Thursday Photo Challenge: FAMILY

Serenity At Rapa Nui
Originally uploaded by JoeWorldTraveler.

Last American Survivor of Titanic Disaster Dies

Tennessean

Lillian Asplund was 99.

Probable Cause

Crooks and Liars

The soon-to-be-head of the CIA has no idea what the Constitution says, and can be rather bullheaded about being corrected.

Ouch - Kos Spells It Out For Hillary Supporters

Hillary Clinton: Too Much of a Clinton Democrat?

At a time when rank-and-file Democrats are using technology to become increasingly engaged and active in their party, when they are demanding that their leaders stand for something and develop big ideas, Clinton's closest advisers are headed in the opposite direction. But big ideas aren't Bush's problem -- bad ideas are.

Yet staying away from big ideas seems to come naturally to Hillary Clinton. Perhaps first lady Clinton was so scarred by her failed health-care reform in the early 1990s that now Sen. Clinton shows no proclivity for real leadership as a lawmaker.

Afraid to offend, she has limited her policy proposals to minor, symbolic issues -- such as co-sponsoring legislation to ban flag burning. She doesn't have a single memorable policy or legislative accomplishment to her name. Meanwhile, she remains behind the curve or downright incoherent on pressing issues such as the war in Iraq.

On the war, Clinton's recent "I disagree with those who believe we should pull out, and I disagree with those who believe we should stay without end" seems little different from Kerry's famous "I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it" line. The last thing we need is yet another Democrat afraid to stand on principle.

Bush had spectacularly bad ideas - Iraq, Mars, gutting our intelligence community at every turn, Social Security. Of course I would vote for Hillary should she become the candidate, but hades! If she's elected, that means a Bush or a Clinton in power for 24 years of this country's existence - that's over 10 percent of our history. Is it possible that somewhere else in this nation of over 250 million people we could find someone else to lead us?

Goss Forced Out as CIA Director

Washington Post:

"'There has been an open conversation for a few weeks, through Negroponte, with the acknowledgment of the president' about replacing Goss, said a senior White House official who discussed the internal deliberations on the condition of anonymity. Another senior White House official said Goss had always been viewed as a 'transitional figure' who would leave by year's end. His departure was accelerated when Bush shook up his White House staff in hopes of beginning a political turnaround."

This could all be true. However, it misleads by omission. Why the expulsion without a replacement? Because of the Cunningham case.

Kansas setting minimum marriage age

MSNBC.com

This is the state that loves creationism.

It used to have no age limit as long as the parents said it was okay. So this law is an improvement.

Off The Road Again

I'm back! Didja miss me?

I'm in Dallas, Texas right now, with my mom. I'm waiting to hear about summer employment. Porter Goss just resigned. Life is good.