D.C. cops nail a biker

 Scenes from another day in the neighborhood, along G Street, Washington, D.C., approximately 6:30 p.m., October 2, 2014 by Patricia Leslie

The GingRICH who stole Romney's Christmas...cartoon idea

No one's done this yet?

There he is, Santy GingRICH, dressed in red and white Santa apparel with a big bag of money and maps of Iowa slung on his back, trying to stuff himself down the chimney on top of a huge mansion (Romney's house) with the scene below inside the house at the hearth with dirt and soot coming from the fireplace while Romney stands in his p.j.s. beside the Christmas tree, anxiously awaiting Santa Claus's entry, wringing his hands and asking himself: "What is Santa Claus bringing me this year?"

Back to the roof: Beside the sleigh up on the roof (ho! ho! ho!) with GingRICH are his newest, best pals, Herman, Sarah, Michele dressed as elves, jumping up and down, screaming "Hurry up, Santa GingRICH, we don't have much time. Next stop: Iowa!"

Falling off the roof into the snow is, of course, Guvnor (sic) Perry, and desperately trying to crawl back on the roof is Jon Huntsman. Where is Ron Paul? Stuck in the snow and screaming something. Ditto Trump.

Maybe this is two cartoon ideas.

Illustration from hartlynkids.blogspot.com

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Attention!

Dear Justice Ginsburg,

Please forgive my brazen request, but would you, please, consider retiring in the next few months? The reason I ask is that there is general agreement that President Obama will lose next year (Afghanistan and the economy (too late to turn around)), and we certainly don't want a Republican president appointing another Alito, Roberts, Thomas, or Scalia to the U.S. Supreme Court, please!

If you announce your retirement soon, there will be enough time for the president to nominate your replacement and get him or her confirmed before the president retires on January 20, 2013. However, if you promise you will stay on the bench through 2020 (the next president may win two terms), all this is for naught, and we don't have anything to worry about! (Well, at least not as much.)

With sincere gratitude for your well served tenure,
Patricia

P.S. In the U.S. Supreme Court photo taken by Steve Petteway last October, according to Wikimedia Commons, are, from left, retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Justice Ginsburg, and Justice Elena Kagan

Gates gloats, Americans die

Photos: top to bottom: Spec. Justin D. Ross, Pfc. Michael C. Mahr, Staff Sgt. Joshua S. Gire and family, Staff Sgt. Mecolus McDaniel, Cpl. Donald R. Mickler, Jr., and Master Sgt. Jamal H. Bowers

Below the story on page A9 in the April 8, 2011 edition of the Washington Post about Defense Secretary Robert Gates making a "valedictory" tour of Iraq where 4,446 American troops and 1,421,933 Iraqis have died, where 33,007 American troops have suffered injuries, and the U.S. price tag of $704 billion (February, 2010) leaps daily to assuage George Bush and friends' "giddy up" mentality now left to Bush taking out his aggression sweeping the bush and brush in Texas, are the latest names of troops who have died in the war in Afghanistan, the next big frontal assault where residents cry out "Leave us alone, Americans! Go home!"

Wherefore they go, Pakistan?

Why do we continue to wage war in a foreign territory not our own, when we cannot take care of our own within our own shores?

Bow your head in shame and praise the dead who gave up their lives for senseless games:

Lance Cpl. Christopher S. Meis, 20, Bennett, CO

Master Sgt. Jamal H. Bowers, 41, Raleigh, N.C.

Pfc. Rudy A. Acosta, 19, Canyon Country, CA

Cpl. Donald R. Mickler Jr., 29, Bucyrus, OH

Staff Sgt. Mecolus McDaniel, 33, Fort Hood, TX

Staff Sgt. James M. Malachowski, 25, Westminster, MD

Petty Officer 1st Class Vincent A. Filpi III, 41, Fort Walton Beach, FL

Staff Sgt. Joshua S. Gire, 28, Chillicothe, OH

Pfc. Michael C. Mahr, 26, Homosassa, FL

Spec. Justin D. Ross, 22, Green Bay, WI

Dearest Hillary,

Yea, Sister Hillary, of which side of your mouth do you speaketh?

You have epitomized the Hypocritical Oath!

In yesterday's WAPO you are quoted speaking at George Washington University about "a serious conversation" pertaining to "rules to ensure an open Internet, noting it had helped power the pro-democracy uprising in Egypt but also served as a tool for terrorists and repressive governments."

Dear Hillary: Which repressive governments? Our repressive government?

To continue, in your second major Internet freedom speech you, according to WAPO, "said the United States supported the 'freedom to connect' - but that there should be some limits."

Some limits? Oh, I get it: Do as I say but not do as I do? Practice what I don't practice?

Prithee, Hillary, do you speak about your homeland which veers right when it suits your fancy in order to quell WikiLeaks?

"Clinton offered few specifics of what those rules should be." No kidding! Why would you offer specifics when they will not serve your dualspeak well?

"Critics have charged that the State Department has issued contradictory messages in advocating Internet freedom while harshly criticizing the WikiLeaks disclosures. Clinton called that a 'false debate,' saying that the WikiLeaks release involved stolen government documents."

Hahahahahahahahaha. Hillary, who stole the documents? How did it happen? Yet you and the U.S. government seek to charge a person who distributed the documents and you maliciously mistreat a soldier who has not been found guilty but who you think exposed documents.

Would WikiLeaks have served a useful purpose, like maybe saving 4,000 American soldiers' lives and 30,000 wounds and thousands of Iraqi lives, by exposing the falsehoods of the Bush government before the Iraq attack?

Oh, the U.S. may restrict Internet exposure when government documents are "stolen," but China, Syria, and Iran should not do the same. Is that it? You want your cake and chocolate icing, too! Hahahahahahaha.

"Clinton also took aim, however, at some Western countries that have sought mechanisms to limit 'hate speech' on the Internet, saying they could offer repressive governments 'an excuse to violate freedom of expression.'"

My dear, dear lady! This hypocriticalspeak does you no service: It undermines your credibility and our own Constitution and the rights it bestows on us, the citizenry. Come now, my dear, and cease this double gibberish which seems to emanate from each side of your head like hydratalk. Perchance, you were having a stroke or got befuddled like the newscaster who garbled her words at the Grammys.

Prithee, exercise some manner of consistency (lest others think ill of you, alas) and avoid casting yourself as old and confused. Mr. Colbert and Mr. Stewart have enough fodder and need no contributions from our Secretary of State, my goodness!

With sincerest and warmest regards,

Patricia

P.S. Please cut your hair.

Hallo! Hallo! Is anyone at home at Sen. Mark Warner's?

Have you ever written Senator Warner when the reply was anything but:

Dear Friend,

Thank you for taking the time to share your views and experiences with me.

If you need assistance resolving a specific problem with a federal agency, please contact my office at 703-442-0670 or toll free at 1-877-676-2759. Otherwise, please be assured that we are reading and responding to your comments and opinions as fast as we can.

As the 111th Congress moves forward, please continue to be in touch with your views.

Sincerely,
MARK R. WARNER
United States Senator

Do you wonder if anyone is actually reading his mail or does the fax machine just dump it into the nearest trash can?

About once a month, sometimes more, I write him (and Senator James Webb) about pulling our men and women out of Afghanistan and Iraq.

(Senator Webb's replies sound like maybe someone in his office is glancing at the subject line, however, the most recent reply included this at the end: Here is some recent news about your topic of interest: and there was nothing there! Just white space. Ho hum. You think their office staffs have got anyone over age 15?)

To date, Senator Warner has never replied with anything but the robo letter, so as a test I sent him the following on December 15, 2010:

Dear Senator Warner,

Since your office always sends the same replies (robo-replies) and no one must read the letters sent to you, I was wondering if you would like for me to send you a contribution for your next race. This is a test, Senator Warner, to see if anyone is reading, and I'll put the reply up on my blog.

Sincerely,
Patricia

Well, the response was, yep! Just as expected: the same. I guess he doesn't need my money, and I'll send it to someone who does.

Question: The 111th Congress was moving forward on December 16, 2010 when the reply came? You think the computer gurus in his office have changed the letter yet to read 112th Congress? I guess I need to send another test letter.

Warner says "responding to your comments...as fast as we can." Well, duh! I haven't received any response other than what's here, and he's been in office two years!

Dear Friend,

Thank you for taking the time to share your views and experiences with me.

If you need assistance resolving a specific problem with a federal agency, please contact my office at 703-442-0670 or toll free at 1-877-676-2759. Otherwise, please be assured that we are reading and responding to your comments and opinions as fast as we can.

As the 111th Congress moves forward, please continue to be in touch with your views.


Sincerely,
MARK R. WARNER
United States Senator

Warner photo: Flickr/Forward Together PAC http://www.flickr.com/photos/govmarkwarner/191839366/

86% of American troop deaths in Iraq: non-combat related

The names of seven dead soldiers who were stationed in Iraq are listed on page A13 of the October 4, 2010 edition of the Washington Post.

Pictured are Gebrah Noonan in group photo (courtesy, Patrick Jacques, Jr.), John Carillo Jr. (second row, left), John F. Burner III (second row, right) James A. Hansen (third row, left), Brandon Maggart (third row, right) and Marc C. Whisenant (last row).

Why are we still in Iraq? In Afghanistan? Why are we there for our soldiers to die and be maimed and kill each other?

Sgt. Brandon E. Maggart, 24, of Kirksville, Missouri was killed August 22 at Basra.

The remaining six soldiers died of non-combat wounds.

They are:

Sgt. Ryan J. Hopkins, 21, Livermore, California died January 8 of injuries suffered October 4, 2008 in a motor pool accident

Senior Airman James A. Hansen, 25, Athens, Michigan died September 15 of injuries suffered during a controlled (controlled?) detonation

Sgt. John F. Burner III, 32, of Baltimore died September 16 of noncombat injuries

Spec. John Carrillo Jr., 20, of Stockton, CA and Pfc. Gebrah P. Noonan, 26, of Watertown, CT died September 24 of injuries from a noncombat accident. The Associated Press reported that a soldier in their battalion was being held in pre-trial detention after both soldiers were wounded September 23 after an argument, according to another source. A third soldier was also wounded.

Spec. Marc C. Whisenant, 23, of Holly Hill, FL died September 24 of injuries suffered in a vehicle rollover accident, a training exercise.