This blog is rarely prone to humor but...

For your amusement, I thought I'd highlight this story from the Boston Globe. The laugh lines are numerous.

Kennedy Gets Highest Civilian Honor

by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor July 30, 2009 02:48 PM

Senator Edward M. Kennedy received another high honor today, courtesy of President Obama.

The longtime Massachusetts senator is one of 16 recipients of the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. It is awarded to individuals who "make an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public, or private endeavors," the White House said, and "this year’s awardees were chosen for their work as agents of change."

Kennedy issued a statement of thanks:

Kennedy -- who is battling brain cancer as Obama and Democrats in Congress try to push through the capstone of his 46-year Senate career, a healthcare overhaul -- said he was "profoundly grateful" to Obama.

“My life has been committed to the ideal of public service which President Kennedy wanted the Medal of Freedom to represent. To receive it from another President who prizes that same ideal of service and inspires so many to serve is a great privilege that moves me deeply,” Kennedy said in a statement.

UPDATE: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi congratulated Kennedy. "On behalf of all Members of Congress, I congratulate our friend and colleague, Senator Ted Kennedy," she said in a statement. "Few have accomplished more in a lifetime than Senator Kennedy has; this award -- the highest a civilian can receive - honors his steadfast commitment to the American ideal of justice."

Representative Edward Markey of Massachusetts also paid tribute to Kennedy. “The Presidential Medal of Freedom is a fitting tribute to Senator Kennedy," he said in a statement. "A man of enormous courage, Senator Kennedy is never afraid to ‘sail against the wind’ in the name of justice, equality and opportunity for all Americans. And that is why he is the greatest Senator in our country’s history."

Fellow Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts added his congrats. “As a legislator Ted Kennedy has surpassed even Daniel Webster, and now the Medal of Freedom rightly recognizes that he forever belongs in the company of recipients like his brother President John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela. You can’t think of the march of freedom in our time without recognizing and honoring what Ted has done for workers’ rights, women’s rights, gay rights, and human rights. He picked up his brothers’ burning commitment to civil rights and made it a cause of his life, and he is continuing that mission today in giving meaning to President Roosevelt’s faith in a freedom from fear so that no American family without health insurance will fear losing their home or lifesavings when illness strikes,” Kerry said in a statement.

Kennedy's award citation reads: "Senator Edward M. Kennedy has served in the United States Senate for forty-six years, and has been one of the greatest lawmakers – and leaders – of our time. From reforming our public schools to strengthening civil rights laws and supporting working Americans, Senator Kennedy has dedicated his career to fighting for equal opportunity, fairness and justice for all Americans. He has worked tirelessly to ensure that every American has access to quality and affordable health care, and has succeeded in doing so for countless children, seniors, and Americans with disabilities. He has called health care reform the “cause of his life,” and has championed nearly every health care bill enacted by Congress over the course of the last five decades. Known as the “Lion of the Senate,” Senator Kennedy is widely respected on both sides of the aisle for his commitment to progress and his ability to legislate."

Obama will present the medals, the first of his presidency, on Aug. 12. Other recipients include Nobel-winning physicist Stephen Hawking, former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the late congressman and housing secretary Jack Kemp, anti-apartheid leader Desmond Tutu, tennis legend and activist Billie Jean King, civil rights leaders Joseph Lowery, gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk, and actors Sidney Poitier and Chita Rivera.

“These outstanding men and women represent an incredible diversity of backgrounds. Their tremendous accomplishments span fields from science to sports, from fine arts to foreign affairs. Yet they share one overarching trait: Each has been an agent of change. Each saw an imperfect world and set about improving it, often overcoming great obstacles along the way," he said in a statement.

“Their relentless devotion to breaking down barriers and lifting up their fellow citizens sets a standard to which we all should strive. It is my great honor to award them the Medal of Freedom.”

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So it's two "r's" now?

BORN IN THE USA?
Hawaii health official: Trust me
'Obama was born in Hawaii and is a natural-born American citizen'

---

© 2009 WorldNetDaily

Chiyome Fukino, director of Hawaii Department of Health

In another carefully worded statement, Hawaii's health director claimed today to have seen "original vital records" that prove "Barrack [sic] Hussein Obama was born in Hawaii and is a natural-born American citizen."

Chiyome Fukino issued the brief statement in response to the rising chorus of concern across the country about Obama's failure to release a copy of his long-form birth certificate that would reveal the hospital in which he was born, the attending physician and other pertinent details.

"I, Dr. Chiyome Fukino, director of the Hawaii State Department of Health, have seen the original vital records maintained on file by the Hawaii State Department of Health verifying Barrack Hussein Obama was born in Hawaii and is a natural-born American citizen. I have nothing further to add to this statement or my original statement issued in October 2008 over eight months ago ... "

Read the entire statement in which the president's first name was misspelled and no mention was made of the specific document reviewed. But, we should simply trust her, right? Kinda like in the spirit of Dan Rather and his forged documents?

The White House has refused to acknowledge repeated requests from WND that Obama authorize the Hawaii DOH to release all his birth records, including his original long-form birth certificate.

WND also has reported Obama has not released his kindergarten records, Punahou school records, Occidental College records, Columbia University records, Columbia thesis, Harvard Law School records, Harvard Law Review articles, scholarly articles from the University of Chicago, passport, medical records, files from his years as an Illinois state senator, Illinois State Bar Association records, any baptism records and his adoption records.

WND also has reported on dozens of legal challenges to Obama's status as a "natural born citizen." The Constitution, Article 2, Section 1, states, "No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President."

In addition, the question over Obama's eligibility is being raised on billboards nationwide.

The billboard campaign follows an ongoing petition campaign launched several months ago by WND Editor and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Farah.


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Popular Homeowner Yard Sign

Dems say we can't call it "Government Run Healthcare."

Dems say "Republicans cannot call it 'Government Run Healthcare.' You can't. You just can't. We object. So, we're canceling your postal privileges as well!"

In other words, congressional members are not allowed to advise their constituency of impending legislation. Reminds me of censorship. Doesn't it to you?

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Aw Nuts!

So, we find out ACORN may be rancid? And they're in line to receive more than $8 billion in stimulus funding? Preposterous doesn't begin to cover it. Again, we have the Kenyan to thank for this!

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Looks like Waxman's the liar now!

After accusing the Investor's Business Daily of erroneous reporting (see the previous blog) concerning the illegality of future private medical insurance coverage, it appears that, in actuality, Hank Waxman is the liar.

(And, if you thought Waxman to be a bit diminutive, the twin towers astride Hank in the photo are each only 5'9" tall.)

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Private Medical Insurance Will Be Illegal

Wow! Thanks to IBD and their staff to uncover this one. They didn't have to go far to find it either...just 16 pages into it to be exact.

"Except as provided in this paragraph, the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does not enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of coverage is on or after the first day" of the year the legislation becomes law.

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Where's the Birth Certificate?

Thinking about sending a postcard to our new White House resident in time for his birthday, either August 1st, or August 4th? He may not even be sure which date is correct. But, sending a token of your sentiment would go a long way in letting him know we still care.

And, one more thought...Whether you are a conspiracy-theorist or not, or an anti-democrat fanatic or not, there's really only one way to dispel this entire issue. It is readily solvable. It could very, very easily go away.

"Hey Barry, just demand they open the vault and let's see the long form birth certificate supposedly in Hawaii. Case could be dismissed quite quickly, don't you agree?"

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The "Cap & Tax" Dead End

There is no shortage of threats to our economy. America's unemployment rate recently hit its highest mark in more than 25 years and is expected to continue climbing. Worries are widespread that even when the economy finally rebounds, the recovery won't bring jobs. Our nation's debt is unsustainable, and the federal government's reach into the private sector is unprecedented.

Unfortunately, many in the national media would rather focus on the personality-driven political gossip of the day than on the gravity of these challenges. So, at risk of disappointing the chattering class, let me make clear what is foremost on my mind and where my focus will be:

I am deeply concerned about President Obama's cap-and-trade energy plan, and I believe it is an enormous threat to our economy. It would undermine our recovery over the short term and would inflict permanent damage.

American prosperity has always been driven by the steady supply of abundant, affordable energy. Particularly in Alaska, we understand the inherent link between energy and prosperity, energy and opportunity, and energy and security. Consequently, many of us in this huge, energy-rich state recognize that the president's cap-and-trade energy tax would adversely affect every aspect of the U.S. economy.

There is no denying that as the world becomes more industrialized, we need to reform our energy policy and become less dependent on foreign energy sources. But the answer doesn't lie in making energy scarcer and more expensive! Those who understand the issue know we can meet our energy needs and environmental challenges without destroying America's economy.

Job losses are so certain under this new cap-and-tax plan that it includes a provision accommodating newly unemployed workers from the resulting dried-up energy sector, to the tune of $4.2 billion over eight years. So much for creating jobs.

In addition to immediately increasing unemployment in the energy sector, even more American jobs will be threatened by the rising cost of doing business under the cap-and-tax plan. For example, the cost of farming will certainly increase, driving down farm incomes while driving up grocery prices. The costs of manufacturing, warehousing and transportation will also increase.

The ironic beauty in this plan? Soon, even the most ardent liberal will understand supply-side economics.

The Americans hit hardest will be those already struggling to make ends meet. As the president eloquently puts it, their electricity bills will "necessarily skyrocket." So much for not raising taxes on anyone making less than $250,000 a year.

Even Warren Buffett, an ardent Obama supporter, admitted that under the cap-and-tax scheme, "poor people are going to pay a lot more for electricity."

We must move in a new direction. We are ripe for economic growth and energy independence if we responsibly tap the resources that God created right underfoot on American soil. Just as important, we have more desire and ability to protect the environment than any foreign nation from which we purchase energy today.

In Alaska, we are progressing on the largest private-sector energy project in history. Our 3,000-mile natural gas pipeline will transport hundreds of trillions of cubic feet of our clean natural gas to hungry markets across America. We can safely drill for U.S. oil offshore and in a tiny, 2,000-acre corner of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge if ever given the go-ahead by Washington bureaucrats.

Of course, Alaska is not the sole source of American energy. Many states have abundant coal, whose technology is continuously making it into a cleaner energy source. Westerners literally sit on mountains of oil and gas, and every state can consider the possibility of nuclear energy.

We have an important choice to make. Do we want to control our energy supply and its environmental impact? Or, do we want to outsource it to China, Russia and Saudi Arabia? Make no mistake: President Obama's plan will result in the latter.

For so many reasons, we can't afford to kill responsible domestic energy production or clobber every American consumer with higher prices.

Can America produce more of its own energy through strategic investments that protect the environment, revive our economy and secure our nation?

Yes, we can. Just not with Barack Obama's energy cap-and-tax plan.

By Sarah Palin

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A Room With A View...

A US Navy pilot gave a shocked resident a very close look at his F18 as the fighter/bomber roared past an apartment block on the banks of the Detroit River (in MI) before the Chrysler Jeep Superstores APBA Gold Cup speedboat race over the weekend.

It was part of a tactical demonstration fly-past to open a speedboat race in the North American city. Officials waived rules to allow the Navy flyers to swoop under 100ft along the waterway.

Dunce this Energy Tax Bill in the Senate

In a recent interview with CNBC, billionaire investor Warren Buffett slammed the new Cap & Trade Tax passed by the House last week saying it is a "huge tax" that will "harm an awful lot of people."

Does your Senator need any more information? If only for my sake, please tell each of your U.S. Senators the following:

"Don't saddle me with ridiculous tax increases and utility bill increases just because unfounded and unproven rhetoric about climate theory appears to be fashionable. It hasn't "warmed" in 12 years now, hence the name change from "global warming" to "climate change." How crafty! And, how deceitful! Besides, how can you hamstring the USA while India and China go unhindered? This is laughable.

Quit destroying jobs and industry in America. It's tough enough out here making ends meet without our own government levying punitive and theoretical strategies like Cap & Trade! Even Buffett says it will harm a lot of people!!!

Senators, dunce this Energy Tax (Cap & Trade)!

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Worst Recovery Since the Depression!

Hey Joe! Say what?

On Stimulus: "The truth is, there was a misreading of just how bad an economy we inherited," Vice President Joe Biden told ABC News. Really? What about the "worst economy since the Great Depression?"

So Joe, what exactly did you misread? As the IBD aptly states, this may or may not be the worst recession since the Great Depression, but it is most certainly the worst RECOVERY since the Great Depression! So, don't mess with us Joe!

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Elections are so passe!

R. Emmett Tyrrell's brilliant article, "The Al Franken Shtick - Bring in the clown," reminds me of the strategic purpose of ACORN and that is to falsify elections in favor of Democrat candidates.

As we've seen with the senate race in Minnesota, once someone has been canvassed by ACORN, why, there's no doubt as to the authenticity of that citizen and their party affiliation. As you can see, even if social security numbers, names, and addresses are fictional and unsubstantiated, amazingly their "vote" still counts, whether it was cast on election night, or suspiciously "found" months later.

Pretty soon we won't even need the elections. Just count up the party constituents in the state, how they've registered, and count 'em. No voting booths, no precincts, no ballots. Just count what the records reflect. After all, every vote should count, right? Whether they actually made it to the voting booth should be immaterial. Count 'em up, and recount 'em until the Democrat candidate wins. And, since ACORN only registers Democrat voters, the fix is inevitably in.

How an organization with counts of voter fraud in 11 states and ongoing investigations of financial malfeasance still gets $4 Billion in Stimulus money is preposterous. Yet, welcome to "lil barry's" world and the Democrat's version of free elections.

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Parrots a talkin'

The “coup” in the Central American nation of Honduras is the first major blow to the Marxist expansion sponsored by Hugo Chavez, but the American people are to a great extent being kept in the dark by the centralized news media. And lil' barry fiddles...

(Notice the Canada Free Press calling our news media the “centralized news media.” The U.S. media is now apparent in its agenda, at least to the press in Canada and England, where you have to go now for legitimate news coverage!)

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