WHAT IF???

This evening the President gives his annual State of the Union speech to the nation. Security is at its highest levels during this gathering of our national leadership, and for good reason.

Presidential succession becomes an issue when this many, almost all, of our governmental leadership is gathered in the same room. This occasion would be a terrorist's dream come true, but the chances of anyone getting near the place is rather remote. However, they plan for it anyway.

We all know if the President dies, then the VP becomes President, and he appoints a new VP. But, what happens after that? What if the building is blown up and everyone is killed? Well, not to worry, it's all planned out in advance. Here's the order of succession after the President and VP:

2. Speaker of the House
3. President pro Tempore of the Senate

From the President's cabinet:

4. Secretary of State
5. Treasury
6. Defense
7. Attorney General
8. Interior
9. Agriculture
10. Commerce
11. Labor
12. Health and Human Services
13. HUD
14. Transportation
15. Energy
16. Education
17. VA
18. Homeland Security (Thanks, Mr. Right.)

But, again, what if they're all killed, you say? On nights when everyone is in the same gathering, such as this evening, one of the cabinet members is selected, on a rotating basis, and is required to stay far away from the gathering site. This is called the "doomsday" provision. And, if the unthinkable did occur, that cabinet member would be the President. After that, I have no idea how the government reforms.

If it ever does happen, please let Rumsfeld be the odd man out. Read more about the process and its history here.

NOTE: I knew this would happen. Someone asked, "What if everyone is killed and the lone cabinet member dies of a heart attack?" Answer: Al Gore becomes President, because by then it just won't matter anymore.

IT'S LIKE A NIGHTMARE

This can't be good news for "Her Royal C."---ABC just announced that "Commander in Chief" has been impeached and removed from their prime-time schedule. The show failed as a ratings booster for the network. At a later date, ABC will announce what will become of the show. My guess: Genna's in retirement. The show is being replaced by a comedy. How fitting.

THEY DON'T MAKE 'EM LIKE THIS ANYMORE

41 years ago today, Sir Winston Churchill was laid to rest with full state honors. He died on January 24 after suffering a stroke.

He was the right man at the right time during WWII, always lifting the spirits of the Brits when it looked like the end for them. He always knew history would treat him well:

"History will be kind to me for I intend to write it."

Sir Winston was often quoted. One of my favorites:

"It's not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what's required."

His bio is here and a page filled with famous quotes is here.

LET'S HOPE IT GETS WORSE

Watching the democrats the last two weeks has been like going to a public hanging. Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, another democrat would step to the gallows, slip the noose on, and dangle along with the others. Amazing.

I'm speaking mainly of the Alito hearings, but aside from that debacle, several items haven't gone their way in recent times. Roberts became Chief Justice; Alito is all but on the court; Canada slides to the right with Harper being elected; Air America is trailing smoke and lookin' for a place to crash; Code Pink lost its corner at Walter Reed. And, it could get worse.

Bush has a good chance of nominating yet another justice to the court since Stevens is 86 years old. This just scares the hell out of the democrats. Can you imagine the antics we'll see on tv if this comes to pass?

I'm sure the thought of Bush getting another bite at the SCOTUS apple keeps many of our left-leaning Senators awake at night, but I'm bettin' that's not the only issue keeping them up.

There's this little matter of the '06 election, specifically the race for governor. Blackwell, Steele, and Swann. As in, Ohio, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. How will Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and the NAACP fight against these fellows. Not only are they black, they're republicans. How will they explain this to their base? They might go with the "Uncle Tom" theme with Blackwell and Steele, however, I don't think you can touch Lynn Swann. The guy's golden, and his appeal crosses racial lines. What's more, Ohio and Pennsylvania are in play during the presidential elections. Oh, the humanity!

As I see it, the MSM is the only thing the democrats have going for them. Hey, it's something.

The polls say Swann is even with or slightly ahead of his opponent. Being that he isn't a politician, this is tremendous news. Take a look at one of Swann's tv spots here.

Swann has four Super Bowl rings and his team is in the big show again this year. Does it get any sweeter?

Say goodnight, Ted.

FLIGHT 5966 ON FINAL

A commuter airline crash in 2004 was determined to be caused by pilot error, along with several other crew related factors. 13 of 15 on the flight were killed. Were these guys poor pilots or just tired? Possibly both.

Read it here.

YOU'RE THE PRESIDENT

Intelligence on the ground has advised you, with a high degree of certainty, of the location of al Qaeda's #1 or #2 man. Your first phone call is to:

These people.

Or these?

You decide.

JOURNALISM 101

Remember the kid that ran away from home and ventured into Iraq to do a little journalism for his high school class? Read this and see what you think. I hadn't seen it anywhere in the MSM, nor do I know if it's true. But, it wouldn't surprise me in the least.

Hat tip: Ranting Right Wing Howler

ONE FOR THE GIPPER

25 years ago today, our Nation woke up from the nightmare of the Carter administration. Carter would leave Washington to build houses; Reagan would start rebuilding America.

Pride in America was replaced by "malaise," and we looked to Reagan for the leadership that would bring that pride back. He made us proud, and more.

In 1981, we found ourselves in a bad place. Today, we find ourselves in a similar place, if not worse. In 2008, America will again be looking for a man of strong leadership abilities--a man like Ronald Reagan.

Here's to you, Mr. President.

"IT'S LIKE A TURKEY SHOOT"

Another long day for our guys on the wall. Language warning.

Hat tip: Vodkapundit

SOME DAYS ARE BETTER

After his job is completed, Greybeard takes in the scene as others spring into action.

Back to CPR."Give him some Eppie!".........adrenaline, to further kick his heart in gear."Chest tubes!".........to drain blood from his chest cavity, and make breathing easier. Blood drips all over the floor.

I know why he writes about it. Heartbreaking.

"CAPTIONING" YOUR ATTENTION

The Right Place has chosen a great photo this week for the caption contest. It was a bad week for the democrats during the Alito hearings, and this photo of the good senator from California captures the mood. To enter your caption, click here. Good luck.

TOURING WALTER REED

Blackfive was in Washington D.C. last week and stopped by Walter Reed Medical Center to visit with our wounded.

"Most people may not understand what it's like to be there - most might not like hospitals (which is understandable), but Walter Reed is not like most hospitals and the men and women that are there recovering from their wounds are not like most people you'll ever meet."

While there, B5 met other bloggers and made the rounds with them.

"We were able to meet Joshua Sparling and his father and one of his buddies from his unit. AWTM mothered Joshua with warm words. I talked with his father about his recovery." Remember Joshua?

This wasn't B5's first trip to Walter Reed, but it was the most memorable. Read his post that describes what it's like to visit the center.

"If I can't pick up a rifle, I have to do something."--B5

JACK'S BACK

If you don't watch "24"--you don't know Jack!

The premiere episodes were so intense--and not politically correct--I expect CAIR to throw a snit-fit.

My only question: How did President Logan end up with such a hottie like Martha?

2005--A LOOK BACK ON THE MSM

Since we're only a couple weeks into 2006, it's a good time to look back on 2005 through the eyes of the MSM. There's 54 examples listed here--lies and distortions. I'm sure the "Old Media" isn't happy with bloggers who actually keep track of this stuff.

I had forgotten about #6--it's one of my favorites.

Hat-tip to The Cassandra Page via Sue Bob's Diary.

CRONKITE: LEAVE IRAQ NOW

Walter Cronkite thinks it's 1968 all over again. He also thinks people care about what he has to say.

Cronkite is now saying that it's time for us to leave Iraq; he said the same thing about Viet Nam. When Katrina hit, he says we missed an opportunity:

"We had an opportunity to say to the world and Iraqis after the hurricane disaster that Mother Nature has not treated us well and we find ourselves missing the amount of money it takes to help these poor people out of their homeless situation and rebuild some of our most important cities in the United States," he said. "Therefore, we are going to have to bring our troops home."

Yes, Walter thinks it's time for us to turn tail and run; I think it's time for Walter to put a sock in it.

And that's the way it is--Sunday, January 15th, 2006.

"IF YOU CAN MAKE IT THERE...."

Our man in Illinois, John Ruberry, of Marathon Pundit fame, was mentioned in a New York Times article. They were looking for blog posts about Alito and ran across John's blog. Congratulations and Good job!!

He has a mobile version of Marathon Pundit, as well:

Mobile Marathon Pundit.

LOOKIN' FOR WORK?

80% of the applicants will fail the training for this job. Training takes two-and-a-half years at a cost of $380,000. Give it a try.

Hat tip to Matt.

LET'S DO LUNCH--updated

Hey, when it comes to raising money, I guess it doesn't matter who you lunch with. Today, The Hildabeast will be joining Harry Belafonte at a luncheon to raise some cash.

Her core support base will be happy to see "Her Royal C" side by side with the media's latest darling of Bush-bashing. Even Cindy Sheehan might approve.


I wonder if anyone from the MSM will be asking if she's in agreement with Belafonte's recent statements regarding Bush?


"No matter what the greatest tyrant in the world, the greatest terrorist in the world, George W. Bush says,” Belafonte told Chavez, "we’re here to tell you: Not hundreds, not thousands, but millions of the American people ... support your revolution.”

If the question is ever asked, she'll be allowed a canned response with no fear of a follow-up. Since Hillary has the MSM squarely behind her, she's able to get away with appearing with a guy who's committing treason. Just another fundraiser.

Pass the rolls.

UPDATE: As I thought, someone did ask her a question about Harry, but she dodged it with no problem:

Later, during a press conference on health care, Clinton refused to address it. "I'm sorry, this is about Medicare Prescription Part D," she scolded a nosy reporter. "You're welcome to call my office, but I'm talking about something that is literally a life-and-death matter to hundreds of thousands of people who I have the privilege of representing." Read it here.

NOT THE BEST

I've seen enough. The Alito hearings are an embarrassment to the U.S. Senate. Both republicans and democrats should lower their heads in shame. And the voters who re-elect these people year after year should have their heads examined. What are they thinking?

The U.S.A., the greatest example of democracy the world has ever seen, or ever will, and this is the best we can come up with in the Senate? If so, we're in big trouble.

It's no wonder that we don't elect Senators to the presidency anymore. Today, we're happy to promote our governors and congressmen to the White House--not senators.

We ended the practice in 1972 with Nixon; he was the last of a long line of senators to move in at 1600.

What are your thoughts on this 34 year trend? Was it Watergate that doomed all Senators?

YOUR TAXES NOT AT WORK

During the first day of the Alito hearings, the government displayed to the public what it does best: Wasting our time and money.

Can you believe they blew an entire day with those ridiculous opening remarks?

The Chairman should make a few preliminary remarks, then introduce the drunk from Massachusetts. Makes sense to me.

MONDAY, MONDAY

Come Monday morning the main story for the MSM will surely be SCOTUS nominee Alito. All eyes will be glued to the tv for this one. These hearings, for the most part, are a waste of time and very boring. They've already made up their minds, anyway.

In the event the MSM isn't happy with the results of the Alito hearings, they have several backup stories with which to fill their pages. Let's see, they could go with the always popular Jack Abramoff story, because we all know democrats are above taking money illegally. Or, we have the rise and fall of one Tom Delay. And if things really get thin, there's always NSA.

I can't imagine the MSM having to go any deeper, however, they could always discuss the rumor that Karl Rove will soon be charged with being too good at his job, or how's a little Bush impeachment strike ya? So many news worthy items to go with, and it's just Monday!

***********************

If you find yourself bored with the news of the day, try this little sucker. The note attached said it's used in the testing of pilots. Greybeard? I made it to 1 minute 6 seconds--check your skills. Hint: If you've ever flown a tail-dragger, then "small inputs" to the rudder will mean something.

Bonus item: I didn't see this on any cable or network outlet, but here in Sacramento reporters were tripping over themselves to get it on the air. I just thought you'd like to know she's ok and in good company. Bitch.

MAYDAY!! BLOGGER DOWN: Chris at Lucky Dawg News is down with the flu--Jen's filling in while he's on the mend. Drop him a line and wish him well.

Pam at Blogmeister USA has a transcript and audio of one of California's Congressmen during a town hall meeting. Pam would like to buy the guy a clue. Unbelievable.

HAYAT TO COOL HEALS IN CLINK

Umer Hayat, the Lodi, Ca., terror suspect, has been told that his bail request was denied because his properties don't offer enough security. From the Sacramento Bee (reg req):

"U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. ruled that the Lodi properties proposed as collateral and the owners of the properties do not offer adequate assurance that Umer Hayat will not flee to his native Pakistan.

The ruling reverses a Dec. 12 finding by U.S. Magistrate Judge Dale A. Drozd that the property and its owners are "suitable and sufficient" to secure Hayat's release to home confinement on a $1.2 million bond.

Prosecutors insist Hayat is a flight risk and a danger, and they appealed Drozd's order to Burrell.

Hayat, a 47-year-old ice cream truck driver, and his 23-year-old son, Hamid Hayat, are in custody in connection with an FBI terrorist investigation. Hamid Hayat, who faces charges more serious than his father, has been ordered held without bail."

Of course, Hayat's lawyer will appeal this latest decision.

YOU CAN'T WIN IF YOU DON'T PLAY

The Right Place is looking for a good caption for Murtha's allegory. Contest ends Friday--click here to enter.

MUST SEE TV--updated

Bill O'Reilly will be appearing tonight on The Late show with David Letterman. Every time O'Reilly's on the show, it's good. Tonight will be no exception because they'll be debating the war in Iraq. Go here for more info.

UPDATE: I'm the one posting about O'Reilly on Letterman, but I missed it! I got sucked into the "miracle in the mine" story. So, for the best recap of what happened with O'Reilly, slide over to Michelle Malkin's. She has a transcript and video link.

LAUGHS UNLIMITED

If you're needing a laugh, you've come to the right place. This video is one of the funniest ones I've ever seen--you'll agree, I'm sure.

A little set-up: It's in another language but that doesn't matter one bit. On the panel, the subject is "sex with a handicapped person." The interviewer loses it when he hears the "cartoonish" voice of one of his guests. If you're not wettin' yourself after this, see a doctor, please. And, take note of the dead people in the audience.

View it here. (I recommend a full screen)

Hat tip to Ace of Spades.

IT WAS HARD TO WATCH

Dick Clark was on the radio and tv many years before I was born, and I'll be 50 later this year. He's a pop-icon and major mover-and-shaker in the entertainment industry.

Dick Clark Productions has had decades of success in radio, tv, movies, and even the restaurant industry. His successes are equaled by few, if any.

After hearing he suffered a stroke last year, I was looking forward to his appearance Saturday night for the lowering of the ball in Times' Square. Looking forward, and curious.

The show opened with Seacreast and the mayor of New York. They introduced Clark a few moments later.

Clark looked a bit older, thinner, but that wasn't unexpected. What was unexpected was his speech. I was stunned. It was obvious he had a stroke and was still suffering the effects of it. My first thought was of Kirk Douglas, however, Clark's speech was in better shape, though he did struggle at times.

It was not the same Dick Clark we're accustomed to--"America's oldest teenager"--not by a long shot. To watch him in this shape was painful and, at times, uncomfortable.

I'm sure Clark worked hard at recovering and made this year's appearance a goal in the recovery process. I wish him the best.

If you stayed up to see Dick Clark, then you saw Mariah Carey's appearance with her two closest friends. They arrived just before she did and tried to make their own appearence several times--'Nuff said.