WHAT SENATOR JOHN GLENN SAID

WHAT SENATOR JOHN GLENN SAID

Things that make you think a little:



There were 39 combat related killings in Iraq in January.
In the fair city of Detroit there were 35 murders in the
Month of January. That' s just one American city,
About as deadly as the entire war-torn country of Iraq.



When some claim that President Bush shouldn't
Have started this war, state the following:



A. FDR led

us into World War II.

B. Germany never attacked us; Japan did.
From 1941-1945, 450,000 lives were lost ..
An average of 112,500 per year.



C. Truman finished that war and started one in Korea.
North Korea never attacked us.
From 1950-1953, 55,000 lives were lost ...
An average of 18,334 per year.

D. John F. Kennedy started the Vietnam conflict in 1962.
Vietnam never attacked us.

E. Johnson turned Vietnam into a quagmire.
From 1965-1975, 58,000 lives were lost ..
An average of 5,800 per year.

F. Clinton went to war in Bosnia without UN or French consent.
Bosnia never attacked us.
He was offered Osama bin Laden's head on a platter three
Times by Sudan and did nothing Osama has attacked us on
Multiple occasions.

G. In the years since terrorists attacked us , President Bush
Has liberated two countries, crushed the Taliban, crippled
Al-Qaida, put nuclear inspectors in Libya, Iran, and North
Korea without firing a shot, and captured a terrorist who
Slaughtered 300,000 of his own people.



The Democrats are complaining
About how long the war is taking.


But It took less time to take Iraq

than it took Janet Reno
To take the Branch Davidian compound.
That was a 51-day operation.



We've been looking for evidence for chemical weapons
In Iraq for less time than it took Hillary Clinton to find
The Rose Law Firm billing records.



It took less time for the 3rd Infantry Division and the
Marines to destroy the Medina Republican Guard
Than it took Ted Kennedy to call the police after his
Oldsmobile sank at Chappaquiddick



It took less time to take Iraq than it took
To count the votes in Florida!!!!

Our Commander-In- Chief is doing a HARD JOB!
The Military morale is high!

The biased

media hopes we are too ignorant
To realize the facts



But Wait there's more!



JOHN GLENN (ON THE SENATE FLOOR)
Mon, 26 Jan 2004 11:13



Some people still don't understand why military personnel
Do what they do for a living. This exchange between
Senators John Glenn and Senator Howard Metzenbaum
Is worth reading. Not only is it a pretty impressive
Impromptu speech, but it's also a good example of one
man's explanation of why men and women in the armed
Services do what they do for a living



This IS a typical, though sad, example of what
Some who have never served think of the military.



Senator Metzenbaum (speaking to Senator Glenn):
"How can you run for Senate
When you've never held a real

job?"



Senator Glenn (D-Ohio):
"I served 23 years in the United States Marine Corps.
I served through two wars. I flew 149 missions.
My plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire on 12 different
Occasions. I was in the space program. It wasn't my
Checkbook, Howard; it was my life on the line. It was
Not a nine-to-five job, where I took time off to take the
Daily cash receipts to the bank."



"I ask you to go with me ... As I went the other day...
To a veteran's hospital and look those men ...
With their mangled bodies in the eye, and tell THEM
didn't hold a job!



You go with me to the Space Program at NASA
And go, as I have gone, to the widows and Orphans
Of Ed White, Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee...
And you look those kids in the eye and tell them
That their DADS didn't hold a job.


You go with me on Memorial Day and you stand in
Arlington National Cemetery, where I have more friends
Buried than I'd like to remember, and you watch
Those waving flags



You stand there, and you think about this

nation,
And you tell ME that those people didn't have a job?

What about you?"


For those who don't remember
During WW.II, Howard Metzenbaum

was an attorney Representing the Communist Party in the USA.

Now he's a Senator!



If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you are reading it in English

thank a Veteran.







It might not be a bad idea to keep this circulating.







Let us live like we are worth the price he paid! -unknown

E-Shopping Big This Holiday Season

E-Shopping Big This Holiday Season
Monday, November 13, 2006 - Millennium Radio

A recent survey shows on line holiday shopping is expected to see a huge boost...With sales zooming to 32-billion dollars. The survey shows e-shoppers are expected to shell out about 1,000-dollars each on line...An 8 percent boost over 2005.

Ellen Davis, Spokesperson for Shop.org, says there's a variety of marketing efforts this year, like free shipping, wish lists and multiple zoom options to make it easier to see the items.

The three biggies are Google, Ebay and Amazon are all expected to see heavy traffic this holiday season from those looking for items both in store and online.


By: Racquel Williams


(Copyright 2006 by Millennium Radio Group, LLC. All Rights Reserved.)
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bill's Comment: E-commerce is nearly a $100 BILLION industry. I will be doing my part in helping these numbers. I will update you all about it soon, here on the Phillips Philes.

Bill

Martin wins Busch title -- as series' greatest driver

Martin wins Busch title -- as series' greatest driver

NASCAR
November 15, 2006
02:07 PM EST (19:07 GMT)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Mark Martin has been ranked No. 1 among the "25 Greatest NASCAR Busch Series Drivers" in Internet polls on NASCAR.COM and NASCARMedia.com in conjunction with the season-long celebration of the 25th anniversary of the NASCAR Busch Series and its association with series sponsor Anheuser-Busch.

Martin, the all-time series leader in wins (47) and Busch Poles (30) despite having run only one full season (1987) throughout his 220 starts, received the most votes in both polls, which allowed fans and media to rank their top 25 selections from a list of 41 nominees. A write-in candidate also was permitted among the 25 choices. One vote per Web site was allotted per fan or media member.

Inside the Numbers
Mark Martin' Busch Series stats
Year Races W T5 T10

1982 1 0 0 0
1987 27 3 5 13
1988 13 1 2 6
1989 17 1 6 8
1990 12 1 3 5
1991 1 0 0 0
1992 14 1 5 9
1993 14 7 7 7
1994 15 3 8 11
1995 15 3 9 11
1996 14 6 11 12
1997 15 6 10 12
1998 15 2 6 9
1999 14 6 9 10
2000 13 5 12 13
2004 5 0 1 4
2005 8 2 5 6
2006 7 0 5 5
Totals 220 47 104 141



"We had a lot of fun racing in the Busch Series," Martin said. "There has been a lot of talent in that series over the years, both with the full-time Cup guys and some of the Busch regulars, so to be voted at the top of the top 25 really does mean a lot to me.

"I'd just like to say thanks to both the fans and the media. We've always gone out and given 100 percent to whatever we were doing and to be recognized for our effort means as much as any of the wins or any trophies."

The series' first two-time champion, Sam Ard, finished second in the NASCARMedia.com poll; followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in third, another multiple champion; Jack Ingram, the first series champion in 1982 (he won again in '85) in fourth and Dale Earnhardt, who won the first NASCAR Busch Series race at Daytona International Speedway in 1982, in fifth.

The NASCAR.COM fan poll ranked Earnhardt Jr. second. Kevin Harvick, the newest multiple champion following his 2006 title, finished third. Earnhardt was fourth and Martin Truex Jr., the 2004-05 series champion, was fifth.

Drivers with one or more Busch Series titles were automatically among the list of nominees. Other criteria included a minimum of 150 series starts and/or top percentages of wins versus starts, top fives versus starts and top 10s versus starts.

More than 152,000 fans voted in the NASCAR.COM poll, while more than 160 individuals voted in the NASCARMedia.com poll. Voting began on Oct. 16 and ended Nov. 12.

The 25th anniversary NASCAR Busch Series season culminates Saturday with the Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race begins at 7:10 p.m. ET and will be televised on TNT.

NASCAR Busch Series 25 Greatest Drivers Poll Results
NASCAR.COM Rankings NASCARMedia.com Rankings
No. Driver Votes No. Driver Votes
1. Mark Martin 10,590 1. Mark Martin 1,428
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 10,250 2. Sam Ard 1,378
3. Kevin Harvick 9,938 3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1,376
4. Dale Earnhardt 9,039 4. Jack Ingram 1,343
5. Martin Truex Jr. 7,342 5. Dale Earnhardt 1,295
6. Harry Gant 5,963 6. Harry Gant 1,273
7. Matt Kenseth 5,818 7. Kevin Harvick 1,244
8. Jeff Burton 5,388 8. Tommy Houston 1,239
9. Bobby Labonte 5,204 9. Randy LaJoie 1,113
10. Greg Biffle 4,868 10. Tommy Ellis 1,077
11. Darrell Waltrip 4,763 11. David Green 995
12. Kenny Wallace 4,508 12. Greg Biffle 988
13. Joe Nemechek 4,034 13. Jeff Green 953
14. Randy LaJoie 3,848 14. Matt Kenseth 932
15. Dale Jarrett 3,474 15. Bobby Labonte 929
16. Johnny Benson 3,413 16. Chuck Bown 922
17. Sam Ard 3,293 17. Martin Truex Jr. 898
18. David Green 3,259 18. Jeff Burton 871
19. Michael Waltrip 3,096 19. Larry Pearson 868
20. Ron Hornaday Jr. 2,967 20. Jason Keller 848
21. Jack Ingram 2,964 21. Johnny Benson 843
22. Jeff Green 2,872 22. Darrell Waltrip 813
23. Tommy Houston 2,674 23. Joe Nemechek 801
24. Jimmy Spencer 2,652 24. Rob Moroso 733
25. Brian Vickers 2,503 25. Dale Jarrett 715

Winning the Future Special Edition: Open Memorandum to House Republicans

Winning the Future Special Edition: Open Memorandum to House Republicans

by Newt Gingrich
November 15, 2006
SPECIAL EDITION

An Open Memorandum to House Republicans

Date: November 15, 2006
To: House Republicans
From: Newt Gingrich

RE: Reflections on being back in the minority and how to become a governing majority.

As we think about the 2006 election and where House Republicans go from here, I want to suggest a few principles and actions that might be helpful.

When I was first elected in 1978, House Republicans had been in the minority for 24 years. Despite our best efforts to win enough seats to gain the majority, it took us 16 more years. If we do not want to return to a possible 40 years in the minority, it is essential that we spend time now thinking about the lessons of 2006 and what has to be done. If we do this, we can accept 2006 as a corrective but necessary interruption in our pursuit of a governing majoritarian party.

In 1946 and 1952, the Democrats found themselves in the minority. On both occasions it only lasted two years. They found the methods to recover, even though in the second case they were operating under a very popular Republican President Eisenhower.

When the Republicans lost their brief majority status in 1954, they could not recover it two years later, despite the fact that Eisenhower was winning a massive re-election. Similarly, they could not regain the majority even in the landslides of 1972 and 1984.

There are some key questions and key principles to keep in mind as we work through the process of earning back the majority.

1. Republicans lost the 2006 election. Do not hide from this. Do not shrug it off. Our team lost. Why did we lose? What do we have to do differently?

2. Are House Republicans electing a leadership team to be an effective minority or a leadership team to regain the majority? These are very different roles and require very different considerations, very different strategies and very different leaders.

3. To regain majority status, we have to focus on the country first and on Washington and the Congress second. If we are responsive to the country, they will support us and return us to power. If we are focused on action in Washington (whether White House action, legislative action or lobbyist and PAC action), we are probably entering a long period in minority status.

4. Are House Republicans electing leaders to represent House Republican values and strategies to the White House or leaders to represent the White House to House Republicans? Over the next two years, House Republicans and the White House will have very different institutional interests and very different time horizons. If we want to regain majority status, we have to focus on the building of a grassroots coalition which supports real change in Washington.

5. From a House Republican standpoint, the center of gravity should be the 54 Blue Dog Democrats. If we and the Blue Dogs can find a handful of key things to work on together, we can almost certainly create a majority on the floor just as the Reagan Republicans and conservative Democrats did in 1981. Bipartisanship can be conservative and back bench rather than liberal and establishment leadership defined. What did the Blue Dogs promise to get elected? What was the nature of their coalition back home? They give us the best opportunity to create grassroots efforts to pass solid legislation. Remember, the liberals will find it very hard to write a budget acceptable to the grassroots that elected the Blue Dogs. We have real opportunities if we are creative.

6. House Republicans should establish new principles for appointing people to the Appropriations Committee. Nothing infuriated the Republican base more than the continued process of earmarks, set asides and incumbent-protection pork. There is no reason for the House Republican conference to reappoint a single appropriator unless they agree to be part of the Republican team. First establish the principles of representing Republican values on appropriations and then ask each appropriator to commit themselves to living by those principles or accept appointment to another committee. There is a legitimate role for set asides in the legislative-executive branch process, but there is no reason to give the executive branch a blank check. There has to be some limits, and those limits should be set by the Conference and not by the committee members.

7. All of this will take time. As rapidly as possible there should be a three-day member-only retreat to discuss issues like this and to set strategies for the next two years. These kinds of decisions should be a key part of thinking through who should lead House Republicans for the next Congress and how they should lead.

One Last Note

Do not underestimate Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi and her team. She and Rahm Emmanuel finally put together a disciplined recruiting system that allowed a lot of Democrats to run as conservatives, even while they were planning to elect the most liberal Speaker in history. Pelosi is a tough, smart, disciplined professional. She is not going to be easy to beat, and she and her team are going to work hard to keep you in the minority for a decade or more.

This is going to be hard work and will require a lot of dedication and a lot of thought.

With best wishes for a return to majority status as quickly as possible.

Your friend,

Newt Gingrich

Winning the Future for November 13, 2006

Winning the Future for November 13, 2006

by Newt Gingrich
November 13, 2006
Vol. 1, No. 30

Raising a Banner of Bold Colors: Republicanism Lost, but Conservatism Did Not

When it comes to the lessons of the 2006 elections, it's very important to set the record straight. I traveled throughout the country this election year. I met with Americans in all the key states. And what I now understand is this: Republicans lost, but conservatism didn't.

Many of the Democrats who won this year ran as non-liberals -- in some cases, as outright conservatives. A number of them, including some incumbents, explicitly disavowed liberal Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and San Francisco values. Many repudiated Massachusetts Democratic Sen. John Kerry's smear of American troops in Iraq. Remember, he was effectively driven off the campaign trail for the last 10 days by his own party.

The result was that, by Election Day, Democrats were seen as better at controlling government spending and at reducing taxes.

In Two Short Years, Republicans Lost the Advantage of Reform

Republicans, in two short years, gave up the advantages on taxes, balancing the budget and controlling spending that they had spent three generations earning.

On Katrina, controlling the border and Iraq, Republicans gave up the advantage as the party of management that could get things done -- an advantage they had held since the 1950s.

And here's the key: The elite media, liberal Democrats and establishment Republicans will do everything they can to portray this election as a repudiation of conservatism. Their game plan is to panic Republicans into selling out their grassroots base and adopting a series of really bad ideas which will -- in their words -- "salvage" the Bush Administration.

In fact, such a strategy would be an absolute disaster for the Republican Party, guaranteeing a division within the Republican ranks by sparking a revolt by the conservatives.

Reagan at CPAC: 'No Pale Pastels'

The last time Republicans had an electoral disaster (and make no mistake, that is what 2006 was -- in the Senate, the House, the governorships and state legislatures), California Gov. Ronald Reagan had some straightforward advice for the Republican Party. In 1975, he came to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) and said:

"Our people look for a cause to believe in. Is it a third party we need, or is it a new and revitalized second party, raising a banner of no pale pastels, but bold colors, which make it unmistakably clear where we stand on all of the issues troubling the people?"

Reagan at the 1976 GOP Convention: 'Bold, Unmistakable Colors'

Again and again, Reagan would come back to this theme of bold clarity. In his impromptu speech at the 1976 Republican National Convention, Gov. Reagan again said:

"There are cynics who say that a party platform is something that no one bothers to read and it doesn't very often amount to much.

"Whether it is different this time than it has ever been before, I believe the Republican Party has a platform that is a banner of bold, unmistakable colors, with no pastel shades.

"We have just heard a call to arms based on that platform, and a call to us to really be successful in communicating and reveal to the American people the difference between this platform and the platform of the opposing party, which is nothing but a revamp and a reissue and a running of a late, late show of the thing that we have been hearing from them for the last 40 years."

The Problem Has Not Been With Conservatism or Our Voters

For the next four years, Gov. Reagan would continue to be bold, clear and decisive. In 1980, he won a landslide election for the presidency and brought with him a Republican Senate and a 33-seat increase in House Republican numbers.

Today, some Republican leaders will advocate that we steer a different course. They will insist that we find a way to be appealing to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. They will be wrong.

We should appeal to the Blue Dog Democrats who claim to be conservative. We should appeal to their voters and their supporters back home. Even more, we should appeal to the majority of the American people by returning the Republican Party, once again, to the party of reform, ideas, solutions and common-sense conservatism.

We should rebuild the grassroots conservative movement. From the Reagan Revolution of 1980 through the Contract with America in 1994, it was this movement from outside Washington that carried us to the first center-right majority governing coalition in more than 60 years.

The problem has not been with conservatism or with our voters.

The problem has been with Republican leaders who forgot who elected them and what values their supporters expected to see implemented in Washington.

Over the next few weeks, I will report to you directly and clearly about the proposals that are coming forth and the strategies that are being recommended. I will be your eyes and your ears in this time of profound challenge and opportunity for our movement and, as always, I will not be afraid to speak out. In the meantime, I hope you will let your congressman and your senators know where you stand on these vital concerns.

This was not a realigning election as 1994 was. Voters did not vote "for" the Democrats but "against" Republicans. Now, it will be up to us to see that the results of the 2006 election serve as a temporary but necessary corrective interruption in our goal of getting to a conservative governing majority. Take heart, while there is much to be done, I believe if we are focused, disciplined and we work together, we will Win the Future for America.

Your friend,

Newt Gingrich


P.S. - Just yesterday it was reported that incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is supporting Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) for majority leader. This is a sign that Pelosi, despite all her talk of moving to the center and reaching out to conservatives, will govern from the left. It is a direct assault on the moderate wing of the Democratic Party and a deliberate break with the second-ranking Democrat in the House, Rep. Steny Hoyer (Md.). The next test for whether Pelosi will govern from the left or the center will be if she appoints Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.), the impeached former federal judge, to chair the Intelligence Committee. No national security supporter will be comfortable with Hastings' having oversight of the nation's secrets, but the pressure on Pelosi to appease the Black Caucus is immense. Stay tuned.

Oscar-Winning Actor Jack Palance Dies

Oscar-Winning Actor Jack Palance Dies

By Associated Press
2 hours ago

LOS ANGELES - Jack Palance, the craggy-faced menace in "Shane," "Sudden Fear" and other films who turned successfully to comedy in his 70s with his Oscar-winning self-parody in "City Slickers," died Friday. Palance died of natural causes at his home in Montecito, Calif., surrounded by family, said spokesman Dick Guttman. He was 87.

When Palance accepted his Oscar for best supporting actor he delighted viewers of the 1992 Academy Awards by dropping to the stage and performing one-armed push-ups to demonstrate his physical prowess.

"That's nothing, really," he said slyly. "As far as two-handed push-ups, you can do that all night, and it doesn't make a difference whether she's there or not."

That year's Oscar host, Billy Crystal, turned the moment into a running joke, making increasingly outlandish remarks about Palance's accomplishments throughout the show.

"I am deeply shocked and saddened by the loss of my dear friend Jack Palance, a true movie icon," Crystal said in a statement Friday. "Winning the Oscar for that movie and the one-arm push-ups he did on the show will link us together forever, and for that I am grateful."

The push-ups not only created a magic Oscar moment, but also epitomized the actor's 40 years in films. Always the iconoclast, Palance had scorned most of his movie roles.

"Most of the stuff I do is garbage," he once told a reporter, adding that most of the directors he worked with were incompetent, too.

"Most of them shouldn't even be directing traffic," he said.

Movie audiences, though, were electrified by the actor's chiseled face, hulking presence and the calm, low voice that made his screen presence all the more intimidating.

His film debut came in 1950, playing a murderer named Blackie in "Panic in the Streets."

After a war picture, "Halls of Montezuma," he portrayed the ardent lover who stalks the terrified Joan Crawford in 1952's "Sudden Fear." The role earned him his first Academy Award nomination for supporting actor.

The following year brought his second nomination when he portrayed Jack Wilson, the swaggering gunslinger who bullies peace-loving Alan Ladd into a barroom duel in the Western classic "Shane."

That role cemented Palance's reputation as Hollywood's favorite menace, and he went on to appear in such films as "Arrowhead" (as a renegade Apache), "Man in the Attic" (as Jack the Ripper), "Sign of the Pagan" (as Attila the Hun) and "The Silver Chalice" (as a fictional challenger to Jesus).

Other prominent films included "Kiss of Fire," "The Big Knife," "I Died a Thousand Deaths," "Attack!" "The Lonely Man" and "House of Numbers."

Weary of being typecast, Palance moved with his wife and three young children to Lausanne, Switzerland, at the height of his career.

He spent six years abroad but returned home complaining that his European film roles were "the same kind of roles I left Hollywood because of."

His career failed to regain momentum upon his return, and his later films included "The Professionals," "The Desperadoes," "Monte Walsh," "Chato's Land" and "Oklahoma Crude."

When he appeared as Fidel Castro in 1969's "Che!" about Latin American revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara, he told a reporter: "At this stage of my career, I don't formulate reasons why I take roles _ the price was right."

He also appeared frequently on television, winning an Emmy in 1957 for his portrayal of an end-of-the-line boxer in "Requiem for a Heavyweight."

He and his daughter Holly Palance hosted the oddity show "Ripley's Believe It or Not" and he starred in the short-lived series "The Greatest Show on Earth" and "Bronk."

Forty-one years after his auspicious film debut, Palance played against type, to a degree. His "City Slickers" character, Curly, was still a menacing figure to dude ranch visitors Crystal, Daniel Stern and Bruno Kirby, but with a comic twist. And Palance delivered his one-liners with surgeon-like precision.

"He was one scary, intimidating, big hulking guy with a huge heart," said Ron Underwood, who directed Palance in "City Slickers" and in the actor's last role, as a man celebrating his 100th birthday in the 2004 TV movie "Back When We Were Grownups."

"It was a joy working with him," Underwood told The Associated Press.

Through most of his career, Palance maintained his distance from the Hollywood scene. In the late 1960s he bought a sprawling cattle and horse ranch north of Los Angeles. He also owned a bean farm near his home town of Lattimer, Pa.

Although most of his film portrayals were as primitives, Palance was well-spoken and college-educated. His favorite pastimes away from the movie world were painting and writing poetry and fiction.

A strapping 6-feet-4 and 210 pounds, Palance excelled at sports and won a football scholarship to the University of North Carolina. He left after two years, disgusted by commercialization of the sport.

He decided to use his size and strength as a prizefighter, but after two hapless years that resulted in little more than a broken nose that would serve him well as a screen villain, he joined the Army Air Corps in 1942.

A year later he was discharged after his B-24 lost power on takeoff and he was knocked unconscious.

The GI Bill of Rights provided Palance's tuition at Stanford University, where he studied journalism. But the drama club lured him, and he appeared in 10 comedies. Just before graduation he left school to try acting professionally in New York.

"I had always wanted to express myself through words," he said in a 1957 interview. "But I always thought I was too big to be an actor. I could see myself knocking over tables. I thought acting was for little ... guys."

He made his Broadway debut in a comedy, "The Big Two," in which he had but one line, spoken in Russian, a language his parents spoke at home.

The play lasted only a few weeks, and he supported himself as a short-order cook, waiter, lifeguard and hot dog seller between other small roles in the theater.

His career breakthrough came when he was chosen as Anthony Quinn's understudy in the road company of "A Streetcar Named Desire," then replaced Marlon Brando in the Stanley Kowalski role on Broadway. The show's director, Elia Kazan, chose him in 1950 for "Panic in the Streets."

Born Walter Jack Palahnuik in Pennsylvania coal country on Feb. 18, 1919, Palance was the third of five children of Ukrainian immigrants. His father worked the mines for 39 years until he died of black lung disease in 1955.

In interviews, Palance recalled bitterly that his family had to buy groceries at the company store, though prices were cheaper elsewhere.

Yet, he told a Saturday Evening Post writer, he had "a good childhood, like most kids think they have."

"It was fine to play there in the third-growth birch and aspen, along the sides of slag piles," he said.

In addition to his daughter, Palance is survived by his second wife, Elaine Rogers Palance; another daughter, Brook Palance Wilding; grandchildren Lily and Spencer Spottiswoode and Tarquin Wilding; his brother, John Palance, and sister Anne Despiva.

A memorial service was planned for Dec. 16.

___

Associated Press writer Daisy Nguyen contributed to this story.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Michael Smerconish | POST-ELECTION BLUES: WHERE'S MY PARTY

Michael Smerconish | POST-ELECTION BLUES: WHERE'S MY PARTY

Posted on Thu, Nov. 09, 2006

I'M DOING a personal political sanity check in the aftermath of Tuesday's vote to determine if I'm registered in the party that best reflects my views.

I have doubts. And I see a battle coming for the direction of the party of Lincoln. Will we become a party epitomized by individuals with names like Giuliani, Schwarzenegger and Bloomberg - or Frist, Coulter and Dobson?

I turned 18 in 1980 and registered in the GOP, which seemed to fit what I was thinking. It was the party of my parents, and like many Americans, I followed in their footsteps. When it came time to cast my first ballot, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush were still competing for Pennsylvania votes. I met them both on the stump, and was thrilled when they joined forces.

I have never missed voting in the 26 years that I have been registered as a Republican, though I don't recall ever pulling a party lever in a general election. Along the way, I've run for office, served as an alternative delegate to a GOP convention and as a presidential appointee in a Republican administration.

But is the GOP still for me? Help me decide. Here is how I see 15 hot issues:

Bin Laden: I want a commitment of manpower directed toward finding and killing Osama bin Laden and Al-Zawahiri. I want them hunted, found and caused to suffer a heinous death. The full court press should never end.

Profiling: Let's look for terrorists who look like terrorists. In virtually every instance, they have race, gender, ethnicity, religion and appearance in common. Those characteristics should be considered as we seek to prevent strikes against us. Everyone must screened, but some more than others.

Torture. Once we identify the bad guys, we have to get from them the info on impending attacks by any means necessary, and that includes torture. If you believe it NOT to be efficacious, tell me why our best interrogators continually seek to use it as a technique? Answer: It works.

Preventing terror: We need to implement all the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, entrusted to study what went wrong pre-9/11 and recommend how to prevent its recurrence.

Iraq: We need an end game. And don't call it "cut and run." It's time to articulate an exit strategy to let the Iraqis know they need to stand on their own two feet sooner rather than later.

Immigration: Our borders are porous. Only when they are closed should we decide what to do with the millions already here illegally. It is impractical to believe we will ship them back. But attrition, and ensuring no more friends and relatives join them, will probably diminish the herd.

Gays: Homosexuals don't threaten my marriage. As we seek to find some accommodation for same-sex couples, we need to end that false argument.

Abortion: I want a party with room for pro-life and pro-choice views. Plan B should be sold over the counter if you're 18. And I don't want politicians determining my end-of-life plan.

Embryonic stem-cell research: Pardon my callous nature, but that which exists in a petri dish is undeserving of the full rights that are afforded a viable fetus.

Term limits: We need citizen politicians, not professionals. Two Senate terms and six in the House will ensure we get grounded folks who are capable of earning a living when not serving us.

Campaign finance: Stop trying to regulate donations. Someone will always find a loophole. Let anyone spend whatever they are willing, as long as there is full and immediate disclosure.

Entitlements: Social Security, Medicare and other programs make up more than half our federal spending. The number of people on Social Security and Medicare will double in 15 years, and life expectancy continues to grow. We can't afford to continue the status quo. Yo, AARP: The retirement age has to be raised to 70. "Balanced budget" shouldn't be dirty words. I don't want my children and grandchildren saddled with paying for our wasteful spending.

Death taxes: We work hard trying to lead a comfortable life and leave a nest egg for our children. It's un-American that when we check out, Uncle Sam will stand there with his hand out to tax our earnings for the second time. The estate tax must go.

Global warming: Beats the hell out of me. But given the apparent stakes if the concerns are valid, err on the side of caution.

Guns: A symptom, not a cause. Single-parent households pose more of a threat to safety than firearms. Let's address that issue.

So what am I? (And would anyone want me?)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Smerconish can be heard weekdays 5:30-9 a.m. on the Big Talker, 1210/AM. Contact him via the Web at www.mastalk.com.

Lisa Marie's Marriage on the Rocks

Lisa Marie's Marriage on the Rocks

Lisa Marie's 10 month marriage to Michael Lockwood is on the rocks
After a series of bitter rows over her refusal to have a baby Lisa Marie 38 has left the couples luxury Beverley Hills home and moved into the Bel-Air hotel
It seems Michael is hell-bent on securing their union with child.
Lisa Marie is furious since Michael has reneged on their pre-nuptial agreement which included that she would not any more children &
restricting Michael to a mere 13 million if they split - however, he would be entitled to triple that if they had a child.

Used to having it her way, friends & family doubt that Lisa Marie will return home, believing it will be only a matter of time before she
files for a divorce.

Reese Witherspoon Files for Divorce

Reese Witherspoon Files for Divorce

By Associated Press
Wed Nov 8, 9:01 PM

LOS ANGELES - Nearly two weeks after Reese Witherspoon announced her separation from Ryan Phillippe, the actress has filed for divorce. In Wednesday's filing, Witherspoon cites "irreconcilable differences" and seeks physical custody of the couple's two children _ 7-year-old Ava and 3-year-old Deacon.

Witherspoon, 30, also seeks visitation for Phillippe, 32, and "exclusive use of the family residence." Witherspoon also asked for the court to terminate its ability to award spousal support to Phillippe.

A call to Phillippe's publicist, Nancy Ryder, was not immediately returned Wednesday.

The filing does not list separate or community property, saying the nature of the assets has yet to be determined.

The couple, who costarred in the 1999 release "Cruel Intentions," married that year. Their separation was announced Oct. 30 by a publicist who declined to elaborate on the reason for the split.

In March, Witherspoon won an Academy Award for her role as June Carter Cash in 2005's "Walk the Line." Phillippe costarred in the best-picture Oscar winner, "Crash," and is starring in Clint Eastwood's latest film, the World War II drama "Flags of Our Fathers."

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.