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Insider Report: Michael Moore Threatens Hillary Special From NewsMax's Most Informed Sources
Headlines (Scroll down for complete stories): 1. Michael Moore Threatens Hillary The day after Sen. Joe Lieberman's defeat in the Connecticut primary, Michael Moore warned Sen. Hillary Clinton that strong opposition to the war in Iraq is her "only hope" of winning the Democratic nomination for president in 2008. In a mass mailing addressed to "Friends," the Bush-bashing filmmaker wrote: "Let the resounding defeat of Sen. Joe Lieberman send a cold shiver down the spine of every Democrat who supported the invasion of Iraq and who continues to support, in any way, this senseless, immoral, unwinnable war . . . "Nearly every Democrat set to run for president in 2008 is responsible for this war. They voted for it or they supported it . . .
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"I realize that there are those like Kerry and Edwards who have now changed their position and are strongly anti-war. Perhaps that switch will be enough for some to support them. For others, like me - while I'm glad they've seen the light -- their massive error in judgment is, sadly, proof that they are not fit for the job. . . "To Hillary, our first best hope for a woman to become president, I cannot for the life of me figure out why you continue to support Bush and his war . . . I'm here to tell you that you will never make it through the Democratic primaries unless you start now by strongly opposing the war. It is your only hope. You and Joe have been Bush's biggest Democratic supporters of the war. Last night's voter revolt took place just a few miles from your home in Chappaqua. Did you hear the noise? Can you read the writing on the wall?" In a postscript, Moore adds: "Republicans -- sorry to leave you out of this letter. It's just that our side has a little housecleaning to do. We'll take care of you this November." Editor's Note:
2. ‘Defamation' of West Point Motto Creates Furor The words "Duty, Honor, Country" have been emblazoned on the United States Military Academy's coat of arms since 1898 and the mantra of the late General Douglas MacArthur. They are considered a code for military leadership and loyalty to the United States and decorated World War II veteran George Putnam has always ended his radio show "Talk Back" with those three words. But now "this hallowed creed has been transmogrified to read ‘Beauty, Honor, Country' at a new multi-million-dollar Landmark Gateway Plaza on the Veterans Administration grounds in West Los Angeles," Vietnam War-era vet Robert L. Rosebrock, who is leading the charge against the bronzed words on a concrete wall at the entrance to the VA grounds, told NewsMax. Rosebrock, president of Healthy Hour Enterprises – which hosts business networking events in Southern California – calls the "Duty" to "Beauty" change "blasphemy and defamation against the three most revered words in military history." The man behind the creation of the park – and the change in wording – is Harve Bennett, producer of four "Star Trek" movies and TV's "The Six-Million Dollar Man," and a board member of the Veterans Park Conservancy, non-profit group aligned with the local Veterans Administration. The Conservancy designed and built the Gateway Plaza and perimeter fence. But for nearly a year, the site was hidden from public view with a temporary fence, and the "Beauty" furor erupted only after the site was dedicated on March 28.
"Both Veterans and non-Veterans are outraged at this terrible fiasco," said Rosebrock. "Mr. Charles E. Dorman, administrative director of the local VA, has informed me that the word ‘Beauty' stays. This is not only hard to comprehend but even more difficult to accept, especially since this is on Veterans' property and Mr. Dorman is the highest ranking official representing the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs in Los Angeles and is supposed to be working in the best interest of all Veterans." Rosebrock said he got in touch with West Point to express his outrage and demand action, but received "little reaction." Rosebrock then spoke with the president of the West Point Alumni Society in Los Angeles, who contacted the U.S. Military Academy – only to be told that West Point would take no action in regard to the motto change. "Here we are in a time of war, and we have people serving under this motto, and West Point shrugs its shoulders and won't get involved," Rosebrock told NewsMax.
Rosebrock also contacted Harry Pregerson, a circuit court judge in Los Angeles and a Marine veteran, who called the word change a "desecration" of the motto and vowed to deal directly with the Veterans Administration in Washington, telling Rosebrock "I'm with you 100 percent." Several veterans felt so adamant about correcting the "blasphemy" that they took matters into their own hands, surreptitiously placing a large letter "D" over the first three letters of "Beauty." "Unfortunately, the VA disapproved and unilaterally removed the letter ‘D,'" Rosebrock wrote in the West L.A. Business Monthly. "Now it's reverted back to the original perverted message that belittles the rigors of military duty." Editor's Note:
3. Muslims Angry Over Schwarzenegger Support of Israel Muslim leaders in Los Angeles are angry over what they termed California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's "appalling" appearance at a pro-Israel rally while the conflict with Hezbollah was raging. And they called him "insulting" for ignoring their request to meet with them about the war in Lebanon. Schwarzenegger and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa spoke at the July 23 event in front of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles building. Schwarzenegger devoted two sentences to expressing sympathy for Lebanon, saying he had prayed for its people to "recover their country and live without war and violence or strife," the Los Angeles Times reported. Otherwise, his speech expressed support for Israel and its right to defend itself against terrorist attacks. Schwarzenegger thanked Marvin Hier, founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and a longtime friend, for inviting him to "this rally, this pro-Israel rally. Of course I didn't hesitate, and I said, ‘I'll be there – no two ways about it.'" After the rally – attended by thousands – Schwarzenegger and his aides did not return repeated phone calls asking him to explain his appearance and get the "other, equally important side" of the conflict, said Shakeel Syed, executive director of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California. "It's insulting and extremely disrespectful," Syed told the Times. "What is appalling and disturbing is that repeatedly, public officials for the state of California and city of Los Angeles seem now to be pledging their allegiance to the state of Israel." Salam Al-Marayati, executive director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, said Schwarzenegger's actions appeared designed to appeal to pro-Israel donors during the re-election campaign. But the governor's spokeswoman Margita Thompson said several days later the governor had asked his staff to "identify key leaders in California's Muslim community and to set up a meeting." And on August 6, two days after Muslim leaders held a news conference to complain that the mayor and governor had spurned requests for a meeting, Villaraigosa met with 10 Muslim leaders and apologized for initially ignoring their invitation. Editor's Note:
4. Charlie Crist: Primary Opponent ‘Desperate' Observers had predicted that the primary race for the Republican nomination for governor in Florida would be a gentlemanly contest between Charlie Crist and Tom Gallagher. But it seems Gallagher, who has been lagging far behind in the polls, has broken Ronald Reagan's "Eleventh Commandment": Thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican. In a move that the Crist camp termed "desperate," Gallagher, the state's chief financial officer, released a campaign ad charging that attorney General Crist is pro-choice, favors a liberal spending plan, and supports gay civil unions. The Crist campaign sent out a press release accusing Gallagher of violating a pledge to maintain a clean campaign "by launching an attack ad full of false and misleading statements." "His campaign is failing, his consultants are quitting and he is badly behind in the polls," said George LeMieux, the Crist campaign's chief of staff. "These desperate times have unfortunately led Mr. Gallagher down the path of desperate measures much like it did in 1994 when he attacked Jeb Bush's business dealings and compared him to Fidel Castro." Gallagher's ad doesn't point out that a so-called "liberal [education] plan" it refers to is a class size limits bill voters passed in 2002. Crist says he voted against the plan. Crist has said he favors an immigration bill in the U.S. Senate that was co-written by Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla. Part of the bill allows illegal immigrants to remain in the country, work and eventually become legal residents after paying fines and taxes, and learning English. Crist also supports a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. On abortion, Crist has repeatedly said he is "pro-life." If the Legislature passes a bill banning abortion, he said, he will sign it if it allows exceptions in cases of rape, incest, and when the mother's life is in danger. Several Crist supporters blasted Gallagher's ad in statements released by the campaign. "Mr. Gallagher should be ashamed of himself," said Republican House Speaker Allan Bense. Sen. Mike Fasano, another Republican, noted that Gallagher's current positions differ from past runs for governor, including 1994 when he lost to Jeb Bush in the primary. "He has been a pro-tax, pro-choice, pro-gambling, anti-Second Amendment liberal his entire career. His recent attempt at an 'extreme makeover' into a conservative will not fool the voters." Editor's Note:
5. House Republicans Don't Want McCain in '08 Sen. John McCain might be the front-runner for the Republican nomination for president in 2008, but some of the Washington folks who know him best, namely House Republicans, are hoping another strong GOP figure succeeds in knocking him from the top of the list. "In the words of one influential House GOP lawmaker, [Republicans in the House] are quietly hoping another option will emerge," reports the influential Washington, D.C.-based publication The Hill. Those members of Congress feel the Arizona senator – who served in the House from 1983 to 1987 – is out of step with mainstream Republicans and hasn't done enough to engage House members. They say "he openly criticizes Republicans in the media for sport, and his disagreements on policy – a tobacco settlement, the Patients Bill of Rights, campaign-finance reform, anti-torture legislation, global warming, and opposition to tax cuts – have relegated McCain to the party dungeon in the eyes of some," according to The Hill. House Republicans are especially displeased with McCain's decision to support a guest-worker program instead of the tougher border-security bill Republicans passed in the House last year. One House member who has worked closely with McCain said he doubts McCain can work out a deal on immigration reform because his major legislative achievements have resulted from reaching across the aisle rather than winning over lawmakers within the GOP, The Hill report adds. "He recalled one time reaching a hard-fought agreement only to see McCain blast it in the next day's newspaper. "‘It just drives you crazy,' he said. ‘He doesn't bring together diverging views. If he works this way with us now, how is he going to deal with us in the White House?'" Editor's Note:
6. Time Warner Chief Parsons Eyes Run for NYC Mayor Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons wants to follow in the path of another media mogul and replace Michael Bloomberg as mayor of New York City, according to a report. "Insiders say that it's all but official: Richard Parsons, Time Warner's chairman and CEO, will run for mayor," reveals an item in New York magazine. Brooklyn-born Parsons is no novice on the political scene. He was counsel for New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller and a senior White House aide under Gerald Ford. Fueling the talk about a run for mayor is Parsons' elevation of Jeffrey Bewkes to president and chief operating officer in December. One insider told New York that Parsons could hand over the CEO job to Bewkes before the end of his contract – which runs through 2008 – and get "an early jump for 2009, potentially beating out several other tycoons who see themselves as Mike Bloomberg-esque technocrats," New York notes. After the report, Media Wire Daily stated: "It's not the first time we've heard rumors about Time Warner boss Dick Parsons possibly running for mayor of New York City. But the more we hear it the more we're starting to believe it." Editor's Note:
7. Bush Dares Staff to Run in 100-Degree Heat President Bush challenged his staffers to join what he calls the "100-degree club" and run three miles on his Texas ranch – in 100-degree heat. The president joined them, but due to his bad knees he did the three miles on a bicycle instead of running. Those finishing the three miles got a T-shirt from the commander in chief. According to the Weather Channel, the heat index was 102 when the run took place.
8. Evangelicals Launch Voter Registration Drive Evangelical leaders have begun a major registration drive designed to recruit religious voters in battleground states. The effort is coordinated by Focus on the Family, the Colorado-based group founded by James Dobson, and will insert registration information in church publications and place booths outside churches, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. "Any time you go from a big presidential year like 2004 to an off year like this, there's going to be a drop-off" in voter interest, John Paulton of Focus on the Family Action – the political arm of Focus on the Family – told the Chronicle. "It's a question of how much. You could argue that the fear of what could happen if many more liberal politicians take over could be very motivating to get out and vote." The program, announced in an e-mail to activists last week, is seeking to reach voters in Ohio, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Tennessee, Michigan, Montana, and Minnesota. The e-mail stated: "In 2004, about 25 million evangelicals failed to vote. Now is the time to reverse the trend." But the move comes as the Internal Revenue Service has announced stepped-up scrutiny of nonprofit organizations, including churches, that engage in political activities. Critics cite tax laws that bar churches from engaging in partisan activities. The highest profile IRS investigation has targeted one of Southern California's largest and most liberal congregations, All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, according to the Chronicle. The IRS began reviewing the church's tax-exempt status after a priest delivered a sermon critical of the war in Iraq just two days before the 2004 presidential election. No decision has yet been announced. Editor's Note:
9. We Heard . . . THAT Vice President Dick Cheney has demonstrated how small a world Washington is by hiring a lawyer who was a member of Bill Clinton's impeachment defense team. Attorney Emmet T. Flood of the law firm Williams & Connolly will defend Cheney against the Valerie Plame/Joseph Wilson civil suit, according to court documents. Although he worked on Clinton's behalf, Flood has contributed only to Republican political campaigns, the Web site TPMuckraker.com reports. Cheney is being sued by Plame and her husband for his alleged part in revealing her identity as a CIA operative.
"The snow has formed hard ice. It's terrible," a source in the country said in an Aug. 16 report. "Disaster teams are still busy with graders trying to break the ice, but we don't know how long it will take." Roofs of some houses and businesses in the eastern part of the country were in danger of collapsing under the weight of snow, and a power outage in Elliot – about 75 miles from the Indian Ocean – plunged the village into darkness. Heavy snow also trapped motorists in their cars in the nearby nation of Lesotho.
First the well-heeled Hamptonites – who shelled out $300 or more – had to park by the beach and hike five to 10 minutes to the two tents set up for the event. Once inside, they found crowded conditions and no seats. Even pregnant women had to stand as they waited for an acoustic Jon Bon Jovi concert, the New York Post reported. Food offerings were limited to cookies and brownies. The final insult: Bon Jovi went on 75 minutes late.
At least that's the view of syndicated columnist Cindy Adams, who writes that Gibson – who pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge – "had to strike a deal because in California, a case like this, if found guilty, nails six months jail time. Mandatory." She said Hollywood insiders told her "this little DWI ticket could cost him $100 million. They say, even if he pre-sells this next movie, his value has already shriveled 50 percent. They say it'll take years to work his way back – and by then he'll be older and with less hair."
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