Wake up America

Run for the Fallen: Sgt. John David Rode Posted: 05 Aug 2008 11:51 AM CDT Run for the Fallen is today remembering - and honouring - Sgt. John David Rode, 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. A hero among heroes. As with all our heroes, John is not only a hero to all of us; he is also the precious son of Cheryl and Tom Rode; beloved nephew to Cat and Eddie Brooks, and most gentle, awesome uncle to the children. John's family graciously shared their stories, their pictures of John, and it is my honour and priviledge to be allowed to share with you, through those who love John the most. Valentine's Day is the time of year to let a spouse or significant other know how special they are. For our family, Valentine's Day 2007 will forever be the day we lost our beloved Sergeant John D. Rode to an IED in Baquba, Iraq. John, a Canadian citizen, was on a recovery mission when he paid the ultimate sacrifice for his adopted country at the young age of twenty-four. Hailed by his fellow soldiers as a leader and mentor, John could often be found in the gym encouraging his comrades to maintain peak levels of fitness or counseling a young soldier. He was "Uncle John" to Ronnie G. Madore's two children, who was driving the vehicle during the attack and also lost his life. John was tough and kept himself in peak physical condition with muscles like rocks. He was the prototypical gung-ho soldier. But he had a compassionate side, knew how to have fun, and enjoyed playing with little kids. One could say that John was a big kid himself off duty, and then changed into a serious, uncompromising professional on the job. Sergeant Rode was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze star. He was awarded US citizenship posthumously the day before his interment at Arlington National Cemetery by the head of the INS and the head of Homeland Security. Our family will never forget the unselfish acts of kindness John committed as a soldier and as a civilian, and we will always be proud of him for his love of country and commitment to keeping us safe. Godspeed, John. Eddie Brooks And from Eddie's wife - Cat - who has generously trusted a few of her stories of John with me (thank you Cat!) comes this: I am so sorry it has taken so long for me to get back to you...the real reason is every time I sit down to write I have so many memories flooding back and I don't know where to begin.... As I said, my memories are too numerous to be condensed into a few paragraphs, but I will share two of them with you. Both are wonderful examples of how he lived his life culminating in the ultimate sacrifice he made for those he loved. After coming back from his first tour of duty in Iraq, I noticed a big change in John. He had grown up so much becoming so much more focused. Through his serious and tough exterior that he had adopted, he let us see the big kid he was still inside. He absolutely loved my kids with abandon and was not afraid to show it, often rolling on the floor and chasing them on the playground. His gentleness and awe of the little vulnerable baby that was presented to him when he met his little niece Izzy for the first time was precious. To see this big strong tough Soldier hold that baby with such tenderness and love was a glimpse into his soul. I asked him one day about one of the most recent suicide bombings that occurred in Iraq that had killed a number of innocent children. He told me that he was a part of the mission that was responsible for cleaning up the carnage. He looked at me and told me he felt like he was picking up pieces of his little nieces and nephews and how horrible it was. As I looked into his eyes I felt the intense pain he was subjected to. He was able to work through that pain and allowed it to create a depth to his soul that enabled him to love even deeper. On his second deployment to Iraq he was really afraid. His unit was taking heavy losses and he neglected to mention that he had been hit by IED's several times. He came home for his R&R three weeks before his death and he never mentioned it, he did not want us to worry. After returning from his visit home we got a call from his commander telling us that John was at a CSH in Baghdad recovering from injuries he had sustained by an IED. He recovered quickly and went back to his camp. We found out later that that was the seventh time he had been hit and the eighth would be his last. That last mission was one he was not supposed to be on. It was to recover a fallen Soldier, Brandon Cummings, who was still in a very hot area. John insisted on going on that mission to follow the Soldier's creed by never leaving a fallen comrade. He and the other two Soldiers Ronnie Madore Jr., and Carl Seigart put themselves into the line of fire to recover a brother. The three best friends and brothers in arms gave their lives so that Brandon could go home... Okay, the tears have started again... That part always gets me. I am so proud of John,... For some reason I have no trouble speaking about him, it is always when I get introspective and have to compose my words that I get emotional.... Let us never forget. Thank YOU for your service, John. My thanks to ALL the Rode and Brooks family for your sacrifice. I will always honour John. Love never dies. Rest easy John, rest easy.

Zogby Poll Now Matches Rasmussen Showing John McCain Slightly Ahead Of Barack Obama Posted: 05 Aug 2008 11:46 AM CDT For the second day in a row Rasmussen shows John McCain and Barack Obama tied with 44 percent and with "leaners" added, McCain takes a 1 percentage point lead. Zogby also shows McCain with a 1 percent lead and Obama losing support with the young and women Yesterday Rasmussen Reports showed that John McCain and Barack Obama were tied with 44 percent and when "leaners" ( those that lean one way or another but haven't yet decided) are added, McCain takes a statistically insignificant lead of 1 percent. Rasmussen Report today shows those numbers unchanged and another polling organization, Zogby International, releases a report showing McCain ahead of Obama by one point as well, with those numbers being McCain 42 percent and Obama 41 percent. Zogby compares these figures with their July poll which had Obama ahead of McCain by 10 percentage points at 46 percent to 36 percent, in a four-way match-up that included Libertarian candidate Bob Barr of Georgia and liberal independent candidate Ralph Nader. Zogby called the results a "notable turnaround" This latest poll also lists what groups that McCain has seen gains in and that Obama has lost support from: -In the age group 18-29, Obama still leads McCain, 49 to 38 percent, but Obama has lost 16 percent and McCain gained 20 in that age group. -Obama still leads with women as well at 43 to 38 percent over McCain, but McCain has seen a gain of 10 percentage points in that group. -Obama previously had an 11 percent lead in Independents, which he has lost and now he and McCain are tied with that group. -Obama's support from Democrats has dropped from 84 percent to 74 percent. -McCain now leads Obama among Catholics by 15 percent. In July Obama led McCain by 11 percent among that group of voters. -Obama has also lost some support among college graduates and those with family incomes of $25,000 - $35,000 -Zogby also shows that Obama has lost support, although he still leads, among minorities. According to Pollster John Zogby, "The McCain camp seems to have turned lemons into lemonade. Huge crowds and mostly favorable press reviews of Obama's overseas trip have been trumped by McCain's attacks on Obama. Loss of support for Obama among young voters may also be due to his perceived reversals on issues they care about, such as the war and government eavesdropping." Zogby continues on to show figures for the electoral voting states: Electoral votes decide the Presidency, and this ATV/Zogby poll gives signs that McCain is making gains in winning key states. By region, McCain's greatest gains came in the Central U.S. and in the West, home to several key battleground states. What was a narrow Obama lead in the Central U.S. is now a 45%-36% McCain edge. In the West, Obama's 15% lead is gone, and McCain is now ahead, 43%-40%. The Zogby poll was commissioned by Associated TV and was conducted July 31-Aug. 1, 2008. .

Why Does Mary-Kate Olsen Need Immunity To Speak To Police About Heath Ledger's Death? Posted: 05 Aug 2008 10:17 AM CDT Reports show that Mary-Kate Olsen is refusing to provide investigators with information about Heath Ledger's death unless they give her immunity. Immunity from what? Heath Ledger was an Australian actor that died at the age of 28 from an accidental overdose . Ledger died after making the Batman movie, DarkKnight, to which hollywood buzz said was an "oscar worthy" performance. Ledger won the best actor Oscar nomination for his role in the 2005 blockbuster, Brokeback Mountain, where he played a gay cowboy. Mary-Kate Olsen was the first person that a a masseuse called after finding Heath Ledger dead in his bedroom of his apartment in Manhattan and according to her lawyers, Olsen has provided all relevant information. Authorities say they have been attempting to question her further about how Ledger obtained two powerful painkillers that contributed to his accidental death on January 22, 2008. Olsen's lawyer, Michael C. Miller, issued a statement which said, "We have provided the government with relevant information including facts in the chronology of events surrounding Mr Ledger's death, and the fact that Ms Olsen does not know the source of the drugs Mr Ledger consumed." Reports say that Olsen is refusing to cooperate further unless she is offered immunity from prosecution, which begs the question of what does she need immunity from and what type of information can she relay to authorities that would require her to receive immunity? According to Charles Hirsch, the chief medical officer, Ledger "died as the result of acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam, and doxylamine. We have concluded that the manner of death is accident, resulting from the abuse of prescription medications." Authorities believe Ledger obtained the oxycodone and hydrocodone with either fake prescriptions or some other illegal manner. .

DNC Protesters To Sign A 'Doo Doo Accord' aka 'Non-Pooliferation Treaty' Posted: 04 Aug 2008 08:23 PM CDT The Denver City Council is holding a meeting to finalize preparations to ban certain items from being brought to protest at the Democratic national convention. In advance of that meeting, three groups that plan to protest are prepared to sign what they call a "doo doo accord". The Non-Pooliferation Treaty would consist of the three groups that will be protesting signing on to say they would not uses feces "bombs" in their protest during the convention. "We're hoping this puts everything poo-related behind us so that we can focus on the real issue, which is the fact that the Democrats are part of a crappy system oppresses and coerces communities into a capitalist economy and undemocratic government," Ben Yager, a member of Unconventional Denver, a group of self-described anarchists, said in a statement. Glenn Spagnuolo, an organizer with the Re-create 68, is also asking for an apology or resignation from a city council member, Doug Linkhart, for saying that he had heard that protest groups were storing urine to use in their protests in august at the Democratic convention. Spagnuolo went on to call Linkhart's comments "irresponsible and slanderous." Linkhart confirmed the report but said this was information he was told by a firefighter, continuing to say, "I was just quoting a firefighter. I trust him. Don't we all trust firefighters?" When Spagnuolo was asked if that included bottles of what looked like urine, he said: "We're a law-abiding group, and if (a bottle of urine is) going to be illegal, we need to turn it in somewhere." The council will also be voting on banning other items that could block access or deter police during the DNC, such as "chains, padlocks and noxious substances, such as buckets of urine and so-called feces bombs, if the intent is to use them to obstruct streets, sidewalks, buildings or emergency equipment, or hinder crowd control measures." Protesters are planning on using theatrics to show their opposition to these measures before the council takes it up for final consideration. .

Petition to Call Nancy Pelosi Back To Congress To Deal With Gas Prices Posted: 04 Aug 2008 04:24 PM CDT Pelosi refused to allow a vote on the energy bill including offshore drilling before casually taking a 5 week vacation and republicans have been on the House floor demanding she come back and deal with the people's business. They have also created a petition. Text of the petition: We, the undersigned, believe that gas prices are too high. Speaker Pelosi has closed Congress for a five-week paid vacation, without taking any action to lower gas prices. We, the undersigned, have a simple demand: Call Congress Back, Madam Speaker! SIGN PETITION. The Situation: Gas prices are out of control. House Republicans have a plan to lower gas prices, a plan that has the votes to pass. Speaker Pelosi refuses to allow a vote. In fact, she just shut down Congress for a five-week paid vacation. House Republicans took the floor demanding a vote for an energy plan to lower gas prices. Pelosi turned off the lights, the microphones, and the tv cameras. House Republicans refused to give up. With the cameras off, and no television audience, these Republicans spoke passionately for their belief that Congress must not wait to do something about skyrocketing gas prices that are causing families to suffer. Democrats in Congress have done nothing to lower your gas prices. They have refused to allow a vote and now they have decided to take a vacation. It is truly ironic that, in a year when many American families are canceling their vacation plans because of high gas prices, House Democrats are taking theirs before doing anything to lower those gas prices. More from Mike Conaway: Even though I am scheduled to be in Texas today, I chose to remain in Washington to participate in the GOP effort to draw attention to America's current energy situation, and to the fact that we in the House were prevented from voting on a substantive, comprehensive energy plan in June or in July. This week's activities will involve everybody who is near the Capitol. There will be no television or audio coverage because the cameras, the microphones, and even the lights have been turned off (and I suspect the air conditioning will be eventually turned off) in order to squelch this attempt by House Republicans to call attention to this important issue. We will be on the House floor and the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building talking with visitors about the current energy crisis we are facing and Democrat inaction. It is disappointing that we have reached this point. For months, we have been attempting to get a simple up-or-down vote on environmentally sensitive drilling for oil on the Outer Continental Shelf. There has been a groundswell of support for this among the American people, as well, as gasoline prices have climbed over the $4 mark per gallon. The problem and solution are quite simple. We import millions of barrels of crude oil every single day from countries that – at best – are not our allies. It is only logical to conclude that every barrel we are able to produce here at home is a barrel that we don't have to buy from someone who may turn and invest that money in terrorist operations against our country. Simply having the ability to replace the barrels of oil we import every single day from foreign countries with American-produced crude oil is, in my view, enough of a reason to drill on the Outer Continental Shelf. As has long been proven, we can do that drilling in an environmentally-sensitive and responsible way. This is the question: Do we want to produce American resources of crude oil and other energy, or do we want to continue depending on energy purchased from countries which, as I mentioned before, are at best not our allies? This week's efforts, while Congress is out of session, are being made in an attempt to draw attention to this issue. We would prefer the President or Speaker to call Congress back into session this August; however at the very least, we hope to put additional pressure on Speaker Pelosi to grant an up-or-down vote on drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf once Congress returns to session in September. Drilling alone will not solve our energy problems. There must also be nuclear, coal, coal-to-liquids, solar, and wind components to this comprehensive, "all of the above" energy plan. However, if we are to solve the current crisis, drilling must be a component, as well. Congress should return to session as soon as possible and be allowed to vote on this measure. Do not forget to sign the petition!!!!! With the lowest approval ratings in the history of polling for congressional approval, the Democratic leadership should not be out gallivanting on a 5 week taxpayer funded vacation while not addressing the issue of offshore drilling, in conjunction with all other solutions. Not on our dime. Name and email address for the petition, it is that simple...go...go...go....sign. .

Rasmussen Puts McCain Ahead Of Obama and Democratic Supporters Worry Posted: 04 Aug 2008 01:10 PM CDT Rasmussen issued it's daily report to which showed John McCain and Barack Obama tied at 44 percent each but with 'leaners' added it puts McCain a point above Obama with 47 percent to Obama's 46 percent. McCain is currently viewed favorably by 55% of the nation's voters, Obama by 51%. That is the lowest rating for Obama since he wrapped up the nomination. Obama is viewed favorably by 83% of Democrats, 22% of Republicans, and 47% of unaffiliated voters. For McCain, the numbers are 87% favorable among Republicans, 26% among Democrats, and 61% among unaffiliated voters. Rasmussen's numbers match Gallup with numbers within the margin of error. This has set off a number of politically geared Democratic blogs to start expressing concern about what some are calling the new "trend". Some would find the word trend debatable because the although it is 6 or 7 daily polls showing a slight rise for McCain, it is argued that one week isn't necessarily a trend or pattern. Obama supporting blog, Americablog, headlines calling these latest poling figures "troubling". The trend of the tracking polls hasn't been good of late. Rasmussen, which is a quite reputable poll, has Obama and McCain tied today -- and with leaners (basically people who haven't made up their minds, but are forced to choose for the poll), McCain is up by one point. This is the first time that McCain has tied or beaten Obama in the poll, Obama has always been up. Not anymore: Taylor Marsh, who was once known as the hub for anything Hillary Clinton, jumped on board backing Obama as soon as Clinton suspended her campaign, but has not been shy in criticizing Obama's strategies when she finds fault wit them. She makes the following suggestion: Obama and his team need to quit measuring the White House drapes. He also needs to unleash the 527s from his highfalutin holding pen. Making them stand down is absolutely absurd, especially since Obama's team doesn't seem to have the stomach for this fight. Gandelman from The Moderate Voice asks the question, "Are Obama And The Democrats In Trouble Already? At the end of the piece, they make an observation and ask another question: We've repeatedly said here that a single poll is not as significant as a trend. Between this and the Gallup Daily tracking poll which basically puts the race as a dead heat, we are seeing a trend. The McCain campaign is now on the ascent; the Obama campaign is on the descent. Will this apparent trend continue? The Political Machine asks if Democrats "and their supporters have a sick feeling in their gut upon hearing this news?" They then point out some comparisons by stating: Could Obama join Democrat luminaries Dukakis, Gore, and Kerry with his ability to blow a summer lead? Conversely, McCain is now officially not tracking Bob Dole in 96 who was never able to close the gap against Clinton. And check out the unfavorables: They also point out that Summer polls do not necessarily indicate a definite winner or loser, that is only done with the actual presidential election. In my opinion it is way too soon to call this a "trend" or "pattern", it is a snapshot of what last week looked like. No more, no less. It is good news for the McCain campaign and those supporting him, no doubt about that, but in an election campaign season where one week can seem like a year, having over 2 months left to go before the election, means that although these snapshots can be indicative of trends and patterns, nothing is written in stone and they should all be taken as just that....a gauge of how public opinion stands at any given moment. .

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