Jeff1999 and I have been blogging together for quite a while now, but we live far, far, away from each other. Yesterday, we finally met! Here’s a picture of us at the zoo.

I’m the one with the leg brace, Jeff1999’s the one in the shorts. It was a beautiful day by the lake and our families had a great couple of hours together before the 1999 family started on their long, long, journey home.

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) [Blah-goy-oh-vich] defending his leadership and low poll numbers the other day stated,

…And I think this is the kind of thing that I think, frankly, separates the men from the boys in leadership. Do you have the testicular virility to make a decision like that, knowing what’s coming your way, and then stick to it, which is what I did, and knowing all of this that we’re dealing with now, is what we have to deal with? I say I do.

Of course separating “the men from the boys in leadership” is completely dismissing anyone in leadership who doesn’t happen to have that particular body part. Senator Susan Garrett (D) Lake Forest said,

It should never come down to the language of testicular virility. It’s like male only language that sends a message about domination of women. Women don’t talk about estrogen virility. We don’t need to. It’s a code language.

John Kass at the Chicago Tribune has more on testicular virility, he’s even called NASA to find out about throw weight and thrust. The NASA spokeswoman called back and left a voicemail message:

John? Thrust is the force of the launch vehicle or spacecraft, measured in pounds or newtons. And throw weight is the amount of payload mass you’re ejecting into space.

The Tribune article is here. John Kass’ column is here.

12/09/2008: Rod Blagojevich arrested on corruption charges.

60 Minutes Wednesday has been cancelled. “It was a ratings call, not a content call,” said Les Moonves.

Dan Ra^ther will contribute stories to the original 60 Minutes Moonves said.

Oh well, he’s not gone yet. He’s avoided the axe yet again.

In response to Democratic suggestion that “non-controversial” judges hit the floor first:
Senator Frist on the Senate Floor:

Mr. President as always we will take into consideration all suggestions and be happy to talk to the leadership on both sides of the aisle as to whether that suggestion is the most appropriate way. We have engaged in negotiations in attempts to satisfy both sides for the over the last really four months, five months since these unprecedented filibusters came before this body after 214 years of a threshold of fifty votes, all of a sudden the last congress it was radically changed by the last congress to become 60 votes denying the sort of people like a little bit what we’ve heard over the last few minutes, trying to move to a qualified nominee, Priscilla Owen, and we hear these attempts to delay even right now and to sidetrack and consider somebody else, and that’s the challenge. That’s why we’re on the floor of the United States Senate, with the light of day, with the American people watching at this point to take it to the body of the United States Senate and ask that fundamental question. Is Priscilla Owen out of the mainstream? Eighty-four percent of Texans think she’s in the mainstream, are eighty-four percent of Texans out of the mainstream? And if the answer to that question is no, they’re not out of the mainstream, then all we want is a vote, an up or down vote. Accept, reject, confirm, yes, no. That’s all that we’re asking for. We don’t want the Constitutional Option. We didn’t ask for the Constitutional option. What has happened, because of the other side of the aisle in shattering the Senate tradition for 214 years where filibuster was never even contemplated, now it’s being used on a routine basis. One out of every four of the President’s nominees that have come over for the circuit courts are filibustered, blocked. Not given that responsibility or given that courtesy of a vote, when it’s our responsibility to give advice and consent. So in response to my good friend Democratic leader, yes, let’s consider, as proposals come forward, we’ll consider all the two leaders spent 50 minutes as the papers reported today talking with people who are trying to come to some reasonable conclusion and we’ll continue to do that. I’d be happy to consider another idea. I think what’s important now though is to come to the floor of the United States Senate. Let’s shed light on this, let’s do take this, yes it’s an inside the Senate decision, and we make our traditions and rules, but it is important for the American people to see. Is Priscilla Owen, is Janice Rogers Brown, deserving of a vote, yes or no, on the floor of the United States Senate. So what I would recommend is that we continue discussions, but let’s proceed with this nominee, continue debate over the course of the day and it may take a day, it may take two days, and let’s answer that question. Is she qualified, does she deserve an up or down vote?

Mae Magouirk died this morning at 8 am of a stroke. Mae was the Grandma who was being starved by a hospice at her granddaughter’s request as a result of an aortic dissection from March 29 to April 9th.

May she rest in peace.

H/T: Mover Mike

Welcome Anchoress readers.

From NRO’s Byron York:

Harry Reid is going to fillibuster Henry Saad, a nominee for a seat on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. “Henry Saad would have been fillibustered anyway,” Reid said. “He’s one of those nominees. All you need to do is have a member go upstairs and look at his confidential report from the FBI and I think we would all agree there is a problem there.”

From Ankle Biting Pundits:

Senate rule 29, Section 5 outlines the punishment for such stupidity:
Quote:
“Any Senator, officer, or employee of the Senate who shall disclose the secret or confidential business or proceedings of the Senate, including the business and proceedings of the committees, subcommittees, and offices of the Senate, shall be liable, if a Senator, to suffer expulsion from the body; and if an officer or employee, to dismissal from the service of the Senate, and to punishment for contempt.”

From Lorie Byrd at Polipundit:

Senator Harry Reid has made some outrageous statements since becoming Senate Minority Leader, but his latest reference to the contents of confidential FBI files may take the cake. When are Republicans going to borrow one of the only successful pages from the Democratic playbook and make an organized and concerted effort (I know, “organized” and “concerted” are words not contained in the GOP playbook) to call attention to the very “radical” and “extreme” statements and methods of Harry Reid?

Michelle Malkin says:

The Senate Minority Leader has what we call in our house “diarrhea of the mouth.

The Captain says:

Worse than that, he has now floated a non-specific charge of malfeasance against Henry Saad against which Saad cannot defend. Saad himself cannot review his file, which contains anything anyone ever said about him to the FBI during his background check, regardless of whether it was true or not. Even those few Republicans who have defended judicial nominees against Reid’s normal smears of “extremism” cannot offer defenses based on the FBI file, because to do so would be to break the same security clearance regulations Reid did in making this statement.

Dirty Harry at Jackson’s Junction says:

It should be interesting to see how this plays in the media. Had a Republican done this the liberal media would be out trying to embarrass and discredit him. They would be asking for separate confirmation from other Republicans hoping it wouldn’t come. In other words: doing their job.

Will they do that to Reid? I’ll let you know when the monkeys start flying out of my butt.

Go read ’em all…

Does the Governor of Nevada (Kenny Guinn [R]) appoint a replacement senator?

Real ID (from Wired News)

The National Governors Association is threatening lawsuits to fight the legislation. And some states are threatening to ignore the legislation because they say it will cost up to $700 million for states to comply and will place a heavy burden on Department of Motor Vehicles workers.

A spokeswoman for the governors’ association did not return calls for comment. But Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Republican, told the Associated Press this week that “if more than half of the governors agree we’re not going down without a fight on this, Congress will have to consider changing” the rules.

The states are complaining that this is an “unfunded mandate” and it will cost too much and be too much work. What about all the unfunded mandates that the states impose on their citizenry? If I want to drive my vehicle, I must register it with the state at a cost (in Illinois, this year) of $78.00 ($98.00 if it’s late). The state does not give me any aid with this. I must fund the total cost myself. In my town, if I want to build a fence around my yard, I am mandated to purchase a building permit prior to construction of the fence. I do not get any help with that either. I am also mandated to maintain my yard. I must pay for the lawnmower to keep the yard down to a certain level. If I do not, the town will send out a crew and bill me for cutting the lawn. No help there either. There are probably many more examples of “unfunded mandates” imposed on the citizenry out there. Glass houses.

From the Chicago Tribune:

Bond was denied today for a 34-year-old Zion man who allegedly admitted he punched his daughter because she refused to come home with him, punched her friend who came to her aid then repeatedly stabbed the children, killing them.
…
“Laura had 20 stab wounds. She was stabbed in the neck, she was stabbed in the abdomen, she was stabbed once in each eye,” Pavletic said.

One thrust went so deep into Laura’s neck, the knife struck the child’s spine, he said.

“Krystal had also been stabbed, 11 times,” the prosecutor said. “She had been stabbed in the neck and stabbed in the abdomen as well.”

In a statement to investigators, Hobbs allegedly admitted being angry that Laura’s mother was supposedly letting the child off easily for having taken a small amount of money from her last week. He said he went looking for her between 4:30 and 7 p.m. Sunday and found the child and her friend in a wooded area north of Beulah Park in north suburban Zion, Pavletic said.

Hobbs ordered his daughter to come home with him, the prosecutor said. When Laura refused, he allegedly punched her at least twice, knocking her down. When Krystal came to her friend’s aid, Hobbs allegedly punched her, too.

The defendant told investigators Krystal pulled what the suspect called a “potato knife”—believed to be Texas slang for a small knife with a blade 4- to 6-inches long, Pavletic said.

Hobbs allegedly said he grabbed the knife, killed the youngsters and dragged their bodies to a wooded area of Beulah Park. Their bodies later were found, faces beaten and bloodied, lying side by side with their shoes neatly placed next to them. Hobbs then went home, got alcohol and tried to clean himself off, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors were skeptical a young girl would have been carrying a weapon or that either child posed a physical threat to Hobbs.

“This guy is approximately 6 feet 1, and you’re talking about 8- or 9-year-old girls,” Lake County State’s Atty. Michael Waller said.
…
Under questioning, the man eventually admitted killing the children, giving investigators an oral confession and a videotaped and written statement, prosecutors said.

Related:
Best Friends Forever
Best Friends Forever – Mr Hobbs Charged?
Father is being charged in deaths of best friends
Hobbs Confesses to Killing Best Friends

Jerry Branton Hobbs is being charged in the deaths of his daughter and her best friend. The Lake County States’ Attorney Michael Waller will be able to give more details tomorrow after the bond hearing at 10 am CDT in the Lake County Courthouse, courtroom 120. They will introduce evidence at the hearing and can then reveal that evidence to the press.

The States’ Attorney said:

This horrific crime has terrorized and traumatized the Zion community and, I think it’s safe to say, people of good will everywhere. The arrest today is the first step in the process of bringing this defendant to justice. As you may be aware, this defendant is eligible for the death penalty. I’ve been the States’ Attorney in Lake County for 15 years and I have a protocol that I follow. I’ve found that its not a good practice to make such a decision in the heat of the moment and we will make that decision after the investigation into this case is completed and after we do a thorough background investigation into this defendant. And its important for me to make the point that this investigation is continuing. The reason we’re holding this press conference today is obviously because of the great interest and the need to keep the public informed, but also to try to bring some sense of relief to the people of Zion that this defendant is in custody.

Related:
Best Friends Forever
Best Friends Forever – Mr Hobbs Charged?
Father is being charged in deaths of best friends
Hobbs Confesses to Killing Best Friends

The ACLU has a little “movie” about how just awful Real ID will be. Why, your local Pizza Place will know every little thing about you….

Video here.