Moral Side

Left-Wing Nuns Signed, Circulated Petitions for Walker Recall

As the Roman Catholic Church takes action to counter the left-wing drift of American nuns, Breitbart.com has learned that hundreds of nuns are involved in the left's campaign to recall Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R)--in favor of pro-choice Democratic challengers.

The nuns who have circulated and signed petitions include sisters from convents and other Catholic institutions across the state.

Over 100 signatures, for example, all of female voters, as verified through iVerifytheRecall, list the same address as a Dominican institution in Sinsinawa, WI, in the southwestern portion of the state. Representatives of that organization could not be reached for comment.

One Catholic official at a school with a large number of signatories stressed that Catholic organizations advocate for the poor and downtrodden, but do not take political positions, and that what their individual members do is up to them alone.

Though many Catholic voters support Walker, and approximatley forty percent of Wisconsin Republican primary voters are Catholic, there is some Catholic opposition to Walker's collective bargaining reforms among those partial to the "social justice" movement within the Catholic Church. Democrats are hoping to tap into that opposition.

Walker is Catholic, as is his most likely Democratic challenger, former congressman and former Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett, who has been criticized for opposing the ban on federal funding for abortion. Other Democratic candidates--Kathleen Falk, Doug LaFollette, Kathleen Vinehout--appear to be pro-choice.

The Vatican's recent effort to discipline the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), the largest organization of American nuns, stresses support for the nuns' "social justice" efforts but concludes that the group is not supportive enough of Catholic teachings on abortion and sexuality.

Many nuns who participate in the Leadership Conference supported "Obamacare" in 2010, according to the New York Times, in opposition to many American bishops who opposed the legislation. The law has recently been used by the Obama administration to force Catholic institutions to provide their employees with insurance coverage for abortifacients and contraceptives, contrary to Church teachings--and to Obama's promises.

Thus far, social issues have not played as large a role in the Wisconsin recall as have questions about union power in state government, but the support of some Catholic nuns for gubernatorial challengers whose policies directly contradict Church teachings has already begun to provoke debate and controversy.

-by Joel B. Pollak (article)

The President's Re-Election Strategy - Divide and Conquer

“If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.” The death of Trayvon Martin is a tragedy--as was the death of a 6-year-old girl named Aliyah Shell, caught in the crossfire of gang violence over St. Patrick’s Day weekend in Chicago.

But Aliyah's story received very little coverage, despite the event being more recent than the Martin tragedy, and despite the fact that it happened in President Barack Obama’s very own Chicago on a weekend when forty-nine people were shot and ten others were killed.

No mention of Aliyah from the president. No public outpouring for a young mother who sat untangling her daughter’s hair as shots rang out. Nothing. And yet... “If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.”

Why? Why would the president weigh in on this specific case at this specific time?  It’s not about wrong or right. It’s not about justice. It’s not about Trayvon Martin.

“The despair is there; now it’s up to us to go in and rub raw the sores of discontent, galvanize them for radical social change.”- Saul Alinsky

An interesting quote to consider, from the man who shaped the minds of those who shaped President Obama.  Now consider President Obama’s former chief of staff Rahm Emanuel’s notorious statement: “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.”  The meaning is the same. It is calculating and it is dangerous, part of a bigger picture--a multi-faceted war to divide America for the sole purpose of securing Obama's re-election and subsequent radical social change.

Look at the contrived conflicts on the left wing's political chessboard:

1.  
   1. Occupy Wall Street: the (self-appointed) 99% versus the 1%
   2. Contraceptive/abortifacient mandates: government versus religion
   3. Sandra Fluke: women versus conservatives
   4. Trayvon Martin: black versus "white" (so-called)

This is not complicated. President Obama is organizing. It’s that simple, and it’s straight out of the radical playbook:

“Once you organize people, they’ll keep advancing from issue to issue toward the ultimate objective.” – Saul Alinsky

This is not about Trayvon Martin. This is about divide and conquer. Hope and Change has been replaced with Us vs. Them. This about pitting Americans against Americans.

What is the next move?

- P.J. Salvatore

Bill Maher, The Gollum of American Politics

by Hugh Hewitt

I referred to Bill Maher as the "Gollum of American politics" Monday night on Sean Hannity's Great American Panel, and that generated some interesting reactions.

Of course not everyone knows the story of Gollum or how he came to be the shriveled, desiccated horror that he was throughout Lord of the Rings, and how the desire for power had consumed him from within.

Bill Maher's desire is to be noticed, and especially to be taken seriously as a political and social commentator. In this sad exchange with Jake Tapper (see below), Maher is retreating to the "I'm just a comedian" defense of his misogyny and bile, a surrender of any claim to be anything like a voice of influence. All those books, movies and speeches? Never mind. Just a stand-up comic making a living.

The most telling part of the Q-and-A? When Maher tells Tapper that "[a]nd through it all, I have defended Rush’s right to stay on the air!" As though that matters. As though anyone cares what Bill Maher has to say about whether Rush stays on the air. But the self-importance displayed in that closing line smashes Maher's "comedian" defense if it had any substance for anyone to begin with. Simple comedians don't take to the ramparts to defend anything. They tell jokes.

In this case, Maher has himself become the joke, and though he may yet have many seasons to run on HBO and will play Vegas until he meets his maker, no one has any real doubt about his real views or his real contribution. Yes, he has become toxic for a time, but the left will resurrect his career a few months down the road when the obviousness of the double standard fades. But he will still be a hater of women, of those who believe in God, and of many, many groups and individuals.

JAKE TAPPER: Bill, thanks for doing this. I just wanted to make sure that
as I cover this debate about appropriate language and such, I’m not
excluding any points you think should be made.

BILL MAHER: I don’t really know all the “points,” but as I said on my show
last Friday, I’m a pottymouth, not a misogynist.

TAPPER: So with all the criticism of Rush Limbaugh for his comments
about the Georgetown Law student, conservatives claim that there’s a
double standard, with President Obama, Democrats and the media far
more tolerant of offensive language when wielded by liberal or
progressive media figures against conservative women. Is that a fair
comparison? You have certainly used offensive words to describe some
politicians you don’t like.

MAHER: I’m a comedian – not just a guy who says he is, like Rush, but
someone who – well, you saw me do stand-up last year in D.C. There’s a
big difference between just saying you’re a comedian and going out and
getting thousands of people to laugh hard for 90 minutes. And the one
I’m compared to most is Carlin, who also had these kind of problems.
Edgy is my brand – everyone wants that, but they say, “but never
go over the line.” It’s like telling Tom Brady, ‘Throw into coverage
40 times a game every game but never throw an interception.’”

TAPPER: How do you know when you’ve gone too far?

MAHER: I let the audience be the guide. The bit I did about Palin
using the word c—, one of the biggest laughs in my act, I did it all
over the country, not one person ever registered disapproval, and
believe me, audiences are not afraid to let you know. Because it was
a routine where that word came in at just the right moment. Context is
very important, and it’s also important to remember that stand-up
comedy is the final frontier of free speech. Still, I stopped doing
that routine, but I would like someone to replace that word if it’s so
awful with another one that has the same meaning for a person – not
just women, it’s a word you can and lots do (all the British, for
example) use for both sexes. It has a very specific meaning.

TAPPER: And that’s not comparable to what Limbaugh said about Sandra Fluke?

MAHER: To compare that to Rush is ridiculous – he went after a
civilian about very specific behavior, that was a lie, speaking for a
party that has systematically gone after women’s rights all year, on
the public airwaves. I used a rude word about a public figure who
gives as good as she gets, who’s called people “terrorist” and
“unAmerican.” Sarah Barracuda. The First Amendment was specifically
designed for citizens to insult politicians. Libel laws were written
to protect law students speaking out on political issues from getting
called whores by Oxycontin addicts.

TAPPER: What about all the clips of you saying rather “edgy” things -
offensive to many people, no doubt – from your show on HBO, “Real
Time”?

MAHER: Of course if you take out of context over 10 years snippets
inside comedy bits you can make anyone look bad – and sometimes, I
have been! Not perfect, but not misogyny. In general, this is an
obvious right wing attempt to dredge up some old shit about me to
deflect from their self-inflicted problems. They are the kings of
false equivalencies.

And through it all, I have defended Rush’s right to stay on the air!
Not what he said, that was disgusting – but the right to not disappear
because people who don’t even listen to you don’t like what you said.
That really bothers me. I never hear Rush Limbaugh unless a guy in the
next truck at a stop light has it on; it would be arrogant for me to
say “he has to disappear” and deprive the people who do listen to him
of what they like. We all have different tastes and different
opinions, that’s America.

"Moral Side" Topics for the Program Airing Sunday, March 11, 2012

"The Moral Side of the News" may be seen on WHAS-TV - Sundays at 5:30am - and on the FAITH CHANNEL in Lousville, Kentucky - Sundays at 12:00nn.  The program may be heard on WHAS 840AM - Sundays at 9:30pm (also streamed via the Internet) - and on several Louisville radio stations - Sundays at 7:00am or 7:30am.

TOPIC 1: 11 Advertisers Flee Rush Limbaugh; Pro-Gingrich Super PAC Stays 

Advertisers are rushing to the exits of Rush Limbaugh's radio show after customers inundated the Internet with outrage over the conservative commentator's widely criticized "slut" comments about Sandra Fluke.

Online media giant AOL, tax attorney group Tax Resolution Services, weight loss program Sensa and vitamin supplier Vitacost announced Monday that they were pulling their commercials from Limbaugh's program, bringing the total number of companies withdrawing their ads to eleven.

Two radio stations -- KPUA AM 670 in Hilo, Hawaii and WBEC 1420 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts -- announced they will no longer broadcast the show because of Limbaugh's comments. According to Limbaugh's web site, more than 600 stations air his show.

"It has never been our goal to allow our station to be used for personal attacks and intolerance," Chris Leonard, President and General Manager of New West Broadcasting, KPUA's parent company, said Monday in a statement. "The most recent incident has crossed a line of decency and a standard that we expect of programming on KPUA whether it is locally produced or a syndicated program like the Rush Limbaugh show."

WBEC Vice President Peter Barry said his decision to cut Limbaugh has been met with overwhelming support from the station's listeners.

"We have been inundated with calls and emails of support," Barry told ABC News. "There have been probably 50 calls of support for every one call disagreeing with the decision."

On his show last week Limbaugh dubbed Georgetown University law school student Sandra Fluke a "slut" and a "prostitute" for testifying before a congressional committee that birth control should be covered under employee health insurance plans.

Limbaugh has been widely criticized by many Democrats and women's rights groups, but the Republican response has been measurably more muted. The GOP presidential candidates have stopped short of all-out condemning Limbaugh's statements. And the pro-Newt Gingrich Super Pac Winning Our Future is running a national radio ad during Limbaugh show.

The Super Pac's spokesman Rick Tyler said the group had no intention of pulling its pro-Gingrich ads, which attack Mitt Romney, from Limbaugh's show.

Gingrich has steered clear of criticizing Limbaugh, instead re-focusing the issue on President Obama, whom he says "opportunistically" interjected himself into the issue by calling Fluke on Friday.

All of the former advertisers cited a conflict of values as the reason for dropping their ads.

"Mr. Limbaugh's recent comments went beyond political discourse to a personal attack and do not reflect our values as a company," ProFlowers said Sunday in a statement on its Facebook page. "As such, ProFlowers has suspended advertising on the Rush Limbaugh radio program."

The companies' often short statements posted to Twitter, Facebook and corporate blogs have already received an outpouring of comments. More than 1,100 people "liked" AOL's decision within three hours of it being posted on Facebook. And while Carbonite has less than one-tenth as many Facebook fans as AOL, more than 4,600 people have "liked" or commented on its decision to withdraw their ads since it was posted on Saturday.

CONTINUE READING: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/advertisers-flee-rush-limbaugh-pro-gingrich-super-pac/story?id=15852538

 

Text of Rush Limbaugh Apology to Law Student

The text of radio show host Rush Limbaugh's apology to Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke for calling her insulting names. It was posted on his website Saturday.

"For over 20 years, I have illustrated the absurd with absurdity, three hours a day, five days a week. In this instance, I chose the wrong words in my analogy of the situation. I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke.

I think it is absolutely absurd that during these very serious political times, we are discussing personal sexual recreational activities before members of Congress. I personally do not agree that American citizens should pay for these social activities. What happened to personal responsibility and accountability? Where do we draw the line? If this is accepted as the norm, what will follow? Will we be debating if taxpayers should pay for new sneakers for all students that are interested in running to keep fit? In my monologue, I posited that it is not our business whatsoever to know what is going on in anyone's bedroom nor do I think it is a topic that should reach a Presidential level.

My choice of words was not the best, and in the attempt to be humorous, I created a national stir. I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for the insulting word choices."

 

QUESTION: What are your thoughts on Rush Limbaugh’s comments and the national stir that he has caused?

 

TOPIC 2: Colts release Peyton Manning

INDIANAPOLIS -- Colts owner Jim Irsay announced Wednesday that his team will release quarterback Peyton Manning, making the four-time MVP perhaps the most-coveted free agent in NFL history -- if he's healthy enough to play in 2012.

Both men paused frequently to fight tears, with their voices shaking, when they appeared together at a news conference at the Colts' team complex to announce the end of Manning's 14-year tenure in Indianapolis. The team had a deadline of Thursday to pay Manning a $28 million bonus and exercise the four remaining years on the five-year, $90 million contract he signed before last season, or release him outright.

"This is difficult because of the things Peyton has done for our city, our state and our franchise," Irsay said. "There will be no other Peyton Manning."

Irsay said Manning's No. 18 "will never be worn again by a Colt on the field."

"We all know that nothing lasts forever," Manning said. "Times change, circumstances change, and that's the reality of playing in the NFL."

Manning said no matter where he ends up playing next season, "I'll always be a Colt. That'll never change."

It was a sentiment shared by Irsay, who said Manning will "always (be) part of the horseshoe."

Manning officially will be a free agent once the Colts submit his release to the NFL, the league processes it and places his name on the waiver wire. That could happen as soon as Wednesday afternoon, as the league typically distributes that list at about 4 p.m. ET each weekday. Free agency begins Tuesday, but Manning can sign with another NFL team immediately after the Colts formally release him.

Both men said money was not a factor. Manning missed all of last season after having his third neck surgery in 19 months, a fusion of two vertebrae. Without him, the Colts were an NFL-worst 2-14, which comes with the No. 1 overall draft pick in April.

"I haven't thought about yet where I'll play but I have throught about where I've been," Manning said. "I've been blessed."

Irsay said he'll be rooting for Manning to succeed, wherever his next NFL home might be.

"I want to see him come back and play great, no question about it. Here, just like in 2001, we didn't have everything to surround him. I want him to succeed at the end of his career," he said.

As for the Colts, Irsay repeatedly used the word "rebuilding" and acknowledged "we're definitely a few years away."

Manning preferred to remain with the Colts, one source told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen, but a source close to Irsay said the owner concluded that the major restructuring of the organization would include a change at the position, likely either former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck or former Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III.

CONTINUE READING: http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7656028/indianapolis-colts-peyton-manning-part-ways-14-seasons

RELATED STORY: http://www.whas11.com/sports/Colts-announce-end-of-Peyton-Mannings-career-with-club-141762773.html

QUESTION: What are your thoughts on this?

TOPIC 3: Kentuckiana Tornadoes, March 2, 2012

http://www.whas11.com/weather/march-tornado-coverage

QUESTION: Do you have any words of inspiration to share with those who were impacted by the tornadoes last week?

Chris Matthews Explains ‘If You’re Really Anti-Gay, You Become a Catholic Now’ Comment

MSNBC’s Chris Matthews made comments recently that will certainly be taken negatively by some people who embrace the Catholic faith.

“If you’re really anti-gay, you become a Catholic now,“ he reportedly proclaimed during the ”Presidential Leadership Panel,” an event focusing upon politics in America.

Following the panel discussion, which also featured Civil War expert Harold Holzer and presidential historian Michael Beschloss, Scott Whitlock of the Media Research Center asked Matthews — an admitted Catholic himself — to clarify his comment about Catholics and homosexuality.

“Earlier tonight, you were talking about Nixon and the Southern Strategy and bigotry and things like that you and you said, quote, ‘If you’re really anti-gay, you become a Catholic now,’” Whitlock said. “I was wondering if you were saying that bigots become Catholic now and if you wanted to expand or apologize for that?”

Matthews responded, doubling down on his comment, while simultaneously attempting to tempter it.  “I think there are people who have chosen to convert to the Catholic faith because they don’t like the liberal positions taken by their sectarian groups,” Matthews explained. “That’s a fact. So, you can write that down. No, you can write that down.”

Whitlock, though, wasn’t done pushing the issue.  “So, you’re saying Catholicism is drawing bigots? Is that what you’re saying?,” he asked.

“I’m saying that some people who are bigoted against gay people have changed religions,” Matthews answered. “Yes. You got it right.” 

"The Moral Side of the News" Topics for Sunday, January 22, 2012 - Italian Cruise Ship, Indiana Legislature, and Paula Deen

Here are the topics for the program to air on Sunday, January 22, 2012.  You may comment on any topic on this blog.

The Moral Side of the News airs on WHAS-TV on Sunday mornings at 5:30am and WHAS 840AM radia on Sunday evenings at 9:30pm.  It may also be seen or heard in Louisville on the FAITH CHANNEL on Sundays at noon, and on various Louisville radio stations at 7am or 7:30am Sundays.

TOPIC 1:

Cruise Captain Says He 'Tripped' Into Lifeboat, Couldn't Get Out

The captain of the Italian cruise ship gave a slapstick explanation of how he ended up safely in a lifeboat instead of going down with his ship, saying he tripped and fell into the boat as it was being lowered into the sea, Italian media reported today.  "I had no intention of escaping," Francesco Schettino, 52, said during his first court hearing Tuesday, according to Italy's Corriere della Sera newspaper.  "I was helping some passengers put the life boat to sea. At a certain point the mechanism for lowering it, blocked. We had to force it. Suddenly the system unblocked itself and I tripped and I found myself inside the life boat with a number of passengers."  Once in the lifeboat that was lowered into the sea, Schettino insisted to the court that it was "impossible to go back onboard."

The captain also reportedly admitted to the court that he lied at one point when he assured officials that he had dropped anchor shortly after the Costa Concordia slammed into a rock to stabilize the luxury liner.  However a video by the Guardia di Finanza who arrived onsite 10 minutes after the disaster clearly shows that the anchor had not been lowered. Schettino admitted Tuesday that he lied about the anchor, the newspaper reported.

The luxury cruise ship was carrying more than 4,000 passengers and crew when it struck rocks Friday evening near Giglio off the coast of Tuscany, during a close pass to shore. At least 11 people were killed in the aftermath when the ship keeled over. Nearly two dozen people are still missing, including an American couple from Minnesota.

Schettino reportedly admitted that he made mistakes that led to the crash and afterwards, but said the ship's course, including the now-controversial close pass, had been set from the beginning. The cruise line previously said Schettino had made an unauthorized deviation from the programmed route.  Schettino, who is currently under house arrest, is under investigation for potentially causing the wreck by steering into the rocks and then abandoning the panicked passengers for a lifeboat as the ship plunged over on its side. In recorded radio transmissions released Tuesday, Schettino is heard telling Italian Port Authority officials he and other officers abandoned ship.  "And with 100 people still on board, you abandon ship? [expletive]," the Port Authority officer says in response.

Schettino appears to correct himself, saying, "I didn't abandon any ship... because the ship turned on its side quickly and we were catapulted into the water."  The recording goes on to show the Port Authority official repeatedly berating Schettino for not going back to the ship to coordinate rescue efforts, and at one point ordering Schettino to "get back on board for [expletive]'s sake!" TRANSCRIPT: 'Get Back on Board for [Expletive] Sake!'

CONTINUE READING: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/cruise-captain-claimed-tripped-lifeboat-report/story?id=15386279

QUESTION: What are your thoughts on this tragedy and the captain’s explanation for abandoning his ship?

TOPIC 2:

Dems Face $1K-A-Day Fines Over No Show

INDIANAPOLIS -- House Republicans voted Wednesday to start imposing $1,000 fines against Democratic legislators who have resumed their boycott of a right-to-work bill.  Democrats refused to enter the chamber Wednesday to allow a quorum, instead holding an open caucus inside the Statehouse rotunda, surrounded by hundreds of union supporters.  "They have tried to stop you from being in this building. You wouldn't allow it to happen," Democratic House Minority Leader Patrick Bauer told the cheering crowd.

Bauer and Republican Speaker Brian Bosma squabbled Tuesday over what Bauer called Bosma's "manipulation" of an effort to put right-to-work legislation on the ballot.  The two leaders fought over who broke a truce negotiated designed to keep Democrats in the House chamber long enough for a vote on the Republican plan to ban union contracts with mandatory representation fees.  The legislation has brought hundreds of labor protesters to the Statehouse almost daily and spurred Democrats to frequently block action by denying Republicans the number of lawmakers needed to conduct any business.

Lawmakers had planned Tuesday to vote on whether to put the right-to-work bill to referendum before voters this fall. But Bauer said he found out late Monday that state lawyers had raised questions about the constitutionality of such a measure. He called it a trick from Bosma designed to give Republicans cover to vote against the referendum proposal.  "We will not let the Republicans press a crown of thorns upon the brows of the working families of Indiana," said Rep. Terry Goodin, D-Austin.

Among Wednesday's crowd were Teamsters members were wearing shirts with an XLVI and a slash, a clear reference to the Super Bowl, many shouting "Occupy the Super Bowl."  Teamsters Local 135 Director Jeff Combs said the union is discussing plans to protest right-to-work at the game so they can bring their cause to a national audience.  "We'll roll 100 trucks in here, 200 if we need to and put in thousands of people if we have to" to surround the stadium, Combs said.  A representative with the Super Bowl Host Committee told RTV6 that public safety officials will be ready to deal with any disruptions, but said they hope the protesters will realize what the game means to Indiana.

WATCH STORY: http://www.theindychannel.com/politics/30239912/detail.html

QUESTION: What are your thoughts on this and the plans to take the protest to the Super Bowl?

 

TOPIC 3:

Anthony Bourdain Slams Paula Deen for Diabetes-Drug Partnership

Anthony Bourdain, a New York-based chef and host of the Travel Channel's "No Reservations," took to Twitter Tuesday night to resume his criticism of chef Paula Deen by tweeting, "Thinking of getting into the leg-breaking business, so I can profitably sell crutches later."  The comment is presumably another slam against the down-home chef's decision to become the face of diabetes drug-maker Novo Nordisk.

Deen, host of the Food Network's "Paula's Best Dishes," put rumors to bed Tuesday by confirming on NBC's "Today Show" that she was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes three years ago, even though she continued to tout her buttery, artery-clogging Southern cuisine. She also announced the launch of her new campaign, "Diabetes in a New Light," which is in partnership with diabetes drug-maker Novo Nordisk.  Deen, 64, reportedly treats her diabetes with the company's Victoza, a daily injectable drug that is meant to maintain blood-sugar levels. She will appear in an advertisement for the drug later this month, USA Today reported.

But this wasn't Bourdain's first time criticizing the jovial cooking host. He told TV Guide last year that Deen was the "worst, most dangerous person in America" because of her high-fat cooking. Upon hearing of Deen's diabetes diagnosis, Bourdain had even more criticism to sling.  "When your signature dish is hamburger in between a doughnut, and you've been cheerfully selling this stuff knowing all along that you've got Type 2 Diabetes. ... It's in bad taste if nothing else," he told Eater Monday.

Deen defended her decision to keep quiet in order to become educated on the condition before taking it public.  "I made the choice at the time to keep it close to me, to keep it close to my chest," she told USA Today. "I felt like I had nothing to offer anybody other than the announcement. I wasn't armed with enough knowledge. I knew when it was time, it would be in God's time."

CONTINUE READING: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/anthony-bourdain-slams-paula-deen/story?id=15386289

QUESTION: What are your thoughts on this? Do you think Paula Deen should have reported her diagnosis sooner?

Moral Side Topics for Sunday, January 8, 2012 - Kentucky Felons Released, Gatewood Galbraith, and Presidential Politics

"The Moral Side of the News" is streamed live on Sunday evenings at 9:30pm EST at WHAS Radio. Here are the topics for the upcoming broadcast:

TOPIC 1: Kentucky prisons free nearly 1,000 inmates early

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) - Kentucky prisons are a little less crowded tonight, after almost 1,000 inmates were released statewide Tuesday. It is all in an effort to save money.

Kentucky House Bill 463 mandated the prisoners’ release in an effort to save the Commonwealth $400 million over the next ten years.

But some people think that freeing so many prisoners will not come without serious costs to society.

Dozens of buses left prisons statewide this morning, headed for the Louisville Greyhound Bus Terminal. Each was loaded with prisoners who were released in mass at least six months early.
Decarlo Robeson was one of more than 150 prisoners originally convicted in Jefferson county who returned to the bus station today.

“I think it's just a blessing. I get to see my family,” Robeson said. “I didn't get to make New Years or Christmas, but I'm happy. I’m blessed to be free.”

The release of 939 state prisoners six months early will save Kentucky at least $10 million dollars since each inmate costs the state more than $60 a day to incarcerate.

Jefferson County Commonwealth's Attorney David Stengel says spending money on prisons is the best investment Kentucky can make.

“Incarceration, oddly enough, does work, but we just apparently can't afford it,” Stengel said.

Stengel says that there are already alternative sentencing programs and other options aimed at keeping all but the worst criminals out of prison.

“By the time they end up inside a hard cell, they've earned it. Now to see them coming out even six months early bothers me. It bothers all the prosecutors. It bothers the public, I'm sure,” Stengel said.

“I'm a repeat offender because every time I get out, I ain't got nothing to go to except my family, who's got burdens of their own, you know. They ain't got nothing for you once you get out,” said an inmate who did not want to be named.

The inmates released Tuesday, some who have been behind bars a decade or more, enter a job market already with few openings.

They also all have felony records, making it even more difficult to find employment. That is why agencies like the Healing Place and Goodwill Industries are stepping in to help out.

“We can't do nothing about them being released. They've already been released. So we need to assist them finding work,” Kim Colbert of Goodwill Industries.

The inmates released who were convicted in Jefferson County included robbers, kidnappers and sex offenders.

Officials say many of those convicted of lesser crimes and are eligible for release have already been paroled in an effort to ease overcrowding.

WATCH STORY: http://www.whas11.com/home/1000-inmates-to-be-released-early-136575878.html

QUESTION: What are your thoughts on the state releasing inmates to save money?

WE WILL ALSO MENTION THE FOLLOWING STORY:  Gatewood Galbraith dead at 64

(WHAS11) -- Gatewood Galbraith, a "perennial candidate because Kentucky has perennial problems" has died, his 2011 running mate disclosed on Wednesday.

"Dear Friends I have just been notified that Gatewood passed away last night," Dea Riley posted on her Facebook page, "I am heading to Lexington to be with his family. Please say a prayer for his family and friends and all those who loved him."

Friends of Galbraith also confirmed his death.

A Lexington trial attorney, Galbraith's nine unsuccessful attempts at statewide office from 1983 to 2011 garnered much attention for his bold statements and views, particularly on the legalization of marijuana.

Galbraith also sought more investment in Kentucky education, responsible mining policies and an end to a "good old boy" system in Frankfort.

He complained that Kentucky’s systems were dysfunctional.

As a Reform Party candidate, Galbraith received 15.9 % of the vote in the 1999 gubernatorial election. He also ran for agriculture commissioner, attorney general and for Congress. Galbraith received 8.9 percent of the vote in the 2011 gubernatorial election.

Galbraith was 64-years-old. He was divorced and is survived by three grown daughters.

http://www.whas11.com/community/blogs/political-blog/Gatewood-Galbraith-dead-136659733.html

TOPIC 2:  Iowa Caucus Results: Romney Edges Santorum by 8 Votes

Mitt Romney won the first presidential preference contest of 2012 by a mere eight votes Tuesday, narrowly edging out a surging Rick Santorum in the Iowa Caucuses.

The two men -- neither of whom was expected as recently as a month ago to win -- ran neck and neck and finished in a virtual tie. The second place finish capped a remarkable rise in popularity for Santorum, who had focused his entire campaign and shoestring budget on Iowa.

Romney finished second in Iowa in 2008, but had focused his 2012 campaign on other early primary and caucus states. In this cycle he received exactly six votes less than he did in 2008.

In third place was Rep. Ron Paul, the Libertarian leaning Texan on his third and most inspired run for the presidency.

Read analysis of the Iowa results and whether Santorum can carry his momentum to other states.

There were some reporting irregularities from local party committees that dragged the election outcome into the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

Both candidates gave speeches earlier in the night that sounded victorious. ABC News projected that 123,000 people voted in the Iowa contest, the largest turnout for a Republican caucus. Romney got 30,015 votes and Santorum received 30,007.

Santorum was boosted by evangelical Christians, an influential group in the state, and voters who made their decision in just the last few days. A Des Moines Register poll Saturday found that as many as four in 10 Republican voters in Iowa were still undecided.

CONTINUE READING: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/iowa-caucus-results-mitt-romney-defeats-rick-santorum-8-votes/story?id=15283406

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QUESTION: What are your thoughts on the Iowa Caucus results and the latest developments in the GOP race?

Topics for "The Moral Side of the News" Airing Sunday, November 6, 2011

"The Moral Side of the News" is broadcast on WHAS-TV in Louisville, Kentucky at 5:30am on Sunday and on cable Faith-TV at 12:00nn on Sunday. The program is also broadcast on several radio stations in the Louisville area at either 7:00am or 7:30am Sunday, and at 9:30pm Sunday on WHAS Radio 840am.

The program is taped at 1:00pm on Thursdays at the WHAS-TV studios. Persons wishing to view the taping need to contact the Crusade for Children office or one of the panelists.

Here are the topics for this coming Sunday:

Gubernatorial candidates prepare for final debate

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -- Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear is scheduled for a rare debate with two well-known Kentucky politicians who want to take his job in the Nov. 8 election.

The 90-minute faceoff, being broadcast statewide on Kentucky Educational Television beginning at 8 p.m. Monday, will give Republican David Williams and independent Gatewood Galbraith a final opportunity to confront Beshear in person.

It will be only the second debate between the three attorneys, and it comes with just more than a week remaining before Election Day.

University of Louisville political scientist Laurie Rhodebeck said the public television debate isn't likely to sway a race in which Williams trails by some 30 percentage points and Galbraith by 50.

"I don't think it will matter because of Beshear's lead and what seems to be the public's entrenched negative view of Williams," Rhodebeck said. "If Williams can make himself likable in 90 minutes that might be helpful."

Williams, the long-time president of the state Senate, is aware of the negative perception people have of him, but he blames it on political opponents who have portrayed him as a bully. Galbraith, a Lexington attorney, is hoping voters will get so turned off by the enmity between Beshear and Williams that they will vote him into office.

WATCH VIDEO: http://www.whas11.com/home/Candidates-for-Ky-Governor-take-stage-for-debate-Monday-night-132975048.html

WATCH VIDEO: http://www.whas11.com/great-day-live/video/Joe-Arnold-dissects-gubernatorial-campaign-ads-131334654.html

Williams criticizes governor for ceremony

SHELBYVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Republican gubernatorial candidate David Williams is criticizing incumbent Gov. Steve Beshear for taking part in a ceremony that marked an Indian company's entry into Kentucky, bringing with it 250 jobs.

Williams told a very small gathering at a Republican rally on Tuesday that the incumbent Democrat should not have participated in the ceremony in Elizabethtown with officials from Flex Films, which is building a $180 million manufacturing plant in the central Kentucky city.

In a news release Friday, the state characterized the event as a blessing ceremony that is traditional in India for new homes, businesses or other facilities.

But Williams told reporters the ceremony featured Hindu priests and prayers and said he would have merely attended, rather than actually participated in, the event.

Williams cited his Christian background. Beshear is the son and grandson of Baptist preachers.

QUESTION: What are your thoughts on the gubernatorial campaign and upcoming election? What are your thoughts on the criticism Gov. Beshear is receiving for participating in the ceremony with Hindu priest?

National Guardsmen struggle to find civilian employment

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11)— With Kentucky's unemployment rate hovering well above nine percent, there's a big push to get residents back to work. This is especially true for National Guardsmen and their families.

Private First Class Robert Mattingly of the Army National Guard is struggling to find a stable job.

“I haven’t been able to find a job until I got a seasonal position,” Mattingly said.

He currently works as a packer for an online shopping company for $9 an hour when he is not active with the Army National Guard. He says he needs a better job to support his future wife and family and that's why he came to a jobs workshop held for members of the

Second Battalion 138th Field Artillery Regiment.

Right now, 22 percent of the Second Battalion is unemployed. Workshop organizers say, if guard members move to other states for employment, it could cause a problem during an emergency crisis in Kentucky.

“If the soldiers have to move out of state to seek employment and they're living in Chattanooga or New Brunswick or Detroit or Orlando, they're not readily available to respond,” Philip Miller of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve said.

Today's workshop drew service members from new recruits to long time vets like Staff Sgt. Mike Hatfield who has been in the guard for 18 years. He is a fire fighter in Bardstown in the civilian world.

“It’s a small fire department,” said Hatfield. “Until the chief and deputy chief all retire I’m pretty much stuck for the next five ten years at the job I’m at now.”

WATCH STORY: http://www.whas11.com/home/National-Guardsmen-struggle-to-find-civilian-employment-133023543.htmlBoehner.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/11/boehner-gop-blame-senate-democrats-for-stalling-economic-recovery/

QUESTION: What are your thoughts on this? What about the continuous bickering between Republicans and Democrats in Congress?

LMPD chief talks about upcoming departure

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11)— Louisville Metro Police Department Chief Robert White spoke about his decision to leave Louisville after almost 9 years at a press conference on Tuesday. White has taken a new job as the police chief in Denver, Colo.
Chief White says while he doesn't think the work in the metro is done, he is confident in the department he is leaving behind.
White says this new job in Denver was an opportunity he couldn't pass up even though he and his wife love living and working here in Louisville.
“Denver absolutely approached me. I had made a commitment that I was not pursuing any other jobs as a police chief… But they approached me and they approached me relatively aggressively and after conferring with my wife and looking at where we were as a police department, I just thought it would be a good time to move on,” he said.
Chief White says his last day will be sometime in early December. He says before he leaves, he wants to thank the people who have supported him, his family and his police department.
White would not comment on a possible successor or who he would like to see in that position.

WATCH VIDEO: http://www.whas11.com/home/LMPD-chief-talks-about-upcoming-departure-133027368.html

Chief White makes his way to Colorado

Louisville, Ky. (WHAS11)- Louisville's Mayor says the process is already underway to find a new chief of police.

Chief Robert White announced Friday he will be taking a new job in Denver, Colorado.
White has been Chief in Louisville since 2003.

One of his goals then, was the same as it is now in Denver, to improve the relationship between police and the community, it has been strained in Denver.

This weekend he was officially introduced in Colorado. “I first wanted to thank the mayor for having the confidence in selecting me..will not disappoint you,” says White.

Chief White says he's achieved everything he could here, and will always remember his time in Louisville. His last day will be sometime in December.

WATCH VIDEO: http://www.whas11.com/home/Chief-White-makes-his-way-to-Colorado-132911848.html

WATCH VIDEO: http://www.whas11.com/community/Ask-the-Mayor-Police-Chief-Robert-White-leaving-Louisville-133007183.html

QUESTION: What are your thoughts on Chief White leaving LMPD? What characteristics do you think the next police chief should have? And what should his/her priorities be coming into the position?

Topics for "The Moral Side of the News" to Air on Sunday, September 4, 2011

TOPIC 1: Hurricane Irene Puts Spotlight on Partisan Battles Over FEMA Emergency Funding

The natural disaster streak of 2011 seems to be giving the apocalypse a run for its money and has left the U.S. government in need of even more. 

Devastating flooding in the Mississippi River Valley, deadly tornadoes in Missouri and an enourmous hurrican on the East Coast have wrung all the spare change from a cash-strapped Federal Emergency Management Agency still reeling from Hurricane Katrina. 

But emergency supplemental appropriations that have traditionally passed quickly through Congress after past natural disasters are going to be a tougher sell this year. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, the No. 2 Republican in the House, said Monday that any additional disaster funding must be offset by spending cuts, which could throw emergency funds into the fire of partisan budget battles. 

"In instances like this, yes, there is a federal role; yes, we are going to find the money. We're just going to need to make sure that there are savings elsewhere to continue to do so," Cantor said on Fox News. 

The White House responded to Cantor's calls for balancing emergency spending with budget cuts, saying that it is "premature to make a determination yet about what kind of costs could be incurred at the federal level" because they are still in the process of assessing the level of damages. 

However, Carney added, "I can't help but say that I wish that commitment to looking for offsets had been held by the House Majority Leader and others, say, during the previous administration when they ran up unprecedented bills and never paid for them." 

Even before Irene's fury soaked the East Coast, FEMA's disaster relief fund was sitting at just $792 million, forcing the agency to prioritize its relief efforts as it does every time the fund drops below $1 billion. Because of this "immediate-needs status," FEMA's long-term projects such as rebuilding schools, roads, bridges and libraries have been put on hold to deal with the needs of Hurricane Irene's victims. 

The agency has slipped into immediate-needs status in five of the past eight years, but received emergency appropriations from Congress in four of those five years. In fact, between 2005 and 2007 Congress appropriated almost $95 billion in supplemental disaster funding for Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, according to a Congressional Budget Office report. 

"Congress knows that this is historically the way disaster relief funding has been handled," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said. "The appropriators have been kept informed on a regular basis about the status of the [disaster relief fund]." 

Napolitano echoed the White House today, warning that Congress should be focused on helping storm victims and not trap relief money in political gridlock. 

TOPIC 2: Former Powell Chief of Staff: Cheney "Fears Being Tried as a War Criminal"

Former Vice President Dick Cheney's memoir, "In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir," is out Tuesday, and it's full of criticism and attacks on his Bush administratoin colleagues -- from describing Condoleezza Rice as "tearfully admitting" he was right on the war in Iraq to revealing private conversations with George W. Bush on the eve of the Iraq war.  

He reserves much of his ire for former Secretary of State Colin Powell, and now Powell and his longtime aide and chief of staff, Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, are attempting to set the record straight. In no uncertain terms. Cheney, Wilkerson told ABC News, "was president for all practical purposes for the first term of the Bush administration" and "fears being tried as a war criminal." 

In his memoir, Cheney claims Powell undermined President Bush. "It was as though he thought the proper way to express his views was by criticizing administration policy to people outside the government," Cheney writes, adding that he encouraged Powell's removal from the administration after the 2004 election, writing Powell's resignation "was for the best."  

Powell himself called Cheney's criticism "cheap shots" during an interview this past Sunday on CBS News' Face the Nation.  

"What really sort of got my attention was this way in which he characterized it: it's going to 'cause heads to explode,'" Powell said. "That's quite a visual.  And in fact, it's the kind of headline I would expect to come out of a gossip columnist, or the kind of headline you might see one of the supermarket tabloids write. It's not the kind of headline I would have expected to come from a former vice president of the United States of America."

Cheney's memoir, "In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir," is the vice president's version of events in the Bush administration. According to the New York Times, he reveals personal conversations with Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell, George Tenet, and even George W. Bush.  

There are details from Sept. 11, 2001, his thoughts on John McCain's 2008 campaign, and Cheney writes about his heart problems and his backup plan in case his health problems overwhelmed him. He also writes, for the first time, about the weeks he was unconscious after heart surgery in 2010. 

"There are going to be heads exploding all over Washington" after people read the book, Cheney told NBC News. 

Which Political Party in the House of Representatives Is Dominated by Extremists?

Many political commentators from various media sources have advanced the notion that based on the vote on the "Final Debt Deal," the Republican Party in the House of Representatives is fractured and dominated by extremists.

The repetition of this opinion in the media by commentators ignores the actual vote and is intellectually lazy.  Let us look at the vote and then draw some conclusions.

The 112th House of Representatives has 242 Republicans and 195 Democrats.  It is safe to assert that since Representatives stand for election every two years by a specific district, then the House of Representatives more acurately reflects the mood and direction of the people than does the Senate.

Because of the party affiliation of each Representative it is safe to say that the center of the 112th House of Representatives is within the Republican Party.  I think we can agree that the political "extremes" can be located within each party.  The "exteme right" is within the Republican Party in the House, and the "extreme left" is within the Democratic Party in the House.

The "Final Debt Deal" passed in the House of Representatives with vote of 269 in the affirmative and 161 in the negative.  Three Representatives did not vote, and no judgment is made about those positions.

Republican Representatives supported the "Final Debt Deal" by a vote of 174 - 66.  Democratic Representatives were split on the "Deal" by a vote of 95 - 95.  Three Democrats did not vote.  Speaker of the House Boehner, Majority Leader Cantor, and Minority Leader Pelosi voted in the affirmative.

The broad, bipartisan center for the "Final Debt Deal" - 62.6% - spanned both parties.  The bill would not have passed unless it had the support of both parties' leadaership and the bipartisan support of the majority of Representatives.

If we assume that the "extreme" on both ends of the spectrum voted in the minority opposition, and that the "extreme right" is found among the Republican Representatives and the "Extreme Left" is found among the Democratic Representatives, then what conclusions can we draw from this very important vote?

1. The center of the 112th House of Representatives is within the Republican Party.
2. The Republican Party in the 112th House is not dominated by the "Extreme Right."  Based on this particular vote the "Extreme Right" is 27.3% of the Republican Party - an important, but not dominant minority.
3. The Democratic Party in the 112th House is split by those in the broad center and those on the "Extreme Left."  Based on this particular vote the "Extreme Left" is exactly 50.0% of the Democratic Party - making neither the center, nor extreme the majority or minority.
4. The Democratic Party in the 112th House is the party that is fractured and dominated by "Extremists."

Before making rash and lazy statements based on their own wishful thinking, commentators should look at the facts.