Crist gay? Not that it matters but
I wonder how the Republicans feel about that
http://www.nytimes.com/cq/2006/10/27/cq_1720.html?pagewanted=print
October 27, 2006
Race for Fla. Governor Showing Signs of Tightening
By Rachel Kapochunas
Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist, the Republican nominee for the state’s open governor’s seat, moved out to what appeared a solid lead in polls a few weeks ago.
Crist benefited from the general, long-term Republican trend in the state, and the enduring popularity of the Republican he is running to succeed, term-limited Gov. Jeb Bush. Perhaps more importantly, he escaped relatively unscathed from a Sept. 5 primary that he won by a wide margin, while the Democratic nominee, Rep. Jim Davis, was bruised by campaign attacks leveled against him in a primary that was closer than expected.
A Quinnipiac University survey released Oct. 10 showed Crist leading Davis, a five-term House Democrat from the Tampa Bay-area 11th District, by 53 percent to 43 percent.
Yet Davis still appears very much in the running. A more recent Quinnipiac poll showed Crist with just a 2 percentage-point lead, 46 percent to 44 percent.
And the contest has gained a shadow of controversy, in part because of widespread public discussion about Crist’s personal life stemming from news reports speculating about his sexual orientation.
This matter did not gain prominence in the GOP primary, but has drawn public attention in the wake of the sensational scandal involving former Republican Rep. Mark Foley, who quit Congress and his bid for re-election Sept. 29 after revelations of inappropriate advances he had made to teenage male pages.
The unmarried Crist has for years deflected allusions about his personal life. The subject gained momentum when an alternative South Florida newspaper, the Broward-Palm Beach New Times, reported Thursday that a male GOP staffer claims to have been intimate with Crist and also named the attorney general’s longterm male partner. The paper interviewed Crist, who denied the claims made in the story.Political scientist Lance deHaven-Smith at Florida State University told CQPolitics.com Thursday that the contest was bound to narrow as Election Day approached. Florida, despite the Republican trend, still can produce highly competitive statewide races — with no better example than the forever-controversial 2000 presidential contest — and voters were likely to become more invested in the contest and take sides as the race comes to a close.
But deHaven-Smith added that the Crist rumors have certainly played a role in Davis’ catch-up. “I would think that the Foley scandal has had an effect,” said deHaven-Smith, who added that questions regarding Crist’s sexuality may have also shifted some “white born-again evangelicals” toward Davis, as defined in the Quinnipiac poll.
The competitiveness of the race was evident Tuesday, when the candidates met for their first televised general election debate. Though personal behavior was not on the agenda, each candidates sought to cast his opponent in a highly negative light on policy issues.
“Charlie wants to continue to stay the course, he wants to continue to force local property owners to pay the entire cost of growth,” said Davis. “And that’s why developers have put $5 million dollars into his campaign.”
Crist attacked Davis on prescription drug costs — flipping the usual partisan alignment on reimporting lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada, a concept that overall is favored by more Democrats than Republicans.
“I want to make sure that we import prescription drugs that are safe from Canada ... lift the ban that exists on that now,” said Crist. “Unfortunately, my opponent voted against allowing that to happen. Tonight he tells you he wants it to happen. I’m not really sure what to believe.”
Crist continued his campaign’s effort to portray Davis as a “do-nothing” congressman, a claim repeated in recent television advertising by the state Republican Party. The debate offered Davis a chance to refute that portrayal.
“It’s not just about showing up. It’s about standing up. And for four years as attorney general, Charlie did nothing to stand up to these insurance companies,” said Davis.
Last week, Davis called for the state GOP to pull a commercial which claimed Davis only passed three bills in 10 years. Davis argued that was not a complete list.
The Republicans began airing an additional ad Thursday targeting the state’s large Latino constituency — especially the Cuban-American constituency that has long leaned Republican because of that party’s perceived harder line against Cuba dictator Fidel Castro.
In the commercial, Republican Sen. Mel Martinez, a Cuban-American, said in Spanish: “While Jim Davis traveled to Cuba to meet with officials in the Castro dictatorship and utilized his position in Congress to oppose sanctions against the Havana regime, Charlie Crist was working for our families.”
Davis, though, has been trying to leverage many voters’ dissatisfaction with high property taxes. Traveling on his “Backyard Rebellion Tour,” he is touting his plan to lower property taxes by $1 billion next year and lower hurricane insurance premiums by an average of 40 percent.
The strong voter mobilization machine Republicans have built during their rise to power and have refined during Bush’s tenure as governor could give them a leg up in the crucial area of voter turnout. DeHaven-Smith believes that Republicans are likely to still turn out in large numbers Nov. 7, despite the negative impact of the Foley scandal.
But he adds that Davis’ choice of former state Sen. Daryl Jones, an African-American who staged a primary bid for governor in 2002, as his candidate for lieutenant governor may help boost Democratic turnout.
CQ rates the race as Leans Republican, but is carefully watching developments. Please visit CQPolitics.com’s Election Forecaster for ratings on all races.
© 2006 Congressional Quarterly
Statistics
So, I've been struggling with my Managerial Statistics class this semester. I made a D on my last test after all of my hard work!!!! I was so upset. I talked to my teacher about it after class because I felt like she penalized me way too much. I lost lots of points because I rounded my answers too much. I thought I was just following her instructions but I misunderstood. I used the correct formulas and worked through the problems correctly and just rouded more then I should have. Our conversation went like this:
Teacher, "Cheryl, you rounded too much and made some errors but overall, this was a good paper...."
Me looking at her in disbelief, "but I made a D"
Teacher, "well, I will take your rounding errors into consideration but you are doing good in the class...."
Me fighting back the tears, "but I made a D on the last test"
Teacher, "Cheryl, you are probably going to make a C in the class because your weekly quiz grades are good right"
Me while pleading with myself to not cry at age 34 over a freakin test, "I've never made a C before"
Teacher, "really? oh. Well Cheryl, this is a very hard class. I've been teaching this class for years and it never fails, the overall class average is always a C."
So that was the end of the conversation. I did feel better after talking to her.
Then I remembered, there was one other time I made a C. It was in a class called Introduction To Black Culture.
News Flash
I heard Bush complaining about the recent New Jersey court ruling which states that same sex couples were entitled to the same rights enjoyed by heterosexual couples... He said, "the sanctity of marriage is under attack!" Well, I have a news flash for the president, "DAMMIT THE TROOPS ARE UNDER ATTACK! WORRY ABOUT THAT SHIT!"
On a lighter note, I heard an interview this morning on NPR with my beloved Howard Dean. It made me so happy. I felt all warm and fuzzy inside.
This has been a tough week.
Feeling okay today
not much going on. I went to Dawn's house last night for a party. It was Erin's 30th birthday. it was okay. It was certainly good to see everyone. It reminded me of my 30th birhday bash. My best girlfriend Dallas threw me a surprise "dirty thirty" party. Now that was fun and was kept some what classy inspite of the entertainment. I can't say the same about last night's party.
I met Michelle's cousin for the first time. She actually lives in Miami and was here visiting for the weekend. They are both from Haiti. She was very interesting to talk to. She is so strong in her opinions though (and is only 19). It's funny how Blacks from the islands love to stereotype Black Americans. Well, Black Americans tend to stereotype our brothers and sisters from the islands too. It's sort of a love/hate relationship we have believe it or not. What it boils down to is that many of the Black islanders think they are better than us Black Americans.... It's sad I know but so true. I can hear my dear friends now saying, "oh, that's the Haitian way or no, that's not the Haitian way...." Regardless, my friends and I love each other.
I've been busy
I've been super busy these days. Work has been busy (just survived month-end close) and I've been busy with school. I'm doing very well in Macroeconomics but not so well in Statistics. I have only myself to blame. I underestimated the teacher and didn't start off with the right amount of effort as I should have. It's now an uphill battle..... It's funny because I even purchased the textbook for Statistics.
John and I have been watching the "King of Queens" all evening. The Sunday evening cartoons are not on because of football. We really like this show. It's so funny.
There's a new store called Kohls that just opened in our area. I love it! They have racks and racks of beautiful warm and fuzzy sweaters. I'm going to be so warm and bundled up this winter! They had nice looking shoes too. I'm eyeing a pair of chocolate brown boots with skinny pointy heels (not quite stiletto).
I've enjoyed the news coverage of the past week. I must admit, it's pretty nice to see the hypocritical Republicans get caught in a lie for once and to see people actually question them(Foley scandal).
Here's a troubling article from today:
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Hundreds of Iraq police fall ill at meal
By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press Writer
53 minutes ago
Hundreds of Iraqi policemen fell sick from poisoning Sunday at a base in southern Iraq after the evening meal breaking their daily Ramadan fast, and officials said they were investigating whether the poisoning was intentional.
An official with the Environment Ministry said 11 policemen had died. However, the governor of Wasit province  where the poisoning took place  denied any deaths, though he said some of the victims were in critical condition. There was no immediate explanation for the contradictory reports.
Some of the policemen began bleeding from the ears and nose after the meal, said Jassim al-Atwan, an inspector for the Environment Ministry, who was serving as a liaison in the investigation between the Health Ministry and the base, located in the town of Numaniyah.
"Hundreds of soldiers were poisoned after taking food and water in the iftar," Wasit Gov. Hamad al-Latif told the Associated Press, referring to the meal that breaks the sunrise-to-sunset fast during the Islamic holy month. "Investigations are under way to determine the cause."
Samples of the food and water were being tested "to determine the substance in them" and will be sent to Baghdad for further tests, al-Latif said.
Sunni insurgents who have targeted police and military forces with bombings and shootings have not been known to use poisoning as a weapon. But the suddenness and severity of the sickness raised speculation that the incident could be a new attack. The division is mainly made up of Shiites.
Between 600-700 policemen were affected to varying degrees, and 11 who had the heaviest amount of the food had died, al-Atwan told The Associated Press.
Some of the soldiers collapsed as soon as they stood up from them meal, others fell "one after the other" as they headed out to the yard in the base to line up in formation, al-Atwan said.
Iraqi ambulances and helicopters sent by the U.S. military rushed the policemen to hospitals in Numaniyah and the nearby city of Kut.
The afflicted policemen belonged to the 4th Division of the National Police, nicknamed the "Karrar" Division, after a title of Imam Ali, the most revered Shiite saint.
The division normally operates around the town of Salman Pak on the southeastern outskirts of Baghdad  an area of intense Shiite-Sunni killings. The division was sent to the base in Numaniyah, 60 miles southeast of the capital, for further training.
Al-Latif said food and water at the base are provided by an Australian contractor working through Iraqi subcontractors. He did not identify the Australian firm.
Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
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I'm angry
Well, I sure hope they got the right guy. Guess we'll never know since the Swat team decided to play judge, jury and executioner. The thought of taking the gun from the guy when they removed the cloth obvously never crossed their mind. But why should it? That's the mindset this country is in right now.The President gets to play judge, jury and executioner now thanks to Congress. This is just business as usual.
Nobody seems to be concerned about the state of our Democracy. They think it will not effect them personally and will keep them safe. Well, if you are a minority (Black, Latino, Arab, etc.), you have a lot to be fearful of. A minority understands what it means to be racially profiled, assumed guilty and slaughtered without anyone blinking an eye. All I ask out of a Democracy is for proof that the right individuals are being punished. I don't think that's asking too much. Why is no one is asking that question?
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Florida police kill suspect in deputy's slaying
Story Highlights•Suspect killed only 75 yards from where he was last seen, police said
•Florida sheriff: "We shot numerous times"
•Suspect had handgun believed taken from slain deputy
•Police asked suspect to show his hands, saw gun, shot him
LAKELAND, Florida (CNN) -- Police said Friday they shot and killed a suspected cop killer who was armed and who failed to raise both hands when Florida SWAT officers stumbled upon him hiding in thick brush.
"Ladies and gentlemen, God will be the judge and jury this time," said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd during a news conference.
The suspect, on the run since Thursday afternoon, had dug under a fallen oak tree and covered himself with brush, Judd said, only about 75 yards from where police said he killed a sheriff's deputy. (Watch the sheriff describe how the suspect was killed -- 2:50)
"I was standing on top of him before I ever saw him," Judd said a SWAT team member told him.
The SWAT team members ordered the suspect to show his hands and he made only one hand visible, the sheriff said. When SWAT officers removed a cloth over the man's other hand they saw a weapon and began shooting.
"SWAT team members shot and killed the man who killed our deputy," Judd said, adding that the man was shot "numerous times."
"The killer chose his end. He chose his end because he didn't show both hands," the sheriff said.
Judd said police found a 45-caliber handgun believed to have been taken from the dead sheriff's deputy.
Judd said police still have not been able to establish the identity of the man who was shot, but expressed confidence that he was their suspect in Thursday's traffic stop that resulted in the death of Deputy Vernon Matthew "Matt" Williams and his police dog "Diogi."
Judd said, "It's still a sad day for law enforcement and certainly for the sheriff's office."
"We have no idea whether or not [the suspect] shot [at police] but we saw him and we saw the gun," Judd said. "We don't have the details and we shot numerous times."
Hundreds of police were swarming "through every square inch" of thickly overgrown Florida woods Friday before the announcement. (Watch how identifying the suspect has become challenging -- 2:55)
Police insisted they would not rest until they captured the man, whom they suspect of killing a sheriff's deputy and wounding another during a routine traffic stop. They thought he was involved in a narcotics ring.
Williams was a 12-year veteran of the department.
Deputy Doug Speirs was shot in the leg and is expected to make a full recovery. He was treated and released at a hospital.
Judd said the suspect's body would be examined during an autopsy.
'Significant' leads; suspect 'armed and dangerous'
Before the suspect was shot Friday, Judd said, "We've run dozens of leads through the night. He's armed, we know he's very dangerous." He said police have "significant investigative leads."
Judd said police had been scouring between 75 and 150 acres of woods.
"It is so thick in that particular area you could literally walk by him close enough to touch him and not be able to see him," the sheriff said.
A $40,000 reward had been offered for information on the suspect.
"We've also developed through witnesses that his name is possibly Alex or Andrew Cloxton or Angleo Freeland," Judd said. "We know that he has friends and associates in Polk County." They believe he is from the Miami area.
Stopped for speeding
The man is suspected of shooting the two sheriff's deputies, one fatally, and killing a police dog after being pulled over for speeding on Thursday, the sheriff said. (Watch sheriff vow: "We will find him" -- 3:40)
Speirs pulled the suspect over about 11:45 a.m. for speeding, Judd said. The suspect told Speirs he had a Florida identification card but no driver's license. He was described as a black male, 6-feet-tall, wearing a white or light khaki T-shirt and dark pants and having a "Jamaican" accent.
During the traffic stop, Speirs went back to his car and returned several times to talk to the man, who was driving a rental car. At one point, the man asked, "Are you going to put me in jail?"
According to Judd, Speirs had already called for backup because he was suspicious and did not want to aggravate the situation. The deputy told the suspect that he doubted he would go to jail, saying, "It's a hot day. I'm not in the mood to drive all the way to the county jail."
But the man then ran into nearby woods, Judd said. Speirs went in about 200 to 300 feet, then returned to meet arriving officers and set up a perimeter.
Williams, the police dog and Speirs went into woods and faced "a sudden burst of gunfire," Judd said.
Williams, Speirs and the dog were shot in the ensuing gunfight. Speirs called for an ambulance, paramedics and additional police units.
Williams was shot multiple times, Judd said. "I don't believe he felt a thing."
A short time later, a Lakeland police detective was also fired on when he was notifying residents that the suspect might be in the area. When he returned fire, the suspect ran back into the woods, Judd said.
Police released a photo of the suspect but said it was taken off a Florida identification card thought to be false and could not verify the man's name or address.
It was believed that Diogi may have attacked the suspect before being shot, and deputies also returned fire at the suspect. He may be shot or bitten, Judd said.
Williams is survived by his wife and three children, a twin son and daughter, 16, and a 19-year-old son, Judd said. He was shot to death on his wife's birthday.
