Hillary Clinton Named As Secretary of State in Barack Obama's Administration

Call her whatever you will, Hillary Clinton is a hard worker who gets results. She showed the world her strength in the face of losing the primary campaign for the Democratic Party nominee in the presidential elections. She has shown resiliency and tenacity throughout her career. I was very glad to hear Barack Obama nominate her to be the next Secretary of State. Though Condoleezza Rice made history as the first African American woman to serve in such a capacity, Hillary Clinton won't be as lackadaisical and mediocre as Ms. Rice. She will undoubtedly bring global star power and a longstanding commitment to improving the status of women and children around the globe. She will also bring strong promises of military action when U.S. interests are challenged.

Barack Obama has chosen his most prestigious Cabinet position and has given nominated an independent-minded policymaker whose world view has been shaped by eight years as a globe-trotting first lady and eight years as a senator with time on the Armed Services Committee. She combines a focus on "soft" issues such as maternal health with rhetoric more hawkish than Obama's on containing Iran's nuclear program and protecting Israel, according to USA Today's Susan Page.

Hillary Clinton will play a pivotal role in the Obama Administration. She will be taking the lead on a massive set of global challenges, including repercussions from last week's terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, which threaten a conflagration on the nuclear-armed subcontinent, which must be stemmed as soon as possible.

In collaboration with other administration officials, the incoming secretary of State will deal with the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, efforts to turn around the war in Afghanistan, nuclear programs in such rogue nations as North Korea and Iran, the challenge from a resurgent Russia and growing concerns about global climate change.

Clinton is "a tough pragmatist who understands it's a dangerous world out there, who understands it can be necessary at times to use force and at other times to be able to back your diplomacy with the threat of force," says Martin Indyk, a former assistant secretary of State and ambassador to Israel who is close to Clinton. "On the other hand, she has shown a very deep commitment to the causes of human rights, women's rights in particular, and the pursuit of peace and resolution of conflict."

When Clinton decided to run for the Senate in 2000, she launched her campaign with a "listening tour" to hear from New York voters. When she began her presidential campaign in 2007, she announced a similar "listening tour" through states with early primaries and caucuses. Source: USA Today

Hillary Clinton is a very calculating woman and that's a trait we we need in the next Secretary of State. She is not a "yes-woman," as Condi Rice seems to have been. She got nearly 18 million votes in the primary. That is no small feat and nothing to be ignored. I am very pleased with President-elect Obama's cabinet choices thus far and I am confident that this administration will be nothing close to the mess we have had the last eight years.

To read Susan Page's entire commentary, CLICK HERE.....

Hillary Clinton Named As Secretary of State in Barack Obama's Administration

Call her whatever you will, Hillary Clinton is a hard worker who gets results. She showed the world her strength in the face of losing the primary campaign for the Democratic Party nominee in the presidential elections. She has shown resiliency and tenacity throughout her career. I was very glad to hear Barack Obama nominate her to be the next Secretary of State. Though Condoleezza Rice made history as the first African American woman to serve in such a capacity, Hillary Clinton won't be as lackadaisical and mediocre as Ms. Rice. She will undoubtedly bring global star power and a longstanding commitment to improving the status of women and children around the globe. She will also bring strong promises of military action when U.S. interests are challenged.

Barack Obama has chosen his most prestigious Cabinet position and has given nominated an independent-minded policymaker whose world view has been shaped by eight years as a globe-trotting first lady and eight years as a senator with time on the Armed Services Committee. She combines a focus on "soft" issues such as maternal health with rhetoric more hawkish than Obama's on containing Iran's nuclear program and protecting Israel, according to USA Today's Susan Page.

Hillary Clinton will play a pivotal role in the Obama Administration. She will be taking the lead on a massive set of global challenges, including repercussions from last week's terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, which threaten a conflagration on the nuclear-armed subcontinent, which must be stemmed as soon as possible.

In collaboration with other administration officials, the incoming secretary of State will deal with the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, efforts to turn around the war in Afghanistan, nuclear programs in such rogue nations as North Korea and Iran, the challenge from a resurgent Russia and growing concerns about global climate change.

Clinton is "a tough pragmatist who understands it's a dangerous world out there, who understands it can be necessary at times to use force and at other times to be able to back your diplomacy with the threat of force," says Martin Indyk, a former assistant secretary of State and ambassador to Israel who is close to Clinton. "On the other hand, she has shown a very deep commitment to the causes of human rights, women's rights in particular, and the pursuit of peace and resolution of conflict."

When Clinton decided to run for the Senate in 2000, she launched her campaign with a "listening tour" to hear from New York voters. When she began her presidential campaign in 2007, she announced a similar "listening tour" through states with early primaries and caucuses. Source: USA Today

Hillary Clinton is a very calculating woman and that's a trait we we need in the next Secretary of State. She is not a "yes-woman," as Condi Rice seems to have been. She got nearly 18 million votes in the primary. That is no small feat and nothing to be ignored. I am very pleased with President-elect Obama's cabinet choices thus far and I am confident that this administration will be nothing close to the mess we have had the last eight years.

To read Susan Page's entire commentary, CLICK HERE.....

NY Giants Plaxico Burress Turns Himself in Over Charges Stemming from Shooting Himself Accidentally with Illegal Weapon

Why these young "ballers" love guns is beyond me. The problem is that being wealthy is no guarantee of happiness. We have seen repeatedly many young people who become rich almost overnight, struggle emotionally as well as wrestle with the responsibility that comes with such new found wealth and fame. You have to leave your old lifestyle behind, especially if it was a troubled one. Well, according to the NY Daily News, troubled Giants star Plaxico Burress turned himself into a Manhattan precinct Monday morning where he is expected to be charged after accidentally shooting himself in the right thigh while drinking at a Midtown nightclub.

Walking with no sign of a limp from the bullet wound, Burress stepped out of a black Cadillac Escalade in front of the NYPD's 17th Precinct just after 8 a.m. Wearing dark jeans, a white collared shirt and a black jacket, he stared straight ahead as he walked and ignored shouts from an assembled group of reporters and fans. His lawyer said the wide receiver would be arraigned at 1 p.m. at Central Booking and would plead not guilty to charges of criminal possession of a weapon.

"He's standing tall," said attorney Benjamin Brafman. "He's a mature adult handling this very well, I think, under the circumstances.""He...has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from people who I think understand that he's a fundamentally decent man in a difficult situation," Brafman said. Standing tall, really? He has no choice but to turn himself in for this stupid little sideshow. He had an illegal weapon which was loaded. That's a crime in New York state punishable from a one-year sentence to a mandatory minimum 3 1/2-year sentence. To think that young kids look up to these athletes is amazing. Call Tiger Woods what you want, you have never heard of this young man mixed up with the wrong crowd or exhibiting criminal behavior.

Burress, 31, was partying at the Latin Quarter nightclub with teammates after midnight Saturday when he fumbled with the gun tucked in his waistband, accidentally firing a single round that ripped through his right thigh.

Burress, who signed a $35-million contract extension in the wake of the Super Bowl win, has been a season-long distraction to the Giants and his Big Blue bosses hinted before yesterday's game that the receiver's tenure in the Meadowlands may be coming to an end.

I don't blame the management of the NY Giants to make an example out of him. You can't expect to get away with bad behavior repeatedly. Does Michael Vick ring a bell? I am pretty sure when he has been released from prison, the Falcons will reinstate him as their quarterback.

Burress armed himself because he was afraid that he would get held up for the flashy bling he wore, he told employees at the Latin Quarter nightclub. After the shooting, he initially refused to let his pals call 911 after the shooting, but relented two hours later, and went with his wife, Tiffany, and a friend to New York Presbyterian-Hospital Weill Cornell at 2a.m., sources said. He was released hours later.

Teammate, Antonio Pierce, 30, who was with Burress, initially stashed the gun for his pal, police sources said, but it is believed he later gave it to Burress' wife. The gun was handed over the NYPD late Sunday.

This reminds me of the show the "Three Stooges." To think this guy considers himself a role model for kids. People need to stop putting these athletes on a pedestal. He's no better than the person in the street running around and doing the wrong thing. Money doesn't suddenly change one into a paragon of virtue. One has to make that choice and live up the those ideals. You have to change your lifestyle and surround yourself with the right people who want to uplift you, not tear you down.Burress joins a long list of athletes who have engaged in bad behavior: Mike Tyson, Ron Artest, Jose Canseco, Jayson Williams, Todd Bertuzzi, Brett Myers, Darryl Strawberry, Rae Carruth, Pete Rose, Michael Vick, Maurice Clarett, Tank Johnson, Mark Gastineau and with the most famous of them all, O.J. Simpson, among others. Plaxico Burress, come to your senses, that is not the club you want to be a member of.

NY Giants Plaxico Burress Turns Himself in Over Charges Stemming from Shooting Himself Accidentally with Illegal Weapon

Why these young "ballers" love guns is beyond me. The problem is that being wealthy is no guarantee of happiness. We have seen repeatedly many young people who become rich almost overnight, struggle emotionally as well as wrestle with the responsibility that comes with such new found wealth and fame. You have to leave your old lifestyle behind, especially if it was a troubled one. Well, according to the NY Daily News, troubled Giants star Plaxico Burress turned himself into a Manhattan precinct Monday morning where he is expected to be charged after accidentally shooting himself in the right thigh while drinking at a Midtown nightclub.

Walking with no sign of a limp from the bullet wound, Burress stepped out of a black Cadillac Escalade in front of the NYPD's 17th Precinct just after 8 a.m. Wearing dark jeans, a white collared shirt and a black jacket, he stared straight ahead as he walked and ignored shouts from an assembled group of reporters and fans. His lawyer said the wide receiver would be arraigned at 1 p.m. at Central Booking and would plead not guilty to charges of criminal possession of a weapon.

"He's standing tall," said attorney Benjamin Brafman. "He's a mature adult handling this very well, I think, under the circumstances.""He...has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from people who I think understand that he's a fundamentally decent man in a difficult situation," Brafman said. Standing tall, really? He has no choice but to turn himself in for this stupid little sideshow. He had an illegal weapon which was loaded. That's a crime in New York state punishable from a one-year sentence to a mandatory minimum 3 1/2-year sentence. To think that young kids look up to these athletes is amazing. Call Tiger Woods what you want, you have never heard of this young man mixed up with the wrong crowd or exhibiting criminal behavior.

Burress, 31, was partying at the Latin Quarter nightclub with teammates after midnight Saturday when he fumbled with the gun tucked in his waistband, accidentally firing a single round that ripped through his right thigh.

Burress, who signed a $35-million contract extension in the wake of the Super Bowl win, has been a season-long distraction to the Giants and his Big Blue bosses hinted before yesterday's game that the receiver's tenure in the Meadowlands may be coming to an end.

I don't blame the management of the NY Giants to make an example out of him. You can't expect to get away with bad behavior repeatedly. Does Michael Vick ring a bell? I am pretty sure when he has been released from prison, the Falcons will reinstate him as their quarterback.

Burress armed himself because he was afraid that he would get held up for the flashy bling he wore, he told employees at the Latin Quarter nightclub. After the shooting, he initially refused to let his pals call 911 after the shooting, but relented two hours later, and went with his wife, Tiffany, and a friend to New York Presbyterian-Hospital Weill Cornell at 2a.m., sources said. He was released hours later.

Teammate, Antonio Pierce, 30, who was with Burress, initially stashed the gun for his pal, police sources said, but it is believed he later gave it to Burress' wife. The gun was handed over the NYPD late Sunday.

This reminds me of the show the "Three Stooges." To think this guy considers himself a role model for kids. People need to stop putting these athletes on a pedestal. He's no better than the person in the street running around and doing the wrong thing. Money doesn't suddenly change one into a paragon of virtue. One has to make that choice and live up the those ideals. You have to change your lifestyle and surround yourself with the right people who want to uplift you, not tear you down.Burress joins a long list of athletes who have engaged in bad behavior: Mike Tyson, Ron Artest, Jose Canseco, Jayson Williams, Todd Bertuzzi, Brett Myers, Darryl Strawberry, Rae Carruth, Pete Rose, Michael Vick, Maurice Clarett, Tank Johnson, Mark Gastineau and with the most famous of them all, O.J. Simpson, among others. Plaxico Burress, come to your senses, that is not the club you want to be a member of.

Media Mogul Ted Turner Says "KGB Honorable Place to Work"

Ted Turner, who recently released a new book "Call Me Ted," put his foot in his mouth once again. This time, on Sunday's "Meet the Press," during which he blamed the U.S. for starting the battles with Vladimir Putin "by putting the Star Wars system in Czechoslovakia and Poland," and when host Tom Brokaw recalled that Leonid Brezhnev reacted to Jimmmy Carter's outreach by invading Afghanistan, Turner retorted with so-called moral equivalence: “Well, we invaded Afghanistan, too, and it's a lot further -- at least it's on the border of the Soviet Union.” Brokaw called it “naked aggression on the part of the Russians at the time,” prompting Turner to charge: “Well, going into Iraq was naked aggression on the part of the United States.” But here's the part that hit a nerve with me, Turner said that "the KGB, I think, was an honorable place to work” with “worthwhile” achievements." Ted, are you still eating bison meat dude?

Mr. Turner, defended Putin's KGB background by comparing it to someone who worked for the FBI:

We have an FBI and, and, and, and, and we're not prejudiced against somebody who's worked at the FBI. It's an honorable place to work. And the KGB, I think, was an honorable place to work. And it, it gave people in the former Soviet Union, a communist country, an opportunity to do something important and worthwhile. Yeah, like oppressing people in captured nations and running gulags to suppress political dissent.

This is nothing new with Ted Turner. A few months ago, he applied similar moral equivalence in his description of Iraqi insurgents as "patriots" who simply "don't like us because we've invaded their country" and "if the Iraqis were in Washington D.C., we'd be doing the same thing." In the same interview on PBS, he predicted global warming will soon lead to cannibalism. Wow, has this man lost some marbles or what?

From the pre-recorded interview run on the Sunday, November 30 Meet the Press

TOM BROKAW: You met Vladimir Putin when he was just an aide to the mayor of St. Petersburg. He picked up you and Jane Fonda, to whom you were married at the time. But as you have watched him since then, most people see not in his eyes a soulful person, but the eyes -- three letters, as someone has put it: KGB. That he is-

TED TURNER: Well, he had that background. But you know, we have an FBI and, and, and, and, and we're not prejudiced against somebody who's worked at the FBI. It's an honorable place to work. And the KGB, I think, was an honorable place to work. And it, it gave people in the former Soviet Union, a communist country, an opportunity to do something important and worthwhile.

BROKAW: But in the meantime, it appears that he's very much more interested in just causing difficulty for the United States, getting in our face in a manner of speaking.

TURNER: Well, wait. We're the ones -- in my opinion, we're the ones that started that. We're the ones that started by putting the Star Wars system in Czechoslovakia and Poland when they wanted to be part of it. We've said that that system is only to protect us from Iran or protect Europe from Iranian missiles. So why didn't we cooperate with the Russians? Why have we constantly been pushing, we've been pushing on the Russians all the time.

BROKAW: Your friend, Jimmy Carter, tried to be friendly with Leonid Brezhnev, and for his friendliness what did Brezhnev do?

TURNER: Hell, I don't remember. It was before I got involved.

BROKAW: He invaded Afghanistan. He invaded Afghanistan.

TURNER: Well, we invaded Afghanistan, too, and it's a lot further -- at least it's on the border of the Soviet Union or the former Soviet Union or Russia. A lot of these countries have changed names several times.

BROKAW: But, Ted, don't try to go there in terms of justifying that. I mean, it is, the fact is that the Russians, it was a naked aggression-

TURNER: Why can't I try and justify it?

BROKAW: It was naked aggression on the part of the Russians at the time.

TURNER: Well, going into Iraq was naked aggression on the part of the United States.

BROKAW: Yeah, but big power politics and changing big power politics requires everyone to come to the table, and that includes the Russians, not just the United States.

TURNER: They'll come if we invite them, I'm sure.

Ted Turner, go back to Montana and chill out. You just did a major hatchet job on your media promo for your book.

Media Mogul Ted Turner Says "KGB Honorable Place to Work"

Ted Turner, who recently released a new book "Call Me Ted," put his foot in his mouth once again. This time, on Sunday's "Meet the Press," during which he blamed the U.S. for starting the battles with Vladimir Putin "by putting the Star Wars system in Czechoslovakia and Poland," and when host Tom Brokaw recalled that Leonid Brezhnev reacted to Jimmmy Carter's outreach by invading Afghanistan, Turner retorted with so-called moral equivalence: “Well, we invaded Afghanistan, too, and it's a lot further -- at least it's on the border of the Soviet Union.” Brokaw called it “naked aggression on the part of the Russians at the time,” prompting Turner to charge: “Well, going into Iraq was naked aggression on the part of the United States.” But here's the part that hit a nerve with me, Turner said that "the KGB, I think, was an honorable place to work” with “worthwhile” achievements." Ted, are you still eating bison meat dude?

Mr. Turner, defended Putin's KGB background by comparing it to someone who worked for the FBI:

We have an FBI and, and, and, and, and we're not prejudiced against somebody who's worked at the FBI. It's an honorable place to work. And the KGB, I think, was an honorable place to work. And it, it gave people in the former Soviet Union, a communist country, an opportunity to do something important and worthwhile. Yeah, like oppressing people in captured nations and running gulags to suppress political dissent.

This is nothing new with Ted Turner. A few months ago, he applied similar moral equivalence in his description of Iraqi insurgents as "patriots" who simply "don't like us because we've invaded their country" and "if the Iraqis were in Washington D.C., we'd be doing the same thing." In the same interview on PBS, he predicted global warming will soon lead to cannibalism. Wow, has this man lost some marbles or what?

From the pre-recorded interview run on the Sunday, November 30 Meet the Press

TOM BROKAW: You met Vladimir Putin when he was just an aide to the mayor of St. Petersburg. He picked up you and Jane Fonda, to whom you were married at the time. But as you have watched him since then, most people see not in his eyes a soulful person, but the eyes -- three letters, as someone has put it: KGB. That he is-

TED TURNER: Well, he had that background. But you know, we have an FBI and, and, and, and, and we're not prejudiced against somebody who's worked at the FBI. It's an honorable place to work. And the KGB, I think, was an honorable place to work. And it, it gave people in the former Soviet Union, a communist country, an opportunity to do something important and worthwhile.

BROKAW: But in the meantime, it appears that he's very much more interested in just causing difficulty for the United States, getting in our face in a manner of speaking.

TURNER: Well, wait. We're the ones -- in my opinion, we're the ones that started that. We're the ones that started by putting the Star Wars system in Czechoslovakia and Poland when they wanted to be part of it. We've said that that system is only to protect us from Iran or protect Europe from Iranian missiles. So why didn't we cooperate with the Russians? Why have we constantly been pushing, we've been pushing on the Russians all the time.

BROKAW: Your friend, Jimmy Carter, tried to be friendly with Leonid Brezhnev, and for his friendliness what did Brezhnev do?

TURNER: Hell, I don't remember. It was before I got involved.

BROKAW: He invaded Afghanistan. He invaded Afghanistan.

TURNER: Well, we invaded Afghanistan, too, and it's a lot further -- at least it's on the border of the Soviet Union or the former Soviet Union or Russia. A lot of these countries have changed names several times.

BROKAW: But, Ted, don't try to go there in terms of justifying that. I mean, it is, the fact is that the Russians, it was a naked aggression-

TURNER: Why can't I try and justify it?

BROKAW: It was naked aggression on the part of the Russians at the time.

TURNER: Well, going into Iraq was naked aggression on the part of the United States.

BROKAW: Yeah, but big power politics and changing big power politics requires everyone to come to the table, and that includes the Russians, not just the United States.

TURNER: They'll come if we invite them, I'm sure.

Ted Turner, go back to Montana and chill out. You just did a major hatchet job on your media promo for your book.

Christopher Jamison, Roman Catholic Priest, Accuses Walt Disney Co. of Corrupting Children's Minds

It seems like the Roman Catholic church is on a roll lately. Well, Christopher Jamison, the Abbot of Worth, West Sussex, has accused Walt Disney of "exploiting spirituality" to sell its products and of turning Disneyland into a modern day pilgrimage site. He argued that it pretends to provide stories with a moral message, but has actually helped to create a more materialistic culture. Wow, they have suddenly become morally upstanding.

In a guide to helping people find happiness, the abbot, who starred in the hit-BBC series The Monastery, warns that society is in danger of losing its soul because of growing consumerism and the decline of religion.

He suggests that many people have become obsessed with work, sex and eating in an attempt to ignore their underlying unhappiness, and criticises corporations and industries that have benefited from promoting false notions of fulfilment. Source: UK Telegraph

I wonder why religion is on such a rapid decline? Could it be that wolves dressed as sheep are in the highest positions in many churches? Starting with the Roman Catholic priests and their rampant molestation of little boys years ago?

Fr Jamison, who has been tipped as a contender to succeed Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor as the next Archbishop of Westminster, targets the behaviour of Disney in particular, which he says is "a classic example" of how consumerism is being sold as an alternative to finding happiness in traditional morality.

While he acknowledges that Disney stories carry messages showing good triumphing over evil, he argues this is part of a ploy to persuade people that they should buy Disney products in order to be "a good and happy family".

He cites films such as Sleeping Beauty and 101 Dalmatians that feature moral battles, but get into children's imaginations and make them greedy for the merchandise that goes with them. "The message behind every movie and book, behind every theme park and T-shirt is that our children's world needs Disney," he says. "So they absolutely must go to see the next Disney movie, which we'll also want to give them on DVD as a birthday present."They will be happier if they live the full Disney experience; and thousands of families around the world buy into this deeper message as they flock to Disneyland."

Well, I really don't believe Disney is a major part of the problem today. Let's take a look at the programming on television today? Need I go on?

"This is basically the commercial exploitation of spirituality," he says, adding that as a result Disney and other corporations "inhabit our imagination"."Once planted there they can make us endlessly greedy. And that is exactly what they are doing."

I wish the pastors out there would focus on winning souls for Christ, instead of mixing religion with politics. Disney is a lot of things, but they have never influenced my spirituality. There are a lot of factors that play a great role in the consumerism and individualism and Walt Disney Co., is not the culprit. Churches everywhere need to examine themselves to figure out why people are leaving.