lest we forget the unfortgettable Harry Doyle (Major League).





I am sure you did not miss the fact that I did not name Barry Bonds. It is without a doubt that Barry Bonds has been a formidable player throughout his career. and up until the past few years his accomplishments have been without question. Fans, players and coaches alike may question his attitude, but his true abilities and accomplishments were without blemsih.





That is until the Steroid debacle arrived on the scene.



Bonds has had accusations levied against him of steroid use and I will admit that so far there is no evidence to suggest otherwise; that is, if you ignore the fact that a Federal Grand Jury hearing evidence that he (Bonds) had previously lied under oath about steroids.



No matter what the truth is, Bonds' reputation is now tarnished and when he breaks Hanks record, there will always be an asterick next to his name.



It could have all been avoided if he had just discussed the matter in detail several years ago. Admitting after the fact is never as good as coming clean (if he did use steroids) in the beginning.

The ONLY reason John McCain is losing ground

The media has been talking up the tailspin that presidential hopeful, Senator John McCain finds himself in these days, with the talking heads placing the blame at McCains support of the Iraq war.

The truth is the war has nothing to do with it at all. Although over 70% of Americans currently want the U.S. to withdraw its forces from Iraq, those Republicans who vote in the primaries have generally supported the war from the start. Of those, 68% still support the President and his war policies and believe that the U.S. can still win.

Those are the voters that John McCain needs in order to win, but he lost them decisively when he teamed up with Senator Edward Kennedy to create an amnesty bill for illegal aliens. Conservatives by and large are law and order individuals, they believe in the right to bear arms, they believe that most law enforcement officials are honest and hard working, they believe in the death penalty, and they believe that if you want to live and work in the United States, you need to enter the country through proper channels and do so legally. What they do not believe in is rewarding illegal behaviour.

John McCain may very well believe that the bill was the right thing to do, but as for winning this election, it was the worst mistake he could have made.

Politics is TAME

There has been this argument for several years now that politics has become too mean spirited and devisive; well it certainly is better than it used to be.

Take the state of Kentucky as a perfect example. Before any officeholder can be officially seated, from the Governor to the constables of the commonwealth, they must renounce DUELING!

For those uninformed among us, dueling is where two individuals each with a loaded pistol, stand back to back and walk off a number of paces (steps), and then upon reaching the beforehand agreed to number, turn and fire. Whichever one is left standing is the winner.

The oath is still used to this very day.....makes one wonder what would happen in Illinois if Hot Rod and Maddog Mike really wanted to fight it out?

Where is personal Responsiblity today?

Josh Hancock, a 29 year old St. Louis Cardinals picher, was killed in a vehicle accident in April. At the time of the accident, the police reported that he was not only speeding, not wearing a seat belt, and was talking on his cell phone; but he was also intoxicated.

Hancock was killed when he slammed his vehicle into a second vehicle being assisted by a tow truck along side of the road.

Apparently his father does not think that any of those were Joshs' fault. He father has filed a lawsuit agains the tow-truck driver, the driver being assisted by the towing company, and the manager of the restaurant where Hancock had been drinking.

If you drink and drive, you must accept the consequences of your actions and although Josh may have paid the ultimate price for his actions, those of his father reflect society's belief that its always someone elses fault. Personal responsibility lies with all of us; well that is unless your last name happens to be Hancock.

I can only hope that the courts do the right thing and throw this case in the circular file where it belongs.

Illinois Health Care

The illustrious Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, has been holding the state legislature hostage to special sessions in an attempt to force them to include a new comprehensive health care plan in the states budget. He has all but said until he gets that, he will not allow the members of the House and Senate to return home for the summer.

Contrary to what the press is reporting, there is a budget on the plate; the Illinois House has already passed a budget but Senate President Emil Jones has so far refused to call it for a vote. In addition, the legislature has already overwhelmingly rejected the Governors Gross Receipts Tax (GRT) on businesses.

So in order to help the stalemate, I have a proposal for a health plan to cover those not currently insured.

1. If you do not currently have health insurance, you can sign up for a state financed plan provided the following conditions are met:

A. You are gainfully employed, or if you are not currently employed you must have not been fired for cause from your previous employment.

B. The State of Illinois will only cover you for up to 18 months, at which time you will have to either receive insurance from your employer or have made arrangements to purchase private insurance.

C. You will have an out of the pocket maximum of $7,500.00; comparable to many existing insurance plans currently offered in the private sector.

D. Your premiums will be based upon your annual household income.

E. ER visits will require a co-pay of $200.00.

F. Office visits will require a co-pay of $30.00.

G. all other charges will be handled on an 80/20 split.

H. You must enroll in and pass a money management course, which among other things teaches you how to manage your income vs. expenses and how to plan for unplanned expenditures.

I. You will only be allowed to enroll in the state program twice, with no less than an 18 month break between the two.

Ok, there you have it, those are the basics of my plan, is it perfect? Hell no, is it cheap? No again, but it does provide a bridge for those without coverage and with the time limits it forces people to make responsible choices as to their own lives. Pick it apart, but one thing I would not be willing to compromise on is the time limits, or the limitations regarding the employment.

Email regarding Duane Chapman

I received an interesting email early this morning from a reader that was asking why I am so "angry" with the "Dog"? "He is a good Christian and deserves your support".

Well, here is my reply:

I have no idea as to what Duane Chapman's relationship is with G-d, and to be honest it is really none of my business. What I do know is that Duane Chapman has been arrested for 16 felonies. If he had been arrested once, I very well could be convinced that it was a case of mistaken identity. If he had been arrested twice, you could probably convince me that he had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. If he had been arrested three times, you MIGHT be able to convince me that he was just hanging out with the wrong crowd......but people, he has been arrested more times than I have fingers and you cannot convince me that an overwhelming majority of them were lawful arrests.

Duane Chapman is a criminal, pure and simple. Do I believe that he can atone for those wrongs? Sure, I suppose he can; but let us consider that according to the FBI, for every arrest or conviction a criminal gets away with three other crimes. So if we do the math, and I give him a huge benefit of the doubt as to the FBI's statistics, he has committed over 24 felonies. He may be able to atone for those crimes with his G-d, but as far as I am concerned, he could not possibly repay society for them.

The only other issue I have is the states of Hawaii and Colorado allowing him to engage in bail bonding and bounty hunting. In my opinion he has not earned the right to perform that type of work with his criminal history.

So there it is again......for the last time; unless of course Duane is shipped off to Mexico in which case I will write another post wishing him well on his trip!

You can't fix Stupid

Ron White, a member of the Jeff Foxworthy Blue Collar Comedy Tour, coined the phrase "You can't fix Stupid" and it is no more appropriate than today.

Linda Wagganer, 44 of Springfield, IL allegedy robbed the CVS Pharmacy on Sangamon Ave around 6pm on July 12, 2007. According to police she entered the store, took a bag of M&M's to the counter at which time she demanded the cashiers money, afterwhich she ran out of the store.

So far so good right? Apparently Ms. Wagganer in her excitement of completing her first robbery FORGOT TO TAKE HER PURSE (which included her ID) with her.

Thanks MS. Wagganer, you alone have provided all the scientific evidence one needs to validate Mr. White.

Lahood Decides Against Bradley

Congressman Ray LaHood has taken himself out of the running for President of Bradley University; or so he says. Actually, it has been reported from reliable sources for the past several weeks that LaHood would not be a finalist; which leaves one to believe that LaHood was told this and his announcement is nothing more than a face saving statement.

Congressman LaHood might be a Republican, and if I was faced between voting for him or a Democrat I would probably cast my vote his way all the while holding my nose.

LaHood has a long history of making comments that are anti-Israel and some have even bordered on being anti-Semetic; depending of course on who you talk to. I do not believe that he is an anti-Semite, but I do believe that the Congressman has a huge amount of animosity that he directs toward Israel.

I was sort of hoping he got the job, we already have enough enemies of Israel in Washington.

Libby Commutation

President Bush has issued Lewis Scooter Libby a commutation of his 30 month prison sentence, while leaving in place the $250,000.00 fine, and his probation. Those on the left are screaming that this is somehow a miscarriage of justice and we even have the likes of a liar, Joseph Wilson, calling for an investigation into the Presidents actions.

I hate to break the news to Mr. Wilson, but the Presidents ability to grant a pardon, commutation of a sentence is granted under Article II, Section 2 of the United States Constitution and there is no authority to reverse such action. His decision in these matters is absolute. Congress can whine, they can dance, they can scream, they can hollar, hell they can hold hearings from now until doomsday and the fact of the matter is it will not change the Libby Commutation one iota.

President Bush has issued far fewer pardons and commutations than any President in history; we can compare that to the 456 that President Clinton issued, a vast majority of them during his last days in office. Jimmy Carter issued over 500 pardons and commutations, and let us not forget the king of Democrats, Franklin D. Roosevelt who issued an overwhelming 3,687 pardons and commutations during his terms in office.

We can contrast this with the 77 issued by George H. W. Bush and the 406 by Ronald Reagan.

Its a common practice for Presidents to issue pardons and commutations, and to call this anything more is just playing politics.

It seems the Democrats are forgetting history, is that just a lapse in memory or convenience?

See ya!

I was not going to comment on the Rosie/Elizabeth flap that occured this week, primarily due to the fact I have never watched the view and will not for reasons that are just not important; however, I changed my mind. I have only one thing to say about Rosie leaving the view:


"Hey Rosie, don't let the door hit ya in that big fat ass of yours on the way out!"

I do not like Donald Trump, he is an egotistical, pompus ass but when it comes to Rosie, he was dead on the mark!

Now, that is the last word I will utter on that tub.

Nellie does it again

Don Nelson has done it again, pulled a rabbit out of his hat and made magic with an NBA team. He did it in Milwaukee with the Bucks, he did it at Golden State in the early 90's, he did it with Dallas and to top it off, he did it a second time around with Golden State by thumping the Dallas Mavericks in 6 games.

It is no secret that Nellie and Mark Cuban, the Mavericks owner, are not on speaking terms; apparently Nelson believes that Cuban still owes him several million dollars when he served as Vice President/General Manager/Coach of the Mavericks and suprise, suprise Cuban does not agree. I am sure there was a certain amount of satisfaction for Nellie in putting Cuban's team to rest for the season by an 8th seeded team.

Cuban displayed a very childish attitude throughout the series, especially after game one when he pushed off a Warrior player that accidently bumped into him.

Congralutions Nellie, if anyone deserves it more than Mark Cuban losing, you do in being the coach putting it to him.

Hey Mark, bet you regret letting the general get away this time eh?

Culture of Drinking, Driving and Drug Use

It should come as no suprise that mixing alcohol and vehicles is a dangerous combination. It should also come as no suprise that mixing drugs, alcohol and driving is a VERY dangerous combination; I would further suggest that when you have an organization that has had two players who at the time of their untimely death had drugs in their system (illegal drugs I might add) and a member of their staff who has also been charged with a DUI, there is an inherent problem within that organization.

Yes, I am talking about the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team.

Any other company who had two employees who at the time of their death had illegal drugs in their system, and where at least one of them was involved in a vehicle accident from which alcohol was a contributing factor, the wheel of justice would be grinding away to penalize them with enough force to turn granite into sand.

Darryl Kyle and Jock Hancock are both dead. That is a tragedy, what is even more tragic is the fact that they were both employed by the same company and they both had illegal drugs. What makes this entire sad episode even more horrendous is their immediate supervisor, Tony La Russa, has been charged with a DUI and apparently after each game the company provides their employees with all the beer then can consume.

If this were a trucking company, the Department of Transportation would have already taken steps to revoke their authority to operate, as they should.

I am sorry that Josh Hancock is dead, I am sorry that Darryl Kyle is dead; what I am not sorry about is calling this what it is - a horrendous crime. It is a crime that the Cardinals baseball team has cultivated a culture in which their employees operate as though they are above the law; a team that without any leadership, and a team that has destroyed what goodwill they acquired last year by winning the World Series.

Personally, I think the owner, Bill DeWitt, should be criminally charged for his apparent lack of control and inhibing of his personnel.

Jim Leach - It is time for you to go

Jim Leach,
Who apparently is more than just the news director at WMAY, has felled another employee, this time with the forcing out of Jack Davis. Leach first fired Brian and Kellie from the morning show on sister station WNNS and Davis is his latest victim.

I am not sure what Midwest Family Broadcasting is up to, but one thing is apparent, they have most assuredly decided that it is ok for a news reporter to engage in partisan politics and with a straight face will tell you that the reports objectivity has not been compromised. Yes, you heard it correctly, they are saying it with a straight face - or least Jim Leach is. Jim Leach has been one of the most partisan broadcaster I have ever come across; Jesse Jackson makes a more palatable argument than Leach.

I call on the executives at Midwest Family Broadcasting to put an end to this farce and fire Jim Leach immediately, he has so tainted his objectivity that he needs to go.

I won't be holding my breath though, his last name is very very fitting......

Glen Beck

I have always enjoyed watching Glen Beck and generally agree with most of what he says, that is until last night. It was difficult to sit there and watch his interview with Duane Chapman, at the point he called him a hero I came close to losing my lunch.

What is it with so many social conservatives crooning over this criminal? Those who support Chapman only seem to discuss the Luster matter and I will agree Luster got what he deserved, but calling a convited murderer a hero goes beyond the pale. Are we supposed to forget the 16 felony charges that have been levied against Chapman? Are we supposed to ignore his murder conviction?

Glen Beck has always supported law and order, yet I find it strange that he ignores the rules of law when it comes to Chapman; why is that Mr. Beck? What is it about this criminal that has you so enthralled?

Let us be clear about the facts here, Duane Chapman entered Mexico under false pretenses, he engaged in an activity that is illegal (bounty hunting) and then did what he arrests others for, he jumped bail. As Americans we get upset when someone flees this country and rightly demand their return to stand trial, but are we so better than everyone else that the rules do not apply to us?

Duane Chapman should be immediately and without delay be extradited to Mexico to stand trial for his actions, anything less would be a tragedy.

Jim Leach / Brian Pierce and Kelly Michaels

I cannot help but make one final comment on this matter, Mid-West Family Broadcasting.

Replacing Steve Parker with Jim Leach is like replacing a cast iron skillet with a tin plate and replacing Brian and Kellie with Parker is more akin to replacing a Ferrari with a beat up, rusted out 1978 Plymouth.

It is apparent to me that Mid-West Family Broadcasting is not willing to allow a divergent view point (aka Brians' recent post on his blog about the former First Lady) and although they legally have the right, they were wrong morally and we can only hope that in the end it hits them where it hurts the worst - in the pocketbook.

Good luck B&K, as always you will land squarely on your feet!

Brian and Kellie

It appears that the WNNS morning drive hosts, Brian and Kellie, were fired yesterday due to some comments that Brian made about former First Lady Hillary Clinton.

Although some would argue that free speech has been violated, the fact of the matter is employers can and do punish employees for comments they make that are not work related; that said, I know Brian and Kellie and personally feel this action is unjustified.

Let us look at the issue here, what he said was that Hillary had previously said she "loathed" the military. I have no absolute proof she said that, but for me actions speak louder than words; it has been clear that the Clintons have little use for the military and treated them with utter disdain.

Brian and Kellie had a large following, considering the size of Springfield and their morning show was always upbeat, positive and lively; unlike others such as Jim Leach that cannot get through an entire program without berating the President, Vice President or spewing his liberal BS out.

Oh, btw - guess who is now on WNNS in the afternoons? You guessed it! Jim "No Brain" Leach.

So much for Mid-West Family Broadcasting being above partisan politics.

Failed Appeal

Well it appears that Duane Chapman (Dog the Bounty Hunter) may soon be headed to Mexico to face charges that he was bounty hunting illegally in Mexico.

The second district court in Guadalajara has rejected Mr. Chapman's injunction request which will now clear the way to him to be extradited.

What can I say, if you can't do the time, don't do the crime. Duane Chapman knew that bounty hunting was illegal in Mexico and after being arrested what did he do? He ran, just like most other criminals; and did exactly what he chases down criminals for doing. So I ask you, what is the difference? Absolutely nothing!

Mr. Chapman argues that since bounty hunting is legal in the United States he should not be extradited; well that depends on where in the United States you are. As an example, it is illegal to operate as a bounty hunter in Kentucky, Illinois, Oregon, and Wisconsin.

There are 11 states which require a bounty hunter to be specifically licensed (which Mr. Chapman is not): Indiana, Nevada, Mississippi, South Dakota, Connecticut, Arizona, Utah, Iowa, Louisiana, California, and West Virginia.

Mr. Chapman is not permitted to act as a bounty hunter in the very state that he was convicted of murder in - namely Texas. I wonder why?

The bottom line is, Mr. Chapman left the United States and engaged in illegal activity in a foreign country and he should be held responsible for that action by sending him back to finally stand trial.

As he likes to say, nobody is above the law - well Mr. Chapman that includes YOU!