Possibly Two More Hostages (Update)

Just a few hours ago I posted about someone taking hostages at Hillary Clinton's Rochester New Hampshire Offices. I just saw that there may still be 2 more hostages. None of what I have posted can be gospel truth. I am just typing as I hear. From what I have been hearing nothing has been 100% confirmed or denied. I guess the hostage taker has been identified as Troy Stanley. He is a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic. He is currently "off his meds." It is reported that he has been living in the woods for quite a while. He just recently came off a drinking binge.
His ex-wife has talked to police. Police are getting info from her.
Another hostage was just released. She is a Clinton volunteer. Carl Cameron says there may be another hostage, maybe one more inside. Carl says that Mr. Stanley may be using aliases. He has been arrested a few times recently for disturbing the police.
Police are doing everything they can to get him out.
Now they are saying the hostage taker can not be 100% defined as Troy Stanley. He is going by the name of Leland Eisenburg. They are unsure if this is Mr. Stanley's alias or another mentally ill person in the town. If he is a different person the issue of whether or not he has flairs or an actual bomb is on the line.
Carl Cameron just said that the last time an hostage issue happened during an election time was in 1980 at Ronald Reagan's Chicago Office.

Some Psycho...(Update: More)

Update on "bomb." Read below.
I just turned on FOX News and some psycho entered into Hillary Clinton's Rochester New Hampshire Campaign Headquarters. He entered the office at about 1pm. He opened his coat and revealed a bomb. There was about 5 volunteers in the office. He took them hostage and let one mother and her child go, and another woman. The three of them went to a store next door and asked them to call 911. He wants to talk to Hillary Clinton. She won't talk to him. Many of the other Democrats offices in New Hampshire have been evacuated. The bomb squad is there and sharp shooters are all around. The SWAT Team and officials are trying to get the remaining people out. Secret Service has taken Hillary Clinton to a secure place. They just said the guy might be mentally ill. Ya think?
I know the candidate this blog supports is Mike Huckabee. But I just had to post this. This is freaky. Politics can get emotions going, but for real, people should still be able to know right from wrong.
One woman may have just been released. Law enforcement is currently in contact with the hostage taker. Carl Cameron is reporting on it. He says the dude told people to get on the floor when he entered. This is not the first time in which a threatening incident has happened to a campaign, but it is probably the first time a hostage taking has happened.
The negotiator has to try to gain the man's "trust." The negotiator needs to find out about his "stability" and needs to try to figure out who he is.
It looks like maybe both remaining hostages have been released. But not for sure. SWAT Team is inching closer to the building.
The psycho has been identified as a local who is known to be mentally unstable. He had told his son to watch the news today. All hostages have been released, but not confirmed. They are trying to talk the psycho out of there. He is known to local law enforcement. They have had dealings with him. According to FOX due to this man's past it is looking less like a political issue and more like just him wanting to make a big production.
Law enforcement has put in a cell phone to the dude in his 40's to keep in contact. He may have contacted family. He is complaigning of conspiracy theories.
Witness is being interviewed now. He saw all the law enforcement and they told him to get out. He didn't have a chance to see much. He was just told to quickly leave the area.
Carl is interviewing someone, Mr. Bennett, who's father knows the man, Troy Stanley. He says the guy has a mental history. people in town have been talking about him. Troy Stanley has compaigned that the government has implanted things in his head. he said this happened when he was in the army. The young man being interviewed doesn't believe that Mr. Stanley has ever been in the Army. Mr. Bennett does not think he has ever had a history of violence. It is still uncomfirmed that this is Mr. Stanley, for sure.
According to Mr. Stanley's son, the alleged bomb is nothing more than road flares. They are stll trying to get him out. Allegedly his recent divorce may have triggered his instability.
Hillary Clinton is in Washington today. Dem chairman Howard Dean said Hillary will not be speaking.
A local reporter is on the phone with Neil Cavuto. The police are saying about the flairs that he could still have them connected to a device. Neil brought up the point that it was the son who said they could be flairs and wondered if this could have just been to protect his dad. The reporter said that police believe it is flairs. A press conference is on it's way.
It is said that his "recent" divorce was three years ago. His brother died about a year ago. He has some friends who are part of the Libertarian Movement. He believes the government is conspiring against him. People who know him have tried to talk him out of his thoughts. Neil Cavuto is talking to someone who knows Mr. Stanley. The caller can't understand why he would want to talk to Hillary Clinton. People around Mr. Stanley have been trying to help him. Neil asked the caller if he believes Mr. Stanley would hurt anyone. The caller said he doesn't believe that.

The Huckabee Factor

A few snippets about Mike Huckabee article in Newsweek.

• How far can Mike Huckabee take this thing?
• That's the question after the debate here. Rudy Giuliani and John McCain insiders tell me they'd be glad if the former Arkansas governor won the Iowa caucuses, because that would humiliate Mitt Romney, who has invested so much time and money there. Well, after the debate and a chat with Huckabee, here's my advice to the mayor and the senator: be careful what you wish for.

That would be fun to see Mitty humiliated.

• Huckabee is no rube; he is a practiced, focused politician with communications skills that are equal to or exceed those of any of his rivals, Republican or Democrat. His serious weakness—and it is a big one—is his utter lack of foreign policy or military experience or exposure. In the end that may be fatal. In the meantime, he is complicating the calculus of the race.

• This is the complex bank-shot phase of the campaign. In this extraordinary multicandidate field, with five legitimate contenders (counting Fred Thompson) and perhaps a sixth (Ron Paul), each has to carefully calculate the consequences of attacking or buddying up.

Ron Paul? WTF?

• For the most part, Huckabee is trying to let others carry the load of attacking Romney in Iowa (where Huckabee now leads in some polls). He is largely skipping New Hampshire; anything he gets there is gravy. He can play the more-in-sorrow-than-in-anger card, responding harshly to attacks, but not initiating them. He has a squadron of 500 bloggers that swarms in response to any charge made against him. So far, so good.

• He seemed mildly irritated when a reporter in the post-debate spin room asked him if he would be a good vice-presidential running mate. "I'm leading in Iowa now," he said. "You ought to be asking me if I'd pick any of these other guys to be my running mate." He added, "I think most all of them are fine people." Key word: most.

When will these people finally get it?

• Chatting after the debate, Huckabee was nonchalant—and did not seem surprised—when told that a flash poll of viewers had judged him the overwhelming winner Wednesday night. Gena Norris (wife of Chuck) congratulated him on the wonderful "aura" that he exuded onstage. He didn't seem surprised by that either.

Click here for the full article.

Barenaked Ladies--God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

This rendition, by Barenaked Ladies, has got to be my fave. Personally, I like hearing the studio version of the song, but the live rendition is also awesome.

Red State Update Review of the YouTube Debate

Jackie and Dunlap from RedState Update have a down to earth, consise and condensed review of the Republican YouTube Debate.

Yepsen: Huckabee shows he belongs in top tier

In this here article, David Yepsen of the Des Moines Register says the three winners of last nite's debate were Mike Huckabee, Fred Thompson and John McCain. I have been reading lotsa reviews of the debate. As someone who has been supporting Mike Huckabee since a month before the first debate, this is the one debate I am kicking myself over missing. If you are like me and missed it for some reason or another, check out the reviews or keep coming back to this blog and I will keep you updated with reviews. I thought I would give ya a little bit about Mr. Yepsen had to say, in regards to Mike Huckabee.

• There were three clear winners in Wednesday's debate among the Republican presidential candidates: John McCain, Mike Huckabee and Fred Thompson.
• All of them helped their candidacies, and they should move up in the polls as a result.
• The rest of the field, especially Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani, didn't have such a good night. The Romney-Giuliani tiff with each other over sanctuary cities at the beginning of the evening diminished them both because it didn't look very presidential.
• Romney especially never seemed to recover his poise and fell back on unresponsive or canned answers the rest of the evening. He's already seen Huckabee catch him in polls of Iowa Republicans. After Wednesday night, don't be surprised if Huckabee starts opening more of a lead in Iowa.
• Huckabee has come out of single digits to play in the big leagues of this campaign, and his good-natured performance Wednesday shows he can swing an oratorical bat with the best of them.
• While other candidates fumbled around when dealing with biblical questions, Huckabee's background as a Baptist minister came in handy when he said that there are some things in the Bible no one can understand, so it's more important to follow the things that are understandable.
• Huckabee also fended off an attack from Romney over Huckabee's plan to provide in-state tuition for children of undocumented workers in Arkansas.
• Huckabee shot back that he worked his way through school and that the nation shouldn't punish children for what their parents did. "We're a better country than that," he said.

• Later, when one questioner asked what Jesus would do about the death penalty, Huckabee said, "Jesus was too smart to ever run for public office, that's what Jesus would do."

Oh, now I just love that one. Too true.

• When Giuliani was asked about whether he believed every word in the Bible, Huckabee, a former Baptist minister, good-naturedly asked him, "Do I need to help you out?"

LOL!
To read more about what Mr. Yepsen had to say about the other candidates and why he thinks Fred and John also did a great job, click here. I have to be honest with y'all. Of course Mike Huckabee is the dude that I support. But here is where I have to be honest. Some people say that regardless of who is the Republican nominee they will support them. Some people say that if Mike Huckabee ain't the nominee they won't support any Republican. Then there are others such as myself who say it depends.
If the nominee is John McCain. Yes. If it is Fred. Yes, only if he "wakes up." He just needs some coffee. If it is Rudy Giuliani. Probably not. If it is Mitt Romney. Hell no.

Christmas Fun

I just love Christmas and the time leading up to it. I will not, repeat, I will not let politics get in the way. So for fun I want to bring this to ya. Remember those old aluminum trees? All the pretty colors? Well now they are going for big bucks. Here is an article from back in 2005 about the trees and a lady who collects them. Here is a part of the article.

• Town Leads Aluminum Christmas Tree Revival

• Holiday Fad Faded Decades Ago, Then eBay and Others Revived It

• By BARBARA PINTO
• MANITOWOC, Wis., Dec. 18, 2005
• Manitowoc truly reflects the spirit of the season.
• The quaint town on the shores of Lake Michigan is known for its snow-covered sidewalks, storybook downtown -- and sparkling aluminum Christmas trees. The tinsel Tannenbaums glisten in the window of the LaDeDa shop, and catch the glow of passing headlights at the Tweedle Brothers book store.
• Video
• 'Tin Tannenbaum'
• "Manitowoc was put on the map nationally through this tree," says Jerry Waak, who once ran the sales force at the Aluminum Specialty Company. The downtown factory closed years ago.
• In the 1960s and 70s, Waak estimates he sold millions of aluminum trees, but for nowhere near the prices they command now. On eBay, a rare pink 7-footer recently sold for more than $3,600.
• "We used to sell those trees for $11.25 wholesale, $25 retail," says Waak shaking his head. "I wish I had a lot more trees."
• What some regard as tacky relics of Christmas past are now collector's items.
• Barbara Bundy Yost paid $800 on eBay for a 6-foot pink tree last year.

Read more here.

This Evening's Tabloid/Political Story

OK y'all. I just love a great tabloid story. I didn't get to watch the You Tube Debate last night. Crazy thing, I had to sleep before going to work. Anyhoo, I am just now waking up and checking out the news about the debate. I found this in my Google email updates for Mike Huckabee. Apparently, some reporter punched out a Huckabee aide in order to get access to Mike Huckabee. Now a normal blogger would avoid a story like this about their candidate, but if you have been a regular reader to this blog, you know I am not a "normal" blogger. Thus, when I got this update I just squealed, "Ohh this is good." The way I see it is this. The guy really wanted to get an interview from Mike Huckabee. Plus, it was the reporter that hit a Huckabee aide, not the other way around. Oh, I almost forgot, here's the article in FOX News.

• Reporter Escorted Out of Debate Spin Room After Punching Mike Huckabee Aide

• Thursday, November 29, 2007
• 

  in Florida Wednesday night was a real slugfest — literally.

  A reporter had to be escorted by security out of the post-debate press gaggle in St. Petersburg, after witnesses said he punched an aide to former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, knocking him to the ground.

• The reporter, identified as Joe Shea of The American Reporter online newspaper, was trying to interview the Republican presidential candidate when it apparently came to blows. The confrontation happened in the so-called "spin room," where political supporters and advisers speak to media on behalf of their candidates after debates.

  Click here to see the video of the aftermath.

  Shea denied punching the aide after CNN's Dana Bash called security, saying he only pushed the staff member. But witnesses said the reporter clearly threw a punch. The aide stood up after a few seconds with no visible cuts or bruises, and Shea was escorted out of the room.

  Huckabee, whose most notable celebrity endorsement has come from Chuck Norris, joked afterward: "I'm going to send Chuck after him."
• “I’m just glad they aren’t fighting to get to me so they can fight me," Huckabee said. "I’m not that good. Chuck’s the fighter. I’m the nice guy.”
• At the time, Norris was in another part of the room talking to other members of the media.

  FOX News' Shushannah Walshe contributed to this report. [source]
  

Alvin And The Chipmunks (Christmas Song) David Seville

It just ain't Christmas without Alvin and the Chipmunks.

With politics and Christmas seeming to intertwine, things can get pretty heated. So I thought I would give y'all something to smile about. Christmas can bring out the kid in all of us. Here is the original version of Alvin and the Chipmunks singing "The Christmas Song."



Ya know what? I am going to give y'all a bonus. This one just gave me such a big smile I had chipmunk cheeks.

HOLY FREAKIN SMOKES!!! RE: A LAN KEYES BEING BARRED FROM TONITES YOU-TUBE REPUBLICAN DEBATE!!!

OK, I am tired from my marathon blogging, ahem babbling, this afternoon. I just thought I would read some of my fave blogs and reflect and keep the little hamster running in the wheel in which is called my brain. I don't care how tired I am. I just have to post about this. Big-gigantic-huge-asky hat tip* to the Arkansas Republican Assemblies Blog AKA ARRA, for this one.

• CNN cannot abide a black republican candidate.

• CNN evident bias, if not prejudice, is on display when they will only abide having a black candidate on the Democrat rostrum talking as a Democrat presidential candidate. However, if a Republican presidential candidate is black, it is anathema. Such a candidate is Former Ambassador Alan Keyes who entered the race later than his non-black Republican counterparts. CNN has established benchmark criteria to exclude Keyes from Wednesday's CNN televised debate in Florida. Keyes is listed among the candidates to be voted on in the Florida GOP Presidential Primary. However on Monday night at 11 p.m., CNN Political Director Sam Feist e-mailed the Alan Keyes campaign to inform the campaign — for the first time — that Ambassador Keyes would not be included in Wednesday evening's CNN/YouTube/Republican Party of Florida Debate. Prior to this notice, the campaign had received no word from the debate's sponsors about their intentions, one way or the other, to include Dr. Keyes, despite several inquires. The most the campaign was able to learn was that the decision was "ultimately up to CNN" . . . [Read More]

As y'all know I have super slow computer, so I have many tabs/windows going on at the same time. I had left a comment on this post. For Blogger powered blogs, when someone comments they can choose to have additional comments emailed to them. When I posted my comment I checked the "update by email" box. So while I have been reading blogs and other websites I have been "trolling" my own email. While I kept periodically checking my own email I noticed that comments were coming in left and right to this post on the ARRA. Wow, people out there are really ticked off that Ambassador Keyes will not be allowed to participate in tonites debate.
I want to say this is not a black/white, red, yellow, green, One-Eyed-One-Horned-Flying-People-Purple-Eater, etc. issue. This is a freakin American issue. It is an issue of freedom. This is an issue of ideas not being allowed to be heard. I don't care if your a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Independent, etc. I don't care who you support. You should be ticked off. Right now I am so ticked off I am going through shakes and hysterical blindness. Perhaps it is because this little third shifter is up waaaay past her bed time, too much coffee and cigarettes, whatever. If you see the ghosts of Abraham "Abe" Lincoln, Dwight D. "Ike" Eisenhower and Dr. Martin Luther King on that stage beating on the "moderators" don't say I didn't warn you.
I think I have more to say, but I am tired and I really need to go to bed. Maybe I will have some sort of "Ambien dream" and Abe Lincoln, that weird little beaver and the deep-sea diver who doesn't talk will tell me more of what to say later. Believe you me, I will be back.
Anyhoo, ya gotta check out the ARRA Blog. It is more about just Arkansas politics. I don't agree with everything they write about, but there is no two bloggers out there who agree on absolutely everything. I have a soft spot for many, but not all, things Arkansas, due to the fact that is where my grandpa came from before getting recruited be GM/UAW.

Well, nite-nite and God Bless from the Upper Peninsula in Michigan! Hey, they are playing Jose Feliciano "Feliz Navidad" on the radio. Anyways, gotta go.
* OMG, If my old English teachers were to find out who I am they would so have the principal call me back to high school, after all my crazy made up words today.

Dick Morris Sets the Record Straight on Mike Huckabee's Fiscal Record

More from Dick Morris. I'll tell ya what this dude is smart and knowledgeable. Here is some of what he has to say about Mike's fiscal record in Arkansas.

Dick Morris' Political Insider

Huckabee Is a Fiscal Conservative

Wednesday, November 28, 2007 7:59 AM By: Dick Morris & Eileen McGann

As Mike Huckabee rises in the polls, an inevitable process of vetting him for conservative credentials is under way in which people who know nothing of Arkansas or of the circumstances of his governorship weigh in knowingly about his record. As his political consultant in the early '90s and as one who has been following Arkansas politics for 30 years, let me clue you in: Mike Huckabee is a fiscal conservative. How could anyone in the political sphere have been closer to Mike Huckabee than Dick Morris? Thought so. A recent column by Bob Novak excoriated Huckabee for a "47 percent increase in state tax burden." But during Huckabee's years in office, total state tax burden — all 50 states combined — rose by twice as much: 98 percent, increasing from $743 billion in 1993 to $1.47 trillion in 2005. Way to tell it like it is Mr. Morris! In Arkansas, the income tax when he took office was 1 percent for the poorest taxpayers and 7 percent for the richest, exactly where it stood when he left the statehouse 11 years later. But, in the interim, he doubled the standard deduction and the child care credit, repealed capital gains taxes for home sales, lowered the capital gains rate, expanded the homestead exemption, and set up tax-free savings accounts for medical care and college tuition. Most impressively, when he had to pass an income tax surcharge amid the drop in revenues after Sept. 11, 2001, he repealed it three years later when he didn't need it any longer. He raised the sales tax one cent in 11 years and did that only after the courts ordered him to do so. (He also got voter approval for a one-eighth cent hike for parks and recreation.) He wants to repeal the income tax, abolish the IRS, and institute a "fair tax" based on consumption, and he opposes any tax increase for Social Security. And he can win in Iowa. Again, above. When voters who have decided not to back Rudy Giuliani because of his social positions consider the contest between Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee, they will have no difficulty choosing between a real social conservative and an ersatz one. Remember this... Romney, who began as a pro-lifer and switched in order to win in Massachusetts, and then flipped back again, cannot compete with a lifelong pro-lifer, Huckabee. Got that? Good. But Huckabee's strength is not just his orthodoxy on gay marriage, abortion, gun control and the usual litany. It is his opening of the religious right to a host of new issues. He speaks firmly for the right to life, but then notes that our responsibility for children does not end with childbirth. His answer to the rise of medical costs is novel and exciting. "Eighty percent of all medical spending," he says, "is for chronic diseases." Coming up next is Mr. Morris' take on why Mike's view on preventative health care is not a tax and spend liberal view, but rather a conservative tax saving view. Ya ready? Okie-dokie, here ya go. So he urges an all-out attack on teen smoking and overeating and a push for exercise not as the policies of a big-government liberal but as the requisites of a fiscal conservative anxious to save tax money. So what happens if Huckabee wins in Iowa? Read the rest to find out the answer.