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August 14, 2009
Guests: Michael Duffy, John Culberson, Steve McMahon, Mickey Kaus, Jeanne
Cummings, Anne Kornblut
LAWRENCE O'DONNELL, GUEST HOST: Going west to save health care reform.
Let's play HARDBALL.
Good evening. I'm Lawrence O'Donnell in New York, in for Chris Matthews. Leading off tonight: On the road again. With polls showing support for health care reform slipping, President Obama hit the road again, this time in Belgrade, Montana. The crowd was much friendlier than those rowdy town halls we've seen for members of Congress, but the president finally did get a couple of questions that were not complete softballs. Chuck Todd joins us in a moment from Montana.
Plus: You know those end-of-life counseling provisions in the health care bills which Republicans like Sarah Palin have distorted into "death panels"? Well, it turns out that Republicans like Sarah Palin were actually for end-of-life counseling before they were against it. That's just one of the inconsistencies we'll discuss with an opponent of reform. Republican congressman John Culberson of Texas joins us in a moment.
Also, how far has he fallen? There's a report that John Edwards is
about to finally admit that he is, indeed, the father of his mistress's
child. So where would we be if Edwards had not been so decisively rejected
by wise Democratic primary voters last year?
Plus, Bill Clinton has some tough words for the netroots crowd on "Don't ask, don't tell." That's in the "Politics Fix."
And what does it mean to be "Palinized"? Just ask someone who says it could easily happen to her, Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann. The definition coming up in the HARDBALL "Sideshow."
But first, President Obama and his latest push for health care reform. NBC News chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd is traveling with the president and is joining us now from Montana.
Chuck, by my count, there were two questions that were not complete softballs in there today. How do these audiences for the president get selected? And how is that different from how the audiences show up at the town halls for the congressmen and senators we've been seeing?
CHUCK Todd, NBC CORRESPONDENT/POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well, look, there are a few more hoops you got to jump through to go to a presidential town hall, and considering security and all these things, you would assume there should be extra hoops. For this one, however, they did it a little bit differently. They actually handed tickets out in person out in Bozeman, two to a customer, essentially, until they ran out. So you know, it's more likely a supporter is going to, you know, want to get in line early, you know, be, like-being like an old-fashioned rock concert, where you might even sleep overnight, you know, to get your ticket, than an opponent, you know?
With these congressional town halls, as you know, Lawrence, it's a lot easier to get in because you don't really have to worry about registering in advance or getting a ticket in advance and all that. So that's why I think there's been some difficulty for the White House to, you know, make sure they're getting a wide array. But as you pointed out, he got two, I think, pretty tough questions that he had to deal with. And I can tell you in speaking already with the NRA member who asked a question, he was appreciative of the president's answer, but not yet satisfied.
O'DONNELL: All right. Let's listen to his question right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As you can see, I'm a proud NRA member. I believe in our Constitution, and it's a very important thing. I also get my news from the cable networks because I don't like the spin that comes from them other places.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You got to be careful about them cable networks, though.
OBAMA: But that's OK. Go on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Max Baucus, our senator, has been locked up in a dark room there for months now, trying to come up with some money to pay for these programs. And we keep getting the bull. That's all we get is bull. You can't tell us how you're going to pay for this. You're saving here, you're saving over there, you're going to take a little money here, you're going to take a little money there. But you have no money. The only way you're going to get that money is to raise our taxes. You said you wouldn't. Max Baucus says he doesn't want to put a bill out that will. But that's the only way you can do that.
OBAMA: Well, I'm happy to answer the question.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Thank you.
OBAMA: The-look, you are absolutely right that I can't cover another 46 million people for free.
O'DONNELL: Chuck, what was-you talked to the guy who asked that question. What was his dissatisfaction with the answer? Which, by the way, went on for quite a while after that.
TODD: It did. And what it is, it actually gets, I think, at the nut of what we're seeing in some of this polling with independents. Essentially, he doesn't necessarily believe that when government says they're going to save money on a program that there's really going to be money saved from a program.
And so, look, look at the history of government over the last 10, 12 years, and maybe you do understand why some people might think that. You know, they see a lot of hype about, oh, they claim they're going to save money over here, but then they see waste over there. So it's sort of a little bit of that disillusionment that some in the middle-and he was a McCain-for what it's worth, he told us he was a McCain voter, said he wasn't happy about it.
He drove 300 miles to come to this town hall. Again-he goes-he said-he goes, I think the president answered the question as best he could, and he believed the president was sincere in that he said he didn't want to raise taxes on the middle class. But I think where the disbelief comes from is this idea, Well, once government spends money, they never know how to save it after that. And I'll tell you, that cynicism, I think, has been one of the great challenges this administration has had to deal with starting, frankly, with the bank bail-outs, Lawrence.
O'DONNELL: Chuck, presidents don't go to Montana very often. How much was this performance by the president for an audience of one, Senator Max Baucus, chairman of the Finance Committee sitting up there on the stage? How much was this about President Obama showing him, See, I can even sell this in your home state?
TODD: Can I tell you, I lost count at five references to Max. It was always to, Max over here, you know, what Max is doing over here, what Max is trying to do. It was-it absolutely felt as if he was almost pitching Baucus a little bit, saying, Hey, look, don't you worry, I'm not going to sell you out.
You get me this bill-and yesterday-you know, one of the pieces of news-sometimes the White House makes news and they don't intend to. Yesterday at a press briefing, Robert Gibbs said, when he was asked point blank, What deal did you make with pharma? What is pharma getting? What are we going to see that pharma gets? And he said, Well, look, it's going to be incorporated in the Senate Finance Committee bill.
Well, what does that mean? It means that's the White House bill, Lawrence. None of these other bills are going to be the White House bill. What Max Baucus is writing is what the-and the White House knows every word that Max Baucus is writing. That's going to be the bill. That's what they're going to sell. And I think you're right, that's why he was out here, doing a little family vacation at the same time, but he's out here to send a message not just to Max Baucus but actually the other four committee chairs by saying, Look, Max is writing the bill.
O'DONNELL: You know, Chuck, there's an old joke in Washington, a very old joke in Washington that says the definition of a quorum is the president of the United States and the chairman of the Finance Committee. They together can get anything done. And having worked on the Finance Committee myself years ago, I've always been predicting that it comes down to this committee and really what Baucus can get done.
And so where do we go from here, Chuck? Where does-and I don't mean where does he literally go from here, but OK, you've done the Montana town hall. Now you've got the rest of this break to deal with here. What does the White House have planned?
TODD: Well, I think we've seen some incremental ideas of what's coming. They're setting themselves up to be able to support something that's a co-op for that whole idea of the public option, so that they'll say the co-op will accomplish what his original goal was for the public option.
I notice today the number went down on the cost of health care. These things don't happen by accident. He got down to $800 billion, $900 billion. Remember it was about a trillion, then it's gone to $900 billion. Now were down to about $800 billion, $900 billion. So I kind of think that they must know what the outlines are looking like.
And I'll tell you one other thing. The White House is extremely confident that they're going to pass something. I think they separate out the town hall madness right now. Yes, that's a political fight, but that's a political fight that they're going to have to fight, frankly, for the next three years because it's more than health care. The fight now is getting a bill passed, and I think they-I think they think they will get that done.
O'DONNELL: Thank you, Chuck Todd. It looks like you have to get on the plane, Chuck.
TODD: I guess so. All right, sir.
O'DONNELL: Thanks for joining us.
Joining me now in Washington, "Time" magazine bureau chief Michael Duffy. On this week's edition, there's a story of how Las Vegas is gambling on a big comeback. Michael Duffy, Barack Obama is gambling on Max Baucus's ability to get him a bill that he can sign. How does that look as of today?
MICHAEL DUFFY, "TIME": Well, you have to imagine, Lawrence, that at some point, the president and Senator Baucus did have a conversation about whether they do this in a bipartisan fashion here in the next 30 to 60 days, or whether at some point they have to do it just with Democrats. I suspect that conversation happened somewhere or is happening now, and that's a decision they don't have to make yet. I think everyone in that committee of two, which you just said was the most important, would like to do it with Republicans. It's not clear they'll be able to, and it looks like they're probably prepared to go it alone if they have to.
O'DONNELL: Well, Obama must have asked Max Baucus today, What do you make of these things Chuck Grassley has been saying in the town hall meetings? I think the most important thing Grassley said-you know, forget about the "death panels" reference, but what he said about having kept his finger in the dike, preventing legislation from going forward, and therefore, allowing these protests to go on now, is the most important thing he said. He didn't say he kept his finger in the dike in order to make the legislation better. What he wanted credit for from his Iowa voters was, I slowed this down long enough for you to do these protests that you're doing now. That really has to worry both Baucus and Obama, doesn't it?
DUFFY: He had a town hall today where he talked about, I'm going to vote against anything that is rationing. I'm going to vote against anything that is government-run. He had a whole list of things that he said to a town hall, I think in Winterset-I can't remember where it was today.
But you know, Baucus and Grassley are almost-have something very much in common, and you know this as a former Finance Committee guy, in that neither of their caucuses really wants them to be talking to the other party. Most of the Democrats in the Senate think Baucus is nuts to be trying to do a deal with the Republicans. I'm certain most of the Republicans think Grassley is kind of kooky to be still trying to cut a deal with the Democrats. So they're under huge pressure inside their own caucuses just to be doing this together.
O'DONNELL: And by the way, Michael, it's always been that way.
DUFFY: Yes. Exactly.
O'DONNELL: For the Democrat and the senior Republican on the Finance Committee, their caucuses are always worried about them.
Let's listen to more about what President Obama had to say today about the difficult history of trying to fix health care.
OBAMA: ... of health insurance reform. The special interests fight back with everything they've got. They use their influence. They run their ads. And their political allies try to scare the heck out of everybody. It happened in '93. It's happening now. It happened, by the way, when Lyndon Johnson tried to propose Medicare. It happened when John F. Kennedy tried to propose Medicare. We can't let them do it again.
O'DONNELL: Of course, Michael, Medicare ended up passing the Senate with almost half of the Republican votes in the Senate. There were 68 Democrats in the Senate at the time. So it was a very different situation than he faces now.
Do they-do they have some strategy for-in the White House now about how to prevent this phenomenon that we've seen in polling, which is the more the president goes out there and talks about the plan, the more unpopular the plan becomes? This, by the way, mirrors exactly what happened to Hillary Clinton in 1994.
DUFFY: Yes, it's one thing to actually go out and calm fears, which they tried to do this week. It's another thing to convince a growing number of people, a lot of whom are independents and who wanted to give Obama a chance, to get them over on the side of, I'm for this.
As other people have noted, I think the fear about health care reform is sort of a metaphor for fear about government spending, a fear about government takeovers, a fear about just the overall Democratic agenda. And what we didn't hear today from Obama was a real attempt to separate that out. Today was really just about health care. He didn't say, I'm going to deal with the deficits, I'm going to deal with that down the road. He didn't do that today.
I was a little surprised when he was asked that question about, Are you going to raise our taxes, that he didn't say, I am concerned about the deficits and I'm going to have to fix that at some point. We all are. But he didn't disconnect them that way. So that surprised me a little bit. Maybe we'll see that in Colorado, at the next town hall.
I think the range of questions, Lawrence, showed us just how much of a selling job they still have to do. These were intelligent questions. They were personal questions. And it's very difficult to get a good source of information on the answers. The only people who really know what's on that bill were on that stage.
O'DONNELL: Yes, that's a good point. Thank you, Michael Duffy.
Coming up: Why are conservatives and Republicans so adamantly opposed to the health care bill? We'll ask Texas congressman John Culberson.
And watch "Meet the Press" this Sunday. Moderator David Gregory will tackle the health care issue with former congressman Dick Armey, Senator Tom Coburn, former majority leader Tom Daschle, and the host of MSNBC's "Rachel Maddow Show." I'm going to let you figure out who that is.
You're watching HARDBALL, only on MSNBC.
O'DONNELL: Welcome back to HARDBALL. Joining me now, Republican congressman John Culberson of Texas. Congressman Culberson, let's listen to Katy Abram at Senator Specter's town hall meeting.
REP. JOHN CULBERSON ®, TEXAS: She's my hero.
O'DONNELL: Oh, good. That's why I want you to listen to her. We're going to roll the tape right now.
KATY ABRAM, ASKED QUESTION AT SPECTER'S TOWN HALL: I don't believe this is just about health care. It's not about TARP. It's not about left and right. This is about the systematic dismantling of this country. I'm only 35 years old. I have never been interested in politics. You have awakened sleeping giants. We are tired of this. This is why everybody in this room is so ticked off! I don't want this country turning into Russia, turning into a socialized country! My question for you is...
ABRAM: What are you going to do to restore this country back to what our founders created according to the Constitution?
O'DONNELL: Congressman, I-you-you choose your heroes well.
I have to tell you, I had her on this show the other day, after she did that. And, you know, she doesn't do this kind of TV every day, like-like you do. And I asked her exactly how would she want Senator Specter to answer that question? What would she want him to do to restore the country back to where she wanted it to be.
What would be on your checklist for-let me give you her question that she said to Specter. "What are you going to do to restore the country back to what our founders created, according to the Constitution?"
What are the things in the government now, Congressman Culberson, that you would eliminate in order to do what Katy wants?
REP. JOHN CULBERSON ®, TEXAS: I have drafted legislation, Lawrence, which I will file when Congress reconvenes, which will make all federal grant programs optional, that the state legislatures would have to pass a law on a record vote and approve every single federal dollar with every string.
CULBERSON: Now, that's important...
O'DONNELL: Grant programs-grant programs are nickels and dimes.
CULBERSON: No, no, no, this is-Lawrence.
O'DONNELL: Let's get to the entitlements. Let's get to the single biggest thing in the federal budget. What would you do about Social Security?
CULBERSON: Now, Lawrence...
O'DONNELL: I assume you would repeal it, because that is socialism, isn't it?
CULBERSON: Lawrence, let me tell you, Katy's question...
O'DONNELL: Would you-hey, Congressman...
CULBERSON: No, no, no, I'm answering your question.
O'DONNELL: No, the question is, would you repeal Social Security?
CULBERSON: No, Lawrence, I'm answering your question, because Katy is asking what would we do in Congress to restore the Constitution?
O'DONNELL: OK. Grants. What else?
CULBERSON: Her question is-there are $600 billion worth a year of grant program money going out the door every year, Lawrence. That's big money that the states accept...
O'DONNELL: It's nickels and dimes.
CULBERSON: No.
O'DONNELL: Hey, it's nickels and dimes compared to Social Security.
CULBERSON: Let me tell you, $600 billion a year is real money.
You're being argumentative, Lawrence.
O'DONNELL: It's nothing compared to Social Security.
CULBERSON: No, Lawrence, let me tell you, what you should...
O'DONNELL: Tell me what you would do about Social Security. It is socialism. It was imported from Germany. It was Bismarck's invention.
CULBERSON: Lawrence...
O'DONNELL: FDR took it on. It is pure socialism. You must want to repeal it, don't you?
CULBERSON: Lawrence, the way the federal government has-has taken over...
O'DONNELL: All right, you're not going to answer that.
CULBERSON: No, sir, I'm answering your-if you want-if you want an answer...
O'DONNELL: Do you want to repeal Medicare?
CULBERSON: Lawrence, if you want an answer...
O'DONNELL: Do you want to repeal Medicare? It's a single-payer socialized system.
CULBERSON: Of course, no one...
O'DONNELL: Do you want to repeal it?
CULBERSON: No one in Congress has suggested repealing either Social Security or Medicare.
O'DONNELL: So, none of you want to go back to where the founding father were, do you?
CULBERSON: You're not-you're not...
O'DONNELL: None of you do.
CULBERSON: Lawrence, of course I do. Lawrence, I'm a Jeffersonian Republican.
O'DONNELL: Didn't-did Jefferson anticipate Medicare, or is that a socialistic invention of the 20th century?
CULBERSON: Lawrence, you know, I-I guess you don't want me to answer the question.
I'm a Jeffersonian and a Texan.
O'DONNELL: How can you live with Medicare?
CULBERSON: And I am answering your question.
O'DONNELL: How can you accept Medicare?
CULBERSON: Lawrence...
O'DONNELL: Is Medicare socialism?
CULBERSON: You know, I'm not sure you want me to answer the question, Lawrence.
O'DONNELL: Is Medicare socialism?
CULBERSON: Of course, no is suggesting that anyone would-no one wants to either repeal...
O'DONNELL: Is Medicare socialism? Can you say yes or no? Is Medicare socialism?
CULBERSON: Of course not. Medicare is a program that's been in place...
O'DONNELL: It's not socialism?
CULBERSON: ... for many, many years.
O'DONNELL: Tell me why-oh, because it's old it's not socialism, because it was done in the '60s?
CULBERSON: You know, Lawrence, you're...
O'DONNELL: Tell what is not socialism about Medicare.
CULBERSON: I think, Lawrence, you illustrate-you know, for your listeners, you're illustrating why MSNBC's viewership is in the tank, because you don't allow your people you're interviewing to answer questions.
O'DONNELL: Is single-payer health care socialism?
CULBERSON: And, you know, Lawrence, this is why Katy and everybody else is going to Facebook. Everyone is going to the Internet, because why listen to MSNBC, when you won't even let the people you're interviewing answer the question?
I'm a very serious Jeffersonian.
O'DONNELL: I don't want you to spin your time away. I want you to get serious, OK?
CULBERSON: I am serious, Lawrence. You haven't-you're not serious. You're trying to change the subject, my friend.
O'DONNELL: What-if Medicare is not socialism-if Medicare is not socialism, why don't we delete the over-65 part of Medicare and make it available to everyone? What's your argument against that?
CULBERSON: Lawrence, no one has ever suggested repealing Medicare or Social Security.
O'DONNELL: Why not? They're both socialistic programs.
CULBERSON: Because we have to-every-if we're going to restore the country to the constitutional framework the founders gave us, Lawrence, you have got to start with the federal grant programs that are-sent $600 billion a year that are sent out the door every year to the states. And once the states accept that money, Lawrence, then the federal government has got its tentacles and its hooks in the states.
O'DONNELL: So, if you were there-if you were there in 1935, you would have voted for Social Security, right?
CULBERSON: Of course. In 1935, it was designed...
O'DONNELL: You would have? Republicans hated it.
CULBERSON: It was designed as a safe...
O'DONNELL: Didn't anyone tell you that?
CULBERSON: Lawrence, excuse me. Wait a minute.
CULBERSON: Am I going to be able to give an answer here or not?
O'DONNELL: Would you have voted for Medicare in 1965?
CULBERSON: Do you wonder why nobody listens to MSNBC? May I answer the question?
O'DONNELL: They don't want to hear your endless spinning. Would you have voted for or against Medicare?
CULBERSON: No, sir, it is not spinning.
I'm-in 193...
O'DONNELL: Would you have voted for or against Medicare?
CULBERSON: In 1935, Social Security was set up as a safety net, Lawrence, for-as a last resort.
O'DONNELL: It still is. It still is.
CULBERSON: And, therefore, of course it was there for people who-my father, who grew up in the Depression, told me, my dad told me, without those safety nets, John, people just died.
O'DONNELL: That's right.
CULBERSON: And that's unacceptable. And that was a safety net.
O'DONNELL: Enacted by Democratic presidents, over the opposition of Republicans like you.
CULBERSON: I know, your heroes, Lawrence. And-Lawrence, your heroes. I know that.
O'DONNELL: Was FDR...
CULBERSON: And there are safety nets.
O'DONNELL: Are you saying FDR was wrong to enact Social Security, or you're saying he was right?
CULBERSON: I just told you, Lawrence, if I were here in 1935, the very limited scope of Social Security, as it was designed, as a safety net of last resort, of course I would have supported that.
O'DONNELL: How would you have voted in 1965 on Medicare?
CULBERSON: In 1965 -- I voted against, in fact-Lawrence, I wasn't here in 1965, but I did vote against the Medicare prescription drug bill.
O'DONNELL: Congratulations.
CULBERSON: I voted against both farm bills. I voted against...
O'DONNELL: Would you have voted against the invention of Medicare in '65 by Lyndon Johnson...
CULBERSON: You know, Lawrence...
O'DONNELL: ... a Democratic, liberal president.
CULBERSON: ... I'm not sure why you had me on today, if you're going to do the whole show. I am giving you a very serious answer to Katy's very serious question. What will we do...
O'DONNELL: You can just go yes or no and move on.
If you answer whether you had voted-just give me a yes or no or whether you would have voted for Medicare, and then you can talk for the rest of the segment.
CULBERSON: OK. Yes. In 1965, Medicare, if it was designed-and I don't know how it was originally set out in '65, but I can tell you, Social Security was a last resort in 1935.
COOPER: Did we get a yes on Medicare somewhere in there? Was there a yes?
CULBERSON: Because Medicare-Medicare is a very successful, but wasteful, program that wastes a lot of money that we need to focus on...
O'DONNELL: Is there a yes in there? You would have voted for it? Is that what you're saying?
CULBERSON: Medicare, in 1965, Lawrence, yes, I probably would have voted for it.
O'DONNELL: OK. Go ahead. Spin away.
CULBERSON: Now-thank you very much.
We have a crisis of cost today, Lawrence, in the cost of health insurance. This-this government, the new Congress, the new president, has taken advantage of an economic crisis to, as-as the chief of staff of the president has said, to do as much as they can to take-not let a good crisis go to waste.
And they're attempting to exercise full government control over the entire health care system. And that's what Katy and the rest of us are objecting to. We know there's a crisis in cost, Lawrence. And we, on the fiscal conservative side, simply want the focus on the crisis in cost, eliminating the one-eliminating waste...
O'DONNELL: Congressman Culberson, you know-let's go to the crisis in cost.
CULBERSON: Yes, let's talk about that.
O'DONNELL: Now, you know that Medicare is a completely government-run health care system.
CULBERSON: Right.
O'DONNELL: And, yet, you're saying you would have voted for it.
CULBERSON: And we today need to focus on eliminating the fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicare, Lawrence. And that's...
O'DONNELL: OK. Let's do that.
CULBERSON: Why don't we focus $1 in $3 spent durable medical devices under Medicare and Medicaid are wasted or fraudulent. These Scooters that you see advertised, a lot of that is unnecessary and pushed on people in ways that are fraudulent.
There's a new scheme in Harris County to set up ambulance services to charge $500 to Medicare to drive people to the doctor. Focus first, Lawrence, on eliminating the waste, fraud, and abuse.
O'DONNELL: All right. We agree on-let's-we agree on that.
CULBERSON: Focus, then, on-we agree on that.
O'DONNELL: We want to get rid of the waste, fraud, and abuse, all of it in government, wherever it exists.
Let me just get this straight. You would have voted in 1965 for a single-payer, government-run, totally government-controlled health care system for people 65 and over? You said you would have voted for that?
CULBERSON: I'm not-I'm not completely familiar with the way Medicare was structured in '65.
O'DONNELL: Oh, really?
CULBERSON: But I do know how Social Security was set up. I can tell you, '35 -- 1935, Lawrence, I know Social Security was a safety net.
O'DONNELL: Really? You know what happened in '35, but not '65?
CULBERSON: I'm more familiar with the way it was set up originally in '65, as a last resort.
O'DONNELL: But you're sure you would have voted for Medicare, even though you don't know what was in it in 1965.
CULBERSON: You know, Lawrence, we are in 2009 at a time of record debt and deficit. And you won't even permit the people you interview, who are-I'm-listen, I'm here in good faith and earnestness to offer and talk to you and your listeners about the fiscal conservatives in Congress who are working hard to lay out alternatives to control costs...
O'DONNELL: Congressman, here is my problem. Here is my problem.
CULBERSON: ... to stop fraud, and to protect the patient-doctor relationship.
O'DONNELL: You-you-Congressman, you lie to America about the evil...
CULBERSON: Excuse me? What?
O'DONNELL: ... of-of government health care, because you people, not one...
CULBERSON: Lawrence, you don't know who I am. You don't know...
O'DONNELL: Not one of you liars about government health care is willing to repeal Medicare, to stand up and be consistent and say, I hate government-run health care, so I want to repeal Medicare.
Instead, you go out and lie to Medicare recipients that you're on their side, and then you tell everyone else government-run health care is evil.
CULBERSON: Lawrence, I would suggest you don't-you don't-
Lawrence, you don't know the first...
O'DONNELL: And that, sir, is an evil lie that you guys perpetrate every day.
CULBERSON: Lawrence, do you wonder why nobody watches MSNBC?
O'DONNELL: And I don't want you wasting our airtime with that.
CULBERSON: This is unbelievable.
Lawrence, do you wonder why nobody watches MSNBC? You argue with me.
O'DONNELL: We have got a couple of people watching us.
CULBERSON: You argue with me. You don't know who I am. You call me a liar on national television.
O'DONNELL: Yes.
CULBERSON: It's objectionable. It's offensive.
O'DONNELL: You lie about government-run health care.
CULBERSON: I have never-you know what, Lawrence? You have never interviewed me, buddy.
O'DONNELL: On one hand, you say it's OK for people over 65, and...
CULBERSON: You don't know who I am, Lawrence.
O'DONNELL: ... then you lie and pretend it's an evil for other people.
CULBERSON: Lawrence, I can tell you that my constituents are very happy with me. I just had a town hall meeting last week. It was a great success.
It was very uplifting and energizing, because we're on the same page, Lawrence. We don't want the government or anybody else between me and my doctor. My constituents and I agree that we have the greatest health care system in the world. And I'm going to fight to my last breath to protect M.D. Anderson, the Texas Medical Center, to protect my constituents' right to make the decisions about their health care with their doctor, without interference from this government or this Congress or this president.
And we want to control costs, absolutely. We want to make health care affordable and available to small businesses, sole proprietors, individuals.
But you do that, Lawrence, by using commonsense, fiscally conservative approaches that are just, you know, frankly common sense. And you protect the patient-doctor relationship.
And that's something that my constituents and I agree on, Lawrence. I have never-and, you know, you and I have never even talked before. It's stunning to me that you would, you know, call me a liar on national television, when you don't even know who I am. You have never talked to me before.
And I'm glad you're finally giving me a chance to talk here, Lawrence, because town hall meetings in District 7 are uplifting and positive, because I represent my district...
O'DONNELL: Congressman-Congressman, I'm sorry. We have got to go.
CULBERSON: ... with honor and integrity.
O'DONNELL: We have got to go. Go look up that 1965 Medicare statute.
It might surprise you. It is a socialistic program.
Thank you, Congressman Culberson.
Up next: Newt Gingrich has a six-point plan for success for ex-Alaska Governor Sarah Palin-details next on the "Sideshow." You're watching HARDBALL, only on MSNBC.
O'DONNELL: Back to HARDBALL. Time for the "Sideshow."
First up: Michele Bachmann is back in action. The Minnesota
congresswoman continues to raise the bar for bizarre behavior. This week,
she put out a fund-raising e-mail with the subject line, "Don't Let Them
Palinize," attaching the Urban Dictionary definition of Palinize-quote -
"to smear or mock someone using falsehoods, baseless accusations, or unsubstantiated character assassinations."
So, why would she be Palinized? According to Bachmann, "With Governor Palin taking a well-deserved step out of the spotlight, it appears that I may be absorbing even more of the liberal scorn."
Don't worry, Congresswoman. I am betting, as everyone else is, that Sarah Palin won't stay out of the spotlight much longer.
Speaking of which, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has some unsolicited advice for the ex-governor of Alaska. He gave Politico.com his six-point plan for a 2012 Palin comeback. She's already got the first one down, writing a book. Next, land a regular commentator slot on television. He also says Palin should get a condo in New York or Washington and master three types of speeches, what Newt calls the money-making speech, the brand-making policy speech, and, of course, the campaign stump speech.
Palin should create some sort of national project or center or something like that, and Newt would have her working really, really hard on this plan now.
But-but, Sarah, be careful of Newt's advice, because, you know, he wants to be the next president of United States, too.
Up next: The John Edwards' scandal continues to provide drama. Did he use campaign funds to buy the silence of his former mistress?
You're watching HARDBALL, only on MSNBC.
JULIA BOORSTIN, CNBC CORRESPONDENT: I'm Julia Boorstin with your CNBC "Market Wrap."
A disappointing report on consumers' mood dragged markets lower, snapping a four-week winning streak. The Dow Jones industrials are down 76 points for the day and 50 points for the week. The S&P 500 lost eight points, and the Nasdaq fell almost 24 points, to finish the week back below 2000.
U.S. consumer confidence fell more than expected in early August. Consumers are increasingly worried about their own personal financial situations. Their outlook on the overall economy is more upbeat.
Shares in J.C. Penney skidded after the retailer posted a smaller-than-expected net loss, but a gloomy outlook for the rest of the year.
Nordstrom shares also fell. The high-end department store hits its earnings target, but reported same-store sales falling more than 12 percent.
And Boeing shares took a big hit today on reports of supply-side problems with their new 787 Dreamliner.
That's it from CNBC, first in business worldwide-now back to
O'DONNELL: Welcome back to HARDBALL.
One year ago, John Edwards admitted to ABC News that he had had an affair with Rielle Hunter, but denied that he was the father of her baby. Edwards said: "It's not possible that this child could be mine because of the timing of events, happy to take a paternity test, and would love to see it happen."
Today, WRAL in Raleigh reports that sources have told them that they expect Edwards to finally admit that he is the father of his former mistress' 18-month-old daughter.
What a difference a year makes.
With us now, Slate's Mickey Kaus, and Democratic campaign strategist Steve McMahon.
Steve McMahon, Democratic Party voters showed their wisdom, I thought, when they had their chance in the primaries, keeping Edwards nowhere close to the top. I have got to say, through almost all of his career, I thought he was the emptiest of the empty suits on the Democratic side of the aisle. And your party has got to be pretty lucky that he didn't get anywhere last year.
STEVE MCMAHON, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, I'll tell you what.
You're absolutely right.
I can only imagine what would have happened. You know, he wasn't very
far off in Iowa. He finished third in Iowa. And right up until the very
end, there were a lot of people who thought John Edwards was right in it
and might be the winner in Iowa. And, had he been the winner, it would
have been obviously a different story probably for him, and probably for
the country, because I can't imagine that this affair and that-and that
that these-these circumstances that we're talking about tonight would have gone undiscovered by the Republican attack machine.
It's a very good thing he got out when he did.
O'DONNELL: Mickey Kaus, this, for me-and I know for you-is as much a story of the failure of the press as it is a story of the failure of John Edwards.
This-this guy was given an incredible pass, even after the story originally broke. What was that about? Was there some Elizabeth Edwards shielding-sympathy shielding going on with the press?
MICKEY KAUS, COLUMNIST, SLATE.COM: Well, totally. First, there was the standard liberal bias that we always argue about.
And the second, nobody wanted to punish this woman who-who they actually liked and in many cases actually knew any more by delivering the bad news of her husband's infidelity. So, there was a whole protect Elizabeth sort of movement, which she, of course, stoked to protect her husband.
It was a pretty shameful performance on the part of the press.
O'DONNELL: And it seemed to me to be a pretty obvious story. I had my own insight into it, because I actually know Rielle Hunter. I haven't talked to her in decades, but I met her a long time ago and knew her for a while. And I have friends who are very close to her, who were reporting early on that there's no doubt about this. None of her friends had any doubt about who the father of that child was. And she wasn't promoting any doubt among her friends about who the father of that child was.
And, Mickey, it didn't seem to me, knowing what I knew-it didn't seem to me that it would be very hard for the press if they wanted to spend, oh, you know, a day and a half on this, to penetrate the wall.
KAUS: No. It was the worst kept secret on the Eastern seaboard. I'm not a great reporter. If I found out about it, how hard would it have been for somebody else to find out about it? Keep in mind, this is even in his confession speech, last year before the Democratic Convention-he told a whole second edifice of lies about how it was only a short affair in 2006, when in fact it had lasted into 2007, which is how he could be the father of this child.
And, to me, the interesting question is how in on it was Elizabeth?
O'DONNELL: Steve McMahon, for Democrats, for politicians generally, the rule established by the Clintons, as far as I can tell, is adultery is OK as long as your wife says it's OK. Meaning, if your wife is willing to go up on their on the stage and say, in effect, as Hillary said, it's OK with me. Let's all move beyond this.
But this involved something else. This involved a child. And this involved a politician denying his child. And beyond that, it involved him, in effect, apparently, lying to his own children that they have a sibling out there that he is pretending does not exist. I mean, this is an issue that goes far beyond adultery, isn't it?
MCMAHON: Oh, absolutely. I mean, the real question here is, is it arrogance or is it stupidity that is sort of taking the lead here, because it's clearly both. But one of them is trumping the other. I think the question of whether or not, and under what circumstances a reporter would reveal this is an interesting one, because, as you know, Lawrence, in the law, there's a presumption that the-that a husband and wife, that the child of that husband and wife is the child of that union.
And when you have a Rielle-and I can't remember the gentleman's name who said he was the father-it would be interesting to know whether or not the same presumption exists. I think you're right, the press could have pierced this very easily, if they could have gotten a source. But obviously nobody got a source on the record who was willing to say it, or I'm sure it would have been written.
O'DONNELL: Well, "The Enquirer" did, and people just weren't taking "The Enquirer" to be reporting facts. Mickey, Edwards did get one of his campaign operatives to say, I am the father of the child. That campaign operative was married and had children of his own at the time. It was an idiotic story from minute one. It was-there was nothing acceptable about it on its face. How would this have been treated if this was a Republican candidate for president, trying to get away with this?
KAUS: Well, I think it would have been excoriated-the Republican would have been excoriated, especially if he was a guy like Governor Sanford, who seemed moralistic and Christian. He would have been raked over the coals. But the story was so idiotic, Lawrence, that some reporters, including some from this very network, told me, it's so idiotic, it has to be true. Nobody would fess up to fathering the child unless it was true, because their kids are going to be made fun of at school. No aide would do that for their boss.
O'DONNELL: All right, thank you Mickey Kaus and Steve McMahon.
Mickey Kaus and i are not surprised by this news today at all.
Up next, Bill Clinton tries to rally support for President Obama's health care reform, after failing at his own reform efforts more than a decade ago. The politics fix is next. This is HARDBALL, only on MSNBC.
O'DONNELL: We are back. Time now for the politics fix, with Jeanne Cummings of "Politico" and the "Washington Post's" Anne Kornblut.
Let's listen to what Bill Clinton had to say stumping for Obama's health care reform.
BILL CLINTON, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm telling you, I don't care how low they drive support for this, with misinformation, the minute the president signs a health care reform bill, approval will go up, because Americans are inherently optimistic.
Secondly, within a year-within a year, when all those bad things they say are going to happen don't happen, and the good things do begin to happen, approval will explode.
O'DONNELL: Anne, should the Obama White House be taking advice from the biggest failure in the history of the health care reform crusades of the past?
ANNE KORNBLUT, "THE WASHINGTON POST": Well, I mean, in a sense, they already are taking the advice by trying to do the opposite of what the Clintons did. They left it to the Congress to come up with their own plan. They've obviously moved very quickly on it, and said anyway that they're going to conduct it much more openly and transparently than the Clintons did. So, in some senses, they are sort of doing the opposite.
You know, I think former President Clinton is trying to be a good team player in all of this. And what else is he going to say? But it does lead the question, if he does not pass health care reform, is Obama's popularity going to drop? So he may be setting the bar there for the president's success or failure.
O'DONNELL: Jeanne Cummings, Bill Clinton did not pass health care reform, got completely wiped out. And the voters didn't mind that at all when it came for his re-election. What it seemed happened in the Congress was that the Congress actually ended up scaring the public enough about what they were intending to do with health care reform that they rejected the Democrats in the midterm election, and brought in the Republicans to a new majority in both Houses.
But the president himself escaped any negative verdict by trying to push health care and failing. Is that possible with Barack Obama?
JEANNE CUMMINGS, "POLITICO": Well, it's possible he ends up with a great, big government shutdown in between the two events. One of the big reasons Clinton that survived is because the national debate moved on, and the Republican Congress suddenly became as scary as the health care reform debate.
So, you know, given some big, seismic change in between, President Obama may indeed get re-elected and not pay a price. However, you know, as much as president Clinton did not succeed with health care reform, he is instinctively still one of our smartest politicians. And I'm not sure the poll numbers would go up because people are optimistic, but they may well go up because there are probably some Democrats and independents now who are very frustrated that nothing is moving in Washington.
When they see action, those poll numbers could turn around. And he's right, I do think, if time goes by and horrible thing don't happen, the independents will come around as well. I do also think that if Obama fails, that this will be a turning point for him. because in all likelihood, cap and trade and the energy bill will be next in line, and it could set off a really hard downhill slide for his administration.
O'DONNELL: Go ahead, Anne.
KORNBLUT: I would add to that, I think Jeanne's exactly right and I think the administration knows it. This is the high-stakes game. That's why they're treating it like that. That's why it's pretty much the only number one thing on an agenda that was previously packed with many things. This is now it. This is their sole focus. I think they recognize they've gotten away with really no major foreign policy crises or any other unexpected crises. That's not going to last forever. I think they know this has to work or that it's really going to-he will really suffer for it.
O'DONNELL: Anne, if there are a majority of voters when they get down to October, November, when they're trying to vote on a final passage of this thing, let's say-if there's a majority of voters who are opposed to what the Congress and President Obama are trying to do, and they then-and the Congress then passes it and Obama signs something that a majority of voters are opposed to, exactly how would Obama benefit with voters by signing something that they were opposed to?
KORNBLUT: Well, obviously he wouldn't. I think that would presume they have failed to define it in a way that voters would embrace. I mean, that's why the communications plan, what he's trying to do at these town halls, what he's trying to do, frankly, in recapturing the message that they've lost control of over the last few weeks, is so important.
Whatever they pass, whatever Congress ultimately winds up settling on, he's got to figure out how to convince people to support it, so that he does not wind up in that situation you just described.
O'DONNELL: We'll be back with Anne Kornblut and Jeanne Cummings for more of the politics fix. You're watching HARDBALL, only on MSNBC.
O'DONNELL: We're back with the "Washington Post's" Anne Kornblut and Jeanne Cummings of "Politico." Bill Clinton spoke at the Netroots Nation Conference in Pittsburgh last night, and pushed back at someone who shouted him down for his don't ask, don't tell policy. Let's take a look.
CLINTON: In order for them to join that debate, they have to abandon
CLINTON: You know, you ought to go to one of those Congressional health care meetings. You'd do really well there.
You want to talk about don't ask, don't tell? I'll tell you exactly what happened. You couldn't deliver me any support in the Congress. And they voted, by a veto-proof majority, in both Houses, against my attempts to let gays serve in the military.
And the media supported them. They raised all kinds of devilment. And all most of you did was to attack me, instead of getting me some support in the Congress. Now, that's the truth.
O'DONNELL: Anne Kornblut, a classic Bill Clinton version of history.
It wasn't my fault.
KORNBLUT: Yes, absolutely. You've got to feel for the guy. I mean, it's 15 years later, you know, two administrations later. And he's still talking about the first major disaster of his administration. You give him points for the crack about the town hall meetings. He's still got that. But, you know-he did have a point.
But it was interesting to see he's still got it. He's still got his spirit out there at these town hall meetings.
O'DONNELL: Jeanne Cummings, he really doesn't like dissent in those normally hand-picked audiences he talks to. You can see it wasn't just that he was going to take the position it wasn't my fault. He actually blames the questioner, points at the questioner and blames the questioner; it's your fault for not delivering me the Congress that I needed.
CUMMINGS: And that's really not the Bill Clinton that we've seen over the years. He looked very tired. He usually is pretty good at finessing around opposition, and then pivoting and working it to his advantage. But in this case, he came across simply as angry. The finger-pointing is very ineffective. And, you know, let's face it, that little guy in the audience, he couldn't build support for Congress.
Of course, he was talking about the community. But the truth is, we all know Bill Clinton also mishandled that at the time. And so it was very unusual to see that sort of response. But, you know, we've-in the last few years, we've seen that he still can have like a trigger of anger when people are critical of his administration.
O'DONNELL: Anne, if Bill Clinton was auditioning for a surrogate role in the Obama health care campaign, to go out there on the road and help him sell it, I would say he failed in that particular audition.
KORNBLUT: Yes, I don't think that's going to happen. I don't think it was going on happen in any event. I think they're going to leave him doing diplomacy and rescuing people in foreign countries.
O'DONNELL: Thank you, Anne Kornblut and Jeanne Cummings. Chris Matthews will be back Monday at 5:00 and 7:0 Eastern for more HARDBALL. Right now it's time for "THE ED SHOW" with Ed Schultz.
ED SCHULTZ, MSNBC ANCHOR: I'm Ed Schultz. This is "THE ED SHOW."
Good evening, Americans. Live from 30 Rock in New York, it's "THE ED SHOW" on MSNBC.
Tonight, the president's in Big Sky Country selling his health care plan. He was all hat and plenty of cattle. The governor of Montana will join me in just a moment.
Plus, the dumber than Joe the Plumber crazies are ratcheting up the madness. Congressman Adam Schiff, he drew a crowd of 3,000 people to this town hall. He'll join me to talk about it at the bottom of the hour, what he ran into.
The Newtser's got a six-point battle plan for Caribou Barbie. Newt, I got one for you too. It's number seven. Sarah, stop lying to people about how the death panel is going to be wiping out the senior citizen population in America.
Transcription Copyright 2009 CQ Transcriptions, LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No license is granted to the user of this material other than for research. User may not reproduce or redistribute the material except for user's personal or internal use and, in such case, only one copy may be printed, nor shall user use any material for commercial purposes or in any fashion that may infringe upon MSNBC and CQ Transcriptions, LLC's copyright or other proprietary rights or interests in the material. This is not a legal transcript for purposes of litigation.>
Watch Hardball each weeknight
at 5 & 7 p.m. ET
Transcription Copyright 2009 CQ Transcriptions, LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
No license is granted to the user of this material other than for research.
User may not reproduce or redistribute the material except for user's
personal or internal use and, in such case, only one copy may be printed,
nor shall user use any material for commercial purposes or in any fashion
that may infringe upon MSNBC and CQ Transcriptions, LLC's copyright or
other proprietary rights or interests in the material. This is not a legal
transcript for purposes of litigation.>
Watch Hardball each weeknight at 5 & 7 p.m. ET


text:
Additional responsibility now to oversee Mitchelltown revitalization
In addition to its variety of other duties, the members of the Kinston City Council have been tasked with redeveloping a large area of the city.
Council members recently voted unanimously to be designated as an �urban redevelopment commission� to oversee projects within the Urban Redevelopment Area, or URA.
�For now I�m recommending that council establish itself as the urban redevelopment commission in order to get more direct oversight,� Interim Planning Director Adam Short said during this week�s City Council meeting.
The URA is bordered by West Lenoir Avenue on the north, the Neuse River at the south, North Mitchell Street at the east and the Glen Raven Mills textile plant and former city power plant at the west.
Kinston�s historic Mitchelltown neighborhood takes up much of the targeted area.
�You want to try to preserve the uniqueness of the neighborhood and the houses that are there,� Councilman and Mayor pro tem Joe Tyson said Friday. �The council is going to try, in the process of revitalizing Mitchelltown, to maintain it�s uniqueness as we go forward.�
Tyson gathered with fellow Councilman Sammy C. Aiken � who is also a Mitchelltown resident � Short and Mitchelltown resident Kathie Harrington at Garner Funeral Home Friday, which is on the edge of Mitchelltown off West Peyton Avenue.
Harrington, who has lived in the neighborhood for about four years on Mitchell Street, encouraged city officials to continue to deal with crime in Mitchelltown.
�And I think that they seriously need to talk to these property owners, some of whose homes are falling down,� Harrington added. �They should either fix them or refurbish them before they fall down and become a hazard.�
A number of people have purchased houses in Mitchelltown in recent years to refurbish and beautify them, and they stand out among homes which have long been neglected. The neighborhood has also become known for crime.
While much of it is considered nuisance crime, two homicides took place within a few blocks of each other on West Lenoir in June of 2011.
Kinston resident Thomas Hinton was slain as he rode his bike home from work, and U.S. Marshal Warren �Sneak� Lewis was shot and killed a few days later as he and fellow law enforcement officers served warrants on the men and youths suspected of the Hinton homicide.
City leaders said the Kinston Department of Public Safety is working with Mitchelltown residents to keep the crime in check, though.
Aiken, who said he has been a victim of several burglaries, and Harrington recognized the efforts of Kinston business leader Stephen Hill, who has funded the revitalization of a handful of houses in the Urban Redevelopment Area.
�It's a good thing,� Aiken said. �We need to clone a couple of Mr. Hills and thank him for his philanthropy and get some more private citizens to invest.�
As an urban redevelopment commission, the City Council would have the final word on �development issues� such as large-scale development projects, financial matters, land acquisitions, accepting land donations and more, Short said.
Rose Clark, past president of the Mitchelltown Preservation Commission and current member of the Historic District Commission, said she though the concept was a �good thing,� as long as council members sought out �advice and direction from the stakeholders that have an interest in Mitchelltown, like the homeowners, private investors, the Historic District Commission members.�
David Anderson can be reached at 252-559-1077 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter at DavidFreePress.
Interim Planning Director Adam Short presented the following timeline for the City Council�s redevelopment efforts in the Urban Redevelopment Area:
Jan. 28: Planning Board qualifies URA based on survey of housing stock
Feb. 7: City Council adopts resolution to confirm Planning Board assessment of �blighted� areas and sets URA during public hearing
Feb. 8: Work begins on staff-developed Redevelopment Plan
Feb. 25: Planning Board reviews Draft Redevelopment Plan, followed by 45-day comment period
April 15: Council adopts redevelopment plan after public hearing
Source: Interim Planning Director Adam Short memorandum

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Iraqi wants civilian attorney at Guantánamo war court to navigate Afghanistan, Iraq
An Iraqi prisoner at Guantánamo who is accused of commanding al-Qaida's army after the Sept. 11 terror attacks wants a civilian lawyer to help him gather evidence in war-torn Iraq and Afghanistan as an act of pragmatism, the captive's U.S. Army lawyer said Monday.
An unofficial translation of Abd al Hadi al Iraqi's request for a civilian lawyer during a June 18 hearing left spectators puzzled about his meaning after the 53-year-old man sought, in Arabic, assistance of a civilian lawyer "because of what's going on between Afghanistan and Iraq, and because it's very destructive from your government."
So his attorneys clarified, after consulting with the captive, that the Arabic-English translation was garbled. Hadi was talking about the challenges to uniformed U.S. military counsel to work inside Iraq and Afghanistan in trial preparation in his request to the judge, Navy Capt. J. Kirk Waits, for a civilian lawyer to work on his case, too.
"In court, Mr. Hadi was trying to say that a civilian lawyer would receive less resistance in Iraq and Afghanistan than a member of the military would," his attorney, Army Lt. Col. Chris Callen said by email Monday. "Mr. Hadi is fine with the U.S. government paying the attorney's fees. The civilian attorney would be in addition to military counsel."
Hadi was formally accused of a series of non-capital war crimes in a 33-minute arraignment at the war court compound at the U.S. Navy Base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, that did not set the new pretrial hearing date amid uncertainty over his legal representation.
The charges include allegations that his troops killed or attacked foreign forces and civilians from eight nations in Afghanistan during the post-9/11 U.S.-coalition invasion and their targets included protected medical convoys.
Hadi gets his news from Russia Today broadcasts provided to his secret Camp 7 prison by the U.S. military, his lawyers say, and is aware of the surging violence in both countries. His wife and children live in his adopted homeland of Afghanistan; he's an Arab from Mosul, Iraq, with family there, too.
Callen, his long-time Pentagon-appointed defense counsel, is leaving service in September as is a long-serving paralegal on his team, Navy Chief Jennifer Bailey, an attorney in civilian life.
Under the rules for Guantánamo military commissions, only U.S. citizens who can get a security clearance can practice law at the war court. Because his is not a death-penalty trial, the Pentagon won't automatically hire him a civilian attorney. Guantánamo capital cases get a captive a "learned counsel," generally a Pentagon-paid civilian lawyer with extensive experience in death-penalty cases.


text:
MLB Weekly Report: Ben Sheets Wins First Game Since 2010
The All-Star break made for a short week around the big leagues. Here's what's happening in Major League Baseball:
Ben Sheets Gets a Win as Braves beat Mets 6-1
Former pitching ace Ben Sheets tossed six scoreless innings in his debut for the Braves on Sunday, as Atlanta beat the New York Mets, 6-1. Sheets, who last pitched in the major leagues with Oakland in 2010, was making his first major league start since having surgery to replace a ligament in his right arm. Sheets' performance helped Atlanta (49-39) sweep the Mets and extend its winning streak to seven games. If Sheets can regain the form that helped make him a four-time All-Star during his career with the Milwaukee Brewers from 2001 to 2008, the Braves could win the NL East.
Ryan Dempster Extends Scoreless Streak
Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster threw six scoreless innings on Saturday in the Cubs 4-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Dempster's performance extended his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 33. While the Cubs (36-52), who trail Cincinnati by 14 games in the NL Central, have little hope of making the post-season, Dempster has a legitimate chance via trade. In the final year of a four-year, $52 million contract, Dempster is among the most coveted starting pitchers as the July 31 deadline approaches. The Cubs should be able to get at least one solid prospect for the veteran starter.
Ozzie Guillen Asks Umpire To Check Pine Tar on Bryce Harper's Bat
The Washington Nationals (51-35) and Miami Marlins (42-46) may be on the verge of an NL East rivalry. Miami manager Ozzie Guillen asked home-plate umpire Tom Foster to check the bat of Nationals' rookie Bryce Harper for pine tar in the first inning of Sunday's 4-0 Washington victory. Later in the game, Guillen felt Harper gestured toward him after replacing his bat, so the Marlins' manager left the dugout. Guillen wouldn't comment further, but he said he intended to talk to Washington manager Davey Johnson about Harper's gesture.
Play of the Week: Quintin Berry, Detroit Tigers
Few teams have played better in July than the Detroit Tigers. In the clip below, left fielder Quintin Berry takes a home run away from Baltimore's Wilson Betemit in Detroit's 7-2 win over the Orioles on Friday
Upcoming Series to Watch: Chicago White Sox at Boston Red Sox
The AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox (49-39) visit Fenway Park for four games starting on Monday. While the Boston Red Sox (45-44) are still very much alive in the AL Wild Card chase, the big storyline of this series will be the return of longtime Red Sox' third baseman Kevin Youkilis, who was traded to the White Sox for Brent Lillibridge and Zach Stewart on June 24. Prior to the trade, Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine had criticized Youkilis in the press, much to the dismay of his teammates and the Boston fans.
Fantasy Player to Add: Alcides Escobar, Kansas City Royals
Though he's not a power threat, Kansas City's Alcides Escobar is hitting a solid .313 with 13 steals in 2012. The young shortstop has hit well in the second spot of the Royals' batting order and is turning into an offensive star.
Fantasy Player to Drop: J. J. Hardy, Baltimore Orioles
Though he broke out of a 3-for-44 slump with a game-tying, extra-inning home run against the Tigers on Saturday, Orioles' shortstop J.J. Hardy has had a sub-par 2012 after hitting 30 home runs in 2011 for Baltimore. With just 18 walks and 60 strikeouts in 367 at-bats this season, Hardy hasn't shown enough plate discipline to warrant keeping him active in hopes of a big second half.
MLB notes: Encarnacion Signs; Strasburg Nearing Innings Limit; Stars Return From Injury
The Toronto Blue Jays signed designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion to a three-year contract extension worth $29 million last week. Encarnacion homered twice on Saturday, his 24th and 25th of the year…The Washington Nationals are sticking to their plan of shutting down All-Star pitcher Stephen Strasburg once he reaches the 160-170 innings pitched mark this season. Two years removed from Tommy John surgery to replace a ligament in his right arm, Strasburg is 10-4 with a 2.66 earned run average …Several stars returned from injuries for their playoff-contending teams after the All-Star break: outfielders Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier were back in the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup over the weekend; first baseman Lance Berkman returned to the St. Louis Cardinals batting order after missing more than a month with a knee injury, and Baltimore Orioles' right fielder Nick Markakis made his way back from surgery to remove a broken hamate bone from his right wrist…Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Roy Halladay, who has been on the disabled list since May 28 with a lat strain, is expected to start against the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Tuesday.


text: Jimmye Laycock is the head football coach at the College of William & Mary. Laycock graduated from William & Mary in 1970 an dplayed football during his time there. He is the most successful head coach in the history of William & Mary football, leading the team to 20 winning seasons and 10 post-season appearances.


text:
Drake and Rihanna Party Together After the VMAs, Reignite Romance Rumors
Fire up those Rihanna and Drake dating rumors again!
The exes were spotted leaving an MTV Video Music Awards after-party within mere minutes of each other.
Suspicious timing, yes, but it could also be a complete coincidence. Lots of celebs attended the bash at the PhD club in NYC's Dream Downtown hotel directly following the VMAs on Sunday (Aug. 25).
BUT there's also word that the pair were seen together a couple of days earlier. Spies caught them dining with friends in another New York hotspot late Friday night (Aug. 23). The group of 10 reportedly enjoyed lobster and cocktails.
"They sat in a back room, the lights were dimmed, and there was sort of a barricade of tables blocking their group off," a source says. "Drake and Rihanna sat right across the table from one another. They were avoiding photos, and the security kindly asked some fans to leave, because they were trying to get too close."
But one restaurant goer says that it didn't look as if anything especially torrid was happening between the stars. "They looked like they were just having fun," the witness reports. "It didn't seem romantic or overly flirty."
RiRi and Drizzy had dated in 2010 and 2011; rumors of a rekindled romance reignited back in July, following Rihanna's split with Chris Brown.
It's funny, we said Rihanna looked "strangely disinterested" during Drake's VMAs performance ... maybe she was just impatient to hit the town with him?


text:
Tekno Black Light Bubbles
The light of the party
- Super cool bubbles that glow under black light
- Teach your wee geeks about UV light and fluorescence
- Throw an awesome party with blue or gold glowing bubbles
Black lights are magical, but we all know that most magical things can be explained by science. A black light has dark blue optical filtering in its glass which blocks most of the visible light from getting through. What's left are the long wave ultraviolet lights which cause certain substances to glow.
Tekno Bubbles contain special patented compounds with molecules that emit visible light after absorbing light from an ultraviolet source. When the ultraviolet photons enter fluorescent molecules, some of the light's energy causes the molecules to vibrate. When the light re-emerges, it has less energy and is now within the spectrum of visible light, which in turn causes Tekno Bubbles to glow in either blue or gold.
Product Specifications
- Recommended ages: 10 - adult
- Not intended for children under 6 years of age
- Super cool bubbles that glow under black light
- Used at amusement parks, haunted houses, parties, clubs, and by performance artists
- Turn off lights, turn on black light, blow glowing bubbles
- Teach your wee geeks about UV and fluorescence the fun way
- Throw an amazing party with Rock Band and glowing bubbles
- May cause temporary spots/stains on various materials both under UV and normal light
- Wash with clean warm water and soap then rinse and repeat if necessary if it gets on clothes
- Exposing to direct sunlight will degrade product
- Choose: 1 ounce bottle (fun size) or 32 ounce bottle (party size!)


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All accredited Nursing Institutions and their admitted Students are advised to visit the http://www.nmcnigeria.org or portal.nmcnigeria.org to complete applications for Indexing and Examination, as applicable.
Students are to complete these three (3) key steps for Indexing and Exam Applications:
Step 1: Visit the council site at portal.nmcnigeria.org to initiate the appropriate application
Step 2: Obtain online clearance to proceed for payment from your school clearance officer, then
Step 3: Proceed to make payment using available payment options on the portal
Important Notice:
- You are advised to scan copies of the required documents / credentials that are to be uploaded in the recommended file format i.e. .Jpeg, size and dimensions before you start your application.
- You are to proof read the entered information before you submit the application to your school officer for clearance.
- Please note that you will not be able to edit any wrongly spelt information on your application, especially after clearance and actual payment is confirmed on the portal.


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COMBO crop insurance products — which include Yield Protection (YP), Revenue Protection with harvest price exclusion (RPwExcl), and Revenue Protection (RP) plans — have earliest planting dates and final planting dates. This year, the Risk Management Agency (RMA) revised earliest planting dates. This post details earliest and final planting dates for corn and soybeans in Illinois. It also provides a description of the impacts of these dates on insurance coverage.
Earliest planting dates
Three regions exist for earliest planting dates in Illinois (see Figure 1). Earliest planting dates in southern Illinois counties are April 1 for corn and April 15 for soybeans. Earliest planting dates in central Illinois are April 5 for corn and April 20 for soybeans. Earliest planting dates in northern Illinois are April 10 for corn and April 24 for soybeans.
Acres planted before the earliest planting date are not eligible for replant payments if those acres need to be replanted. These acres will still receive full coverage for yield or revenue losses if good management practices are followed. For example, take RP with an 80% coverage level having a 170 bu. Trend-Adjusted Actual Production History (TA-APH) yield. With this year's $5.65 projected price, the minimum guarantee is $768 (170 bu. TA-APH yield x $5.65 projected price x .80 coverage level). The $768 per acre guarantee is in effect whether acres are planted before or after the earliest planting date.
As is the case with planting after the earliest planting date, good farming practices must be followed on acres planted before the earliest planting date. For acres planted before the earliest planting date, this may be a particular issue if the early planted acres result in a poor stand. If good farming practices dictate those acres should be replanted, those acres need to be replanted even though those acres will not receive replant payments.
In most cases, the replant payment for corn will be $45.20 per acre for corn and $38.61 per acre for soybeans. The $45.20 corn replant payment equals 8 bu. times the 2013 projected price of $5.65 per bu. The $38.61 soybean replant payment equals 3 bu. times the 2013 projected price of $12.87. The 8 bu. corn and 3 bu. soybean factor remain the same across years. Projected prices vary by year, resulting in varying replant payments across years.
The $45.20 corn and $38.61 soybean payments are maximum payments. If a farm has APH yield below 40 bu. for corn or 15 bu. for soybeans, the replant payment will be the APH yield time 20% times the projected price.
Are you ready for planting? Get a roundup of the latest planter equipment and planting tips in a gallery.
Before replanting, a farmer should discuss replant with the crop insurance agent, assuring that requirements are met to receive replant payments.
Final planting dates
Final planting dates for corn are June 5 for all counties except for seven counties in southern Illinois (see Figure 2). The southernmost counties have a final planting date of May 31. For soybeans, counties in the northern one-third of the state have a final planting date of June 15. The remaining counties have a final planting date of June 20.
Prevented planting payments can be taken if acres have not been planted by the final planting date due to weather problems. For a farmer to take a prevented planting payment, prevented planting must be prevalent on similar type of farmland within the area. The prevented planting payment is 60% of the final guarantee, unless the farmer opted for a higher percent level at crop insurance sign-up. As an example, take a corn RP policy with an 80% coverage level having a 150 APH yield. The projected price in 2013 is $5.65. This policy has a minimum guarantee of $678 per acre (150 bu. APH yield x $5.65 projected price x .80 coverage level). The prevented planting payment will be $407 ($678 x .60).
Farmers cannot plant another crop during the late planting period (25 days after the final planting date). After the late planting period, another insured crop can be planted, usually resulting in reductions in the prevented planting payment to 35% of the above calculated amount. In double-crop situations, obtaining the entire prevented planting payment may be possible.
Planting after the final planting date
Farmers can plant after the final planting date; however, the guarantee will be reduced by 1% per day after the final planting date up to 25 days after the final planting date. After 25 days, the guarantee will be 60% of the guarantee.
In the above example, a farmer had a minimum guarantee of $678. Assume this farmer is in a county with a final planting date of June 5. If corn is planted on or before June 5th, the minimum guarantee is $678 per acre. Planting corn on June 6 will result in a guarantee reduction of 1% or $671 per acre ($678 x .99). Planting on June 7th results in a 2% reduction, or $664 per acre ($678 x .98). After 25 days the guarantee is 60% of the original, or $407 ($678 x .60).
If prevented planting comes into play, alternatives should be discussed with a crop insurance agent. Prevented planting alternative can be complex, particularly where double-crop soybeans coverage is available.
By planting before the earliest planting date, acres are not eligible for replant payments. However, those acres still receive full coverage for losses due to reduced yields and/or revenues. Final planting dates impact the availability of prevented planting payments.
Like what you're reading? Subscribe to Farm Industry News Now e-newsletter to get the latest news and more straight to your inbox twice weekly.


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From: Belgium
Genre: Alternative/Alt. Rock, Melodic
Wingy is a 24 year old Belgian girl, who goes through daily life under the name of Mieke Vervloet. At a very young age she already discovered the joys of art. Which shaped her into the one she is now, outlining her whole future.
At an early age she started singing, and one of the most outstanding ones was when she performed 'Castle on a Cloud', of 'Les Miserables' at the opening of a theatre.
Now after having released her EP Bloodwings, and haven composed & recorded songs for a documentary, she contin…


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Address and Contact Details
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- Opening Times: Please check website
- 08714 714 714


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Friday, June 11, 2010
The most important meal of the day...
25 comments:
- iva said...
cool pics!
- June 11, 2010 at 12:18 PM
- Eda ♥ said...
Wow! You look amazing, like a mannequin <3
please follow:
Eda x
- June 11, 2010 at 12:21 PM
- Michelle Elaine said...
How late am I about noticing your chest tat? Late... haha! I'd love to see pics of all your tattoos and know the story behind each :)
- June 11, 2010 at 12:29 PM
- ronjaasvensson said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- June 11, 2010 at 12:45 PM
- ronjaasvensson said...
I totally agree with Michelle! It would be very fun if you wanted to tell us about your tattoos.
You got a great blog!
- June 11, 2010 at 12:47 PM
- leblogdemok said...
amazing outfit !!!!!! love evrything !
- June 11, 2010 at 12:58 PM
- stoneandcloth said...
ahaha kroger cereal!! kroger is the best - cheap but still good and comes with free laughs:) you look like you have so much fun, it's awesome
- June 11, 2010 at 1:35 PM
- Mikaela said...
You look awesome! Love the first shot!!
xx, mikaela
- June 11, 2010 at 1:40 PM
- Emmekay said...
love round sunnies too...
- June 11, 2010 at 1:51 PM
- Maggie said...
I collected Garbage Pail Kids as a child, and I saw the movie in the theater--I only remember that it was really bad.
- June 11, 2010 at 2:50 PM
- Insomnia said...
Crosses and fringes, it must be a match made in heaven!
- June 11, 2010 at 2:50 PM
- Gabriel Ahyoun said...
I love the atmosphere :)
Really colorfull.
- June 11, 2010 at 2:50 PM
- olgagyal said...
Ohh darling the new hair looks gorgeos
- June 11, 2010 at 3:27 PM
- Lady Moriarty said...
I loooove these boots and shades !
Just great !
see U !
- June 11, 2010 at 6:02 PM
- YOU-ME said...
I love ur style*****
- June 11, 2010 at 10:02 PM
- Jenae said...
The whole outfit is KILLER!! Once again..Your style is always on point!! Love your blog to death!! Your now definitely my style idol!
- June 11, 2010 at 11:38 PM
- Copious Couture said...
Great inspiration!!! Those colourful pics really help to make the corset look even more colourful!!! So awesome!!!
- June 12, 2010 at 10:48 AM
- Alice in vintageland said...
Hello Jessica! I think you're the coolest person alive. I've actually wrote an article about you on my blog: in English and Romanian (that's my native language as I live in Romania - Europe); I've also used lots of pictures to illustrate your awesome style (hope that's ok – I linked to your blog many times). By the way – you're both stylish and hilarious. I really appreciate your humor.
- June 13, 2010 at 1:01 AM
- Alice in vintageland said...
You crack me up, girl:))))). That's actually a great idea, I'm totally gonna wear a blouse covered in brooches and maybe take some pictures:), I might give her a heart attack. Thank you so much for the picture link, you're the shit (I'm telling you this with all the respect). I'm a huge fan -also in a non stalker-ish way:))))
- June 13, 2010 at 10:27 AM
- Alice in vintageland said...
The third comment (I promise I'm not a serial killer :))))) - I've just looked to your followers little gadget and I can already see that 4 of my Romanian friends became groupies of yours - so glad they can also see how awesome you are :)
- June 13, 2010 at 10:33 AM
- Shhhh said...
You are the coolest mum ever!
- June 14, 2010 at 2:59 AM
- wowowowzah said...
u r amazingbaaaaals! :D I love the way u have photographed yourself (well not YOU has taken the pictures but anyhow !), it's very unusual style in blogworld! I love blogs which are different !
have a good one !
- June 14, 2010 at 3:23 AM
- A. said...
I'm with Michelle Elaine. Could you entertain us with some stories of your tats, please? Also, I like how when I'm going to state what my favorite part of your outfit is, it ends up being a list of practically each piece, lol.
- June 15, 2010 at 3:01 PM
- The Jazzy Belle said...
I just found your blog today and I LOVE IT!!! I love that everything pretty much is thrifted. I think this is my favorite outfit that i've seen so far. I just love the floral bustier! YOu rock girl!! Keep on doin' what you do! :)
- June 21, 2010 at 2:28 PM
- mara said...
you've a amazing style!!wow wow!!i follow you your blog is so cool!
- June 21, 2010 at 11:42 PM


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EVENT DATE: Nov 03, 2013
I've started a charity drive called the "Mile-a-thon: 26 Miles, 26 Missions, 26 Motivations: Infinite Possibilities." I am planning to kick-off this project in Nov with the ING NYC Marathon. I will be speaking with media and directing them to donation sites as part of promoting the "Mile-a-thon." Each mile will represent a charity/mission and a motivation that will be displayed on signage that I will carry during 1-mile of each race. My list of charities include organizations that focus on community health, in particular youth, women & Hispanics. As one person, I can make a small ripple, but the bigger the "splash" the bigger the ripple. I'd like to draw as much media attention as possible. As the race unfolds, subscribers can be updated through Facebook, twitter, and e-blasts. Each charity can also organize their own additional promotion of the races to reach more potential donors.
The Team: $0 TOTAL RAISED SO FARJOIN THE TEAM
Want to help Fundraise or Volunteer for this amazing Fundraiser? Join the Team


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Non-Slip Gadget Holder With 4 Port USB Hub
No more desk top slip n'slide
Got to work to realize your cell phone is dead? Always losing your phone on your messy desk? Need more USB ports? Need a way to play apps with one hand while typing on the computer with the other? This gadget does it all.
The problem with computer desks is that they're so darn smooth and slippery. You're shuffling piles of files to look for that missing TPS report when one bumps your cell phone, sending it flying off the edge. Your heart jumps into your throat as you scream, "MY PRECIOUS!" (Your voice cracks like a prepubescent boy, too. It's embarrassing.) The world goes into slow-mo as you watch your baby tumble to the floor just as the mail cart turns the corner, wheels squeaking. You launch yourself from your not-so-ergonomic desk chair and make a daring leap into the hallway, shielding The Precious with your body. Sure, you take a mail cart to the ribs, but it's less painful than the thought of losing your phone.
This scenario does not have to happen to you! Save your ribs, your phone, and your sanity with the non-slip gadget holder. It holds your phone, mp3 player, or other preferred gadget at a handy viewing angle. The non-slip surface will withstand even those times when you dance on your desk when your code finally works right. Oh, and did we mention it's also a 4 port USB hub? Totally, and it's got the connection cables to charge just about any type of phone you may have. (But really, for maximum geek cred, we can count on one monkey paw the amount of phones worth using.) No more desktop slip n'slide - your gadget is safe and secure!
Product Specifications
- Non-slip pad holder holds mobile phone or accessories firmly
- USB 2.0 4-port hub
- Fully compliant with USB 2.0 specifications
- Backwards compatible with USB 1.1
- Compatible with a 5v AC power supply. (Not included)
- Plug and play !
- Supports Windows 2000 or newer, Mac OSX and Linux
- Dimension: 59 x 102 x 106mm (approx.)
- A - Nokia II (2mm)
- B - Nokia I (3.5mm)
- C - Mini USB (for Blackberry/Motorola/HTC/Dopod/MP3/MP4/etc)
- E - Samsung i900
- F - Sony Ericsson
Package Contains:
- Non-slip Holder With 4-Port USB Hub
- Mini USB Cable
- Charger Output Cable
- 6 Mobile Phone Connectors
- User's Manual


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Rob Swihart
Chair of the Graduate Committee
Purdue University, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources
Graduate Degrees Offered: Master of Science, Master of Science in Forestry, and Ph.D. in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences; Forest Economics, Policy and Human Dimensions; Forest Measurement and Assessment/GIS,;Forest Biology and Silviculture; Genetics; Wildlife Science; Wood Products and Wood Products Manufacturing Technology.
1) When is the right time for someone to consider attending a graduate environmental program like yours?
Prospective students should consider applying in November or December for admission in the following fall term.
2) What are the top three reasons that students choose to pursue a graduate degree in your program's field of study?
- To acquire skills and knowledge that will foster creative solutions to pressing natural resource problems
- To broaden the scope of understanding and enable attainment of a higher level of scholarship and professionalism
3) When selecting prospective graduate students, what factors are considered by your admissions staff? Beyond the "basics" of good grades and GRE scores and a demonstrated commitment to their education, what makes an applicant stand out?
We are interested in evidence that a student has actively participated in scholarly pursuits that extend beyond the classroom and provide experience in research. We also look for evidence that the student is approaching graduate studies in a mature, focused fashion; i.e., we look for evidence that the applicant has done her homework and given her future careful thought. Finally, we look carefully for letters of recommendation that provide additional insight into the applicant's motivation, experience, and temperament.
4) What do you look for in a prospective student's background and/or essay (if one is required)?
A student's essay should convey concisely her objectives and a plan for how to attain those objectives. We look for specifics that indicate the extent to which a student has considered how the expertise of the faculty in the program complements the student's interests.
5) Does your department interview prospective students before admitting them? If so, what are you looking for in the interview?
Campus visits are strongly encouraged, and funds often are available to help defray a student's expenses. During an interview we gauge a student's grasp of current research topics, an ability to think analytically and communicate in an articulate manner, and the level of interest they display.
6) What three things can most likely DECREASE an applicant's chances of getting accepted?
- Failure to submit all required documents by the deadline date.
- Failure to submit all required documents by the deadline date.
- Failure to submit all required documents by the deadline date.
7) Other than your program, in your opinion, what are the overall top three comparable graduate-level environmental programs in the United States? Do any outstanding International programs come to mind?
- University of California, Davis
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)
- University of Georgia
8) What percentage of applicants do you accept into your program? In general, how selective are comparable graduate environmental programs?
We accept about 20% of applicants whose files receive reviews (ie, those whose files are complete and whose interests match at least one faculty member in our department).
9) Do you have any helpful statistics?
Successful applicants during the preceding year exhibited average GRE verbal and quantitative scores of 599 and 725, respectively, and an average GPA of 3.59. International students scored 592 on average for the TOEFL.
10) Do you have any other advice to offer for students who are trying to get accepted into a top graduate environmental program?
Do your homework when looking at graduate programs. Look for an advisor who is doing things of interest to you. Don't be afraid to contact individual faculty members. Start early, and be persistent!


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Equal Opportunity Employer
JXP Search is an equal opportunity employer and is subject to certain nondiscrimination and affirmative action recordkeeping and reporting requirements which require the employer to invite employees and applicants to complete our voluntary EEO survey.
All applicants are invited to complete the form and email it to email@example.com.
Again, the submission of this information is COMPLETELY VOLUNTARY. You will not be subject to discharge, discipline or any other adverse treatment if you elect not to complete this form. This information will not be used in reaching a hiring decision and no recruiter will have access to the information. Information obtained will be kept confidential and may only be used in accordance with the provisions of applicable federal laws, executive orders, and regulations, including those which require the information to be summarized and reported to the Federal Government for civil rights enforcement purposes. When reported, data will not identify any specific individuals. Your voluntary cooperation is being sought to assist us in meeting our legal obligations and in analyzing the effectiveness of our equal opportunity efforts.
Thank you for taking the time.
Click to download the self-identification forms.


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Outdoor hunt sports are experiencing renewed interest today. In the 1960′s there was an awakening and recognition of a need to return to nature and traditional ways of living. Those who left the city, returning to the country, discovered two things. First, a lot of folks still lived in the country where hunting and fishing were a way of life, not just an activity during vacation. Second, there is great aesthetic, even spiritual satisfaction from harvesting what you consume from your own garden, from the woods, and from the lakes and the ocean.
Hunting large and small game has been at the core of a natural lifestyle forever. Although it is a classic traditional American recreation, it is much more than that. Each year millions of parents take to the woods with their kids and grandchildren to enjoy the outdoors, to learn about wildlife and to teach them how to hunt and fish, and to appreciate and respect nature and our place in it. If you ask a wide cross section of the population you'll hear that many of their best memories are of hunting and fishing with dad and grandpa.
Hunting rabbits, ducks and squirrels put food on the table for our great grand-parents and grandparents. It was a way of life then and still is.
If you pick up an outdoors or hunting magazine there are a lot of pages devoted to deer hunting. One hunter is likely to ask another, "Did you bag a deer this year?" That's a little misleading. Today the most widely-hunted game animals in the country, now and for generations, have been rabbits and squirrels. There are a number of good reasons for this. These animals are everywhere, widely distributed, abundant, easy to bag and prepare, and they're delicious.
Rabbits and hares are found virtually everywhere throughout North America and into Central America. Every state has at least one species. Most states have more.
Rabbits are highly adaptive. They're found in most every environment. As a result they are often abundant. While all species eat only vegetable matter, their diet is flexible. What they eat depends on their home territory. They have a deserved reputation for eating just about anything, sometimes everything. When food is plentiful, rabbit populations explode. Hunters can count on finding them near agricultural areas.
Rabbits are not true nocturnal feeders. They feed at dawn and dusk when both night and daylight predators have difficulty seeing. That makes those twilight hours the best times for us to hunt them. When food is readily available and predators are few, rabbits become less alert and are fairly easily taken, even by less experienced hunters.
Rabbits, like all small game, should be field dressed as soon as possible so the meat doesn't become tainted. They are fairly easy to prepare for cooking. Skinning them is not a major chore, but is easier before they become cold or frozen.
Rabbits, squirrels and some other small game can contract tularemia, a bacterial infection, transmitted from ticks. Gloves should be worn when skinning and preparing them. The meat should always be fully cooked prior to eating it.
Squirrels are the second most-hunted game animal in North America, for most of the same reasons as rabbits. Hunters focus almost exclusively on the three dominant species of tree squirrels, of which the eastern and western gray squirrels are the most available.
Like rabbits, squirrels will adapt their diet to what's available. They can also become pests to farm crops.
Most states confine hunting to the Fall season, but a few have a Spring hunting season, as well. Wildlife management departments in those states say that two hunting seasons have no negative effect on the populations.
Squirrel is very easy to prepare for cooking. The meat is delicious. There are dozens of traditional recipes, many with distinctly regional accents and ingredients.
Much has been said and written to praise the many merits of small game hunting. It emphasizes a close relationship with and appreciation of the natural world in which we live, It teaches responsibility, tradition and strengthens family bonds. One of it's greatest rewards is the simple pleasure of sitting down to a meal of food you've grown and game you've brought home and cooked.
If you can hunt, there's no need to fear the higher costs of living today. You will be self-reliant. Take along a practical outdoor survival knife just in case you need it. Afterward, your game will make a great meal.


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It took the Kings 45 years to win their first Stanley Cup.
Then how come it felt like 45 years to win No. 2?
Maybe this was simply cosmic and blood pressure-soaring payback for their Cup run of 2012 being far too smooth and so relatively unruffled.
With one final flourish, they needed only to play their longest game in franchise history to win their second Stanley Cup in three seasons. Their postseason of looking as if they were skating uphill finally ended when defenseman Alec Martinez scored from the base of the left circle at 14:43 of double overtime, giving the Kings a 3-2 win over the New York Rangers in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Friday night at Staples Center.
They clinched the best-of-seven-game series, four games to one, after having needed to go to a seventh game in the first three rounds of the playoffs. The hardest playoff run stayed on script with an enthralling finish.
"It suits us, don't it? This is the way it's been the entire playoffs," said Kings center Anze Kopitar.
Said Kings left wing Kyle Clifford, who had the second assist on the game-winning goal and played one of his strongest playoff games: "The difference is that we had to struggle this year. It gives you that great feeling that you've gone out and earned it."
Kings captain Dustin Brown accepted the Stanley Cup from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. Brown had his turn with the Cup, and in a classy move, he then handed it to defenseman Robyn Regehr, who had been out, injured, since the first game of the second round against the Ducks. Regehr came close to winning the Cup when he played for Kings Coach Darryl Sutter in Calgary, but the Flames lost to Tampa Bay in seven games in 2004.
In 2012, Kings goalie Jonathan Quick won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff most valuable player, and this time it was winger Justin Williams winning it. Williams had nine goals, including the Kings' first goal in Game 5 to make it 1-0, and had 25 points in 26 playoff games. His nickname of Mr. Game 7 turned out to be a flexible one.
Their Cup-winning goal against the Rangers came off a three-on-two rush, which Martinez started in his own zone. He led the rush and finished it off, beating Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist inside the left post, converting a rebound of a Tyler Toffoli shot.
Martinez, who started the season mired in the doghouse, had a look of joy and disbelief after he scored and Clifford was the first teammate he hugged. Talk about fitting: Martinez was the one responsible for the goal putting the Kings in the Stanley Cup Final, scoring the winner in overtime of Game 7 at Chicago.
"Toffoli had a great shot, far pad, and fortunately the rebound came to me and I was able to put it in," said Martinez, who was a healthy scratch for 10 of the first 15 games of the regular season. "It was a great play by them. I'm just the benefactor."
The NHL's postseason that absolutely refused to end almost willed itself to live for a few more days. Game 5 may have gotten off to a tepid start, but it picked up momentum late in the second period after former Kings forward Brian Boyle's short-handed goal gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead with 30 seconds left in the second.
Kings winger Marian Gaborik, a former Ranger, tied it, 2-2, at 7:56 of the third on the power play. Overtime between the teams featured nonstop, end-to-end action, an array of shots going off posts and crossbars at both ends.
Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh thought for a split second that he had the game won early in the first overtime. But his blast from above the left circle hit the right post square on Quick's glove side.
"We knew it was going be a tough series," Martinez said. "There were a lot of guys who have been around from a couple of years ago. We know the fourth one is definitely the hardest one to get. That's what we were talking about in the locker room. We just had to dig deep and just keep grinding away.
"We believed that we were going to win this game."
Not that there weren't a few questions along the way. The Kings trailed the San Jose Sharks, 3-0, in the first round of the playoffs and became only the fourth NHL team in history to rally from that deficit.
"There's no words that can describe what you're feeling right now," said Williams. "What we went through this year makes it so much more special. Each Cup is unique, but, God, we earned this one."
The second Stanley Cup was especially sweet for Kings defenseman Willie Mitchell, the oldest player on their roster. Mitchell was a big part of the 2012 run but didn't play last season because of knee surgeries.
"Of course there's always doubt," Mitchell said. "We've been through so many Game 7s and so many overtimes, that you have doubt.
"But it's also a galvanizing thing where you've done it before and you know you can do it again.
"To always win this way is nuts. But we'll take it."