GOP Vixen

Live State of the Union blogging!

The Supreme Court justices came down the aisle, and Clarence Thomas was being offered hands by only one side of the aisle. Sam Alito looked nice 'n' judicial. Then the Cabinet came, and Condoleezza looked nice 'n' presidential.

Fox News is reporting that Cindy Sheehan was dragged out of chambers earlier, possibly in cuffs! Fox is also reporting that Sheehan was possibly the guest of Rep. Lynne Woolsey, D-Calif.

Bush began the address remembering Coretta Scott King. Not only gracious, but smart.

He just picked on Syria, Burma, Zimbabwe, North Korea and Iran. Cool.

The Democrats are already looking pissed off. Bush is talking about democracy and defeating terrorism, and during a standing ovation for the concept of never giving up our freedom Charlie Rangel didn't even get up. John Kerry was standing but not clapping.

Kerry and Dianne Feinstein are sitting next to each other. What a pair.

Bush just made clear that troop withdrawal will be decided by military commanders and not politicians. Dems were not happy.

I never realized before just how many Democratic lawmakers I dislike. I like Joe Lieberman.

Bush just accused Iran of backing terrorism with Lebanon and Palestinians. Then he said they won't get nuclear weapons; now he's directly addressing the people of Iran...

Another pissy-Democrats moment: calling for reauthorization of the Patriot Act. Now he's moving on to NSA wiretapping -- Bush just said we will not sit back and wait to be hit again by al-Qaida. Hillary Clinton's response? She was shaking her head and LAUGHING.

At some mentions of controversial items, there's some sort of rumbling sound of shouting, but one can't understand what people in the House are saying. Sounds quite like the Film Actors Guild meeting "Team America," where the actors holler and bang their fists on the table.

Democrats sure are obnoxious -- Bush just brought up Social Security and they're acting like it's a party.

He's on energy. Zzzzzzzzzz.... (You know my opinion -- drop some wells.)

And now on education. Zzzzzzzz... Notice how you've never seen nanotechnology discussions on GOP Vixen before?

So he's finished, but who was the veiled woman sitting next to Laura Bush?

51 minutes, 61 interruptions for applause, says Brit Hume.

Good speech. He covered a lot of territory, and verbally bitchslapped Iran and Hamas. I liked the heavy opening concentration on terrorism and the Iraq war. But he was able to steal some thunder from the Dems with the energy and math/science education topics. (However, he proposed more programs. Am not a fan of big government programs.) Totally rubbed them the wrong way with Social Security and health care speak.

Democrats' response: Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine looks CREEPY...

Kaine is bagging on deficits and overspending. I love it when Democrats do that, because when you respond "Great, cut some useless government programs!" they won't hear of it. They expect money to magically appear to fund all of their nanny programs.

I just got really nervous that I'm missing "American Idol" by listening to Kaine, but it's not 8 p.m. yet...

Kaine creeps me out. He reminded me of the Ginger Kids on the "South Park" episode last season.

Eat your heart out, Teddy & Kerry

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. Teddy, hit the bottle! Kerry, resume your ski holiday!

Farewell, Fed Jedi...

Alan Greenspan served as Fed Jedi for about 800 years. Unfortunately, it won't be 900. "Learn you will. Train you will," Greenspan said to Ben Bernanke as he took over the reins today.

SAG shuns 'Brokeback Mountain'

But even more noteworthy is how many of GOP Vixen's early picks for the Screen Actors Guild were on the money! In the run-up to the Oscars -- nominations announced tomorrow -- "Crash" crashed the party by stealing the SAG award for best movie ensemble. Other movie winners were:

• Philip Seymour Hoffman for best movie actor, "Capote"
• Reese Witherspoon for best movie actress, "Walk the Line"
• Paul Giamatti for best supporting movie actor, "Cinderella Man"
• Rachel Weisz for best supporting movie actress, "The Constant Gardener"

I'd like to offer a special congratulations to Witherspoon, who bravely confronted the issue of discrimination against Californians in "Legally Blonde" and "Legally Blonde 2." We may have moments of perkiness, have distinctive accents and not be afraid of wearing color, but still deserve to be treated with respect in the other 49 states! And now, I'll step off my soapbox...

Silvio's sex-free campaigning

Don't bother Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi with amore until the end of campaign season! From the Telegraph:

"... Silvio Berlusconi, 69, a multi-billionaire, made the pledge at a party rally in Sardinia to a television preacher, Massimiliano Pusceddu, who thanked him for his commitment to family values and opposition to gay marriages.

The twice married former cruise-ship singer, who despite his advancing years fancies himself as a ladies' man, replied: 'I'll try not to let you down. I promise you two and a half months of complete sexual abstinence until April 9.'"

The only problem? He may not have consulted his better half before making said pledge.

"The chastity pledge may be news to his wife Veronica Lario, a former actress, who is rarely seen in public."

Heads and tales

The highlights and lowlights of the headlines for January 30, 2006:

• Fire at Canada Mine Traps 70 Miners, AP -- Strip mining's looking pretty good about now, eh?
• News: Paris Hilton is a twit girl, Sun UK -- She didn't know London is in the UK. But the main reason to run this is their headline.
• France shows support to U.S. doctrine of preemptive nuclear strikes, Pravda -- I'm sorry -- if France tried to fire a nuke at Iran, it would probably land in Greenland.
• Activists plan mock Bush, Blair trial, Al-Jazeera -- Activists have way too much time on their hands.
• Palestinian Gunmen Take Over EU Office, AP -- That was called a Hamas diplomatic mission.

They were just trying to introduce their new ambassador to the EU...

Keep sex offenders on tight leash

Check out my column today in the Los Angeles Daily News, "If ever released, sex offenders need tracking" -- the operative word being "if" released, as I explain recidivism rates and offer some shocking stats:

"... But whereas rehab programs for a two-bit criminal can head off future offenses with job or life-skills training, the sex offender essentially has to be rewired. This offender is not suffering from a momentary lapse of judgment, like stealing beer from the 7-Eleven.

So why would a treatment program work, as opposed to institutionalization? And who in our communities is going to be the guinea pig, the test case for whether or not that treatment has worked?

A 2001 report from the U.S. Department of Justice's Center for Sex Offender Management included an especially frightening conclusion from a 2000 study: 'Polygraph examinations on a sample of imprisoned sex offenders with fewer than two known victims (on average) found that these offenders actually had an average of 110 victims and 318 offenses.' Another polygraph study in 1999 found that a sample of imprisoned sex offenders had been committing sex crimes for 16 years on average before getting caught.

This fresh debate over sex-offender sentencing also brings up important questions about the purpose of incarceration. The catchphrase 'paying one's debt to society' sounds nice but holds little weight with citizens who are more concerned about what threat the debt-payer will be to their communities. ..."

Read the whole thing!

How Hugo Chavez plans to destroy the United States

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From the AP's story on Cindy Sheehan's plans to possibly challenge Sen. Dianne Feinstein:

"... Sheehan and other peace activists met Saturday with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, himself a critic of Bush and the Iraq war.

'He said, why don't I run for president? ... I just laughed,' she said."

That's it. Strikes on Venezuela!

And according to an AFP story,  Venezuela's foreign ministry sponsored her visit.

Maybe, instead of just installing Sheehan as U.S. president after working his Bolivarian voodoo on the continent, Hugo's plans go a little further. Look at the sparks between these two:

All the signs are there: He left the goofy red beret at home and put on a clean shirt. She apparently shaved her legs, a giant step for a Berkeley peace activist, which means she meant to impress. Look how the translator is beaming. It's a moment that can be made richer only with candlelight and champagne ... or Coronas (wait -- he's mad at Mexico) and coca leaves.

Isn't communist love so ... not cute? Might they be hoping to breed a super race of mini Che wannabes? Or are they just so swept up in the moment, their hearts beating as one through their hatred of Bush and longing for forced labor camps and long lines to get toilet paper?

UPDATE: The romance continues! Just in from the AP:

"Cindy Sheehan, the peace activist who just announced that she is weighing a run for Senate, plans to protest again outside President Bush's ranch, Venezuela's president said Sunday with Sheehan by his side.

Hugo Chavez, his arm around Sheehan's shoulders, told a group of activists that Sheehan had told him that during Holy Week, in April, 'she is going to put up her tent again in front of Mr. Danger's ranch.'

'She invited me to put up a tent. Maybe I'll put up my tent also,' Chavez said."

That last line sounded very "Brokeback Mountain" ... putting up their pup tents together. ("I wish I knew how to quit you!" Hugo was later heard shouting after Cindy as she trotted off on horseback...)

Quote of the day

From the Korean Central News Agency on Saturday:

"The nature and mission of (North Korea) do not allow such things as bad treatment of the people, counterfeiting and drug trafficking to happen in it."

Heads and tales

The highlights and lowlights of the headlines for January 29, 2006:

• Saddam Hussein Removed From Court Room, AP -- This may seem like bad news, but the new judge is getting tough with the outbursts. When Saddam started shouting "down with America" and his defense team joined in, the judge said, "Is this a street demonstration, are you lawyers?" My question: Was Mr. Ramsey Clark shouting "down with America" too?
• Coca grower appointed drug chief, Reuters -- Evo Morales uses the "takes one to know one" philosophy!
• Iran invites Blair to Holocaust debate, AFP -- T-Dawg called the spring conference in Tehran "shocking, ridiculous, stupid." Or maybe he was referring to Ahmadinejad.
• Gunmen storm Palestinian parliament, Reuters -- And that was just Hamas coming in to take their seats!
• Leprosy: the disease the world forgot, AFP -- Just in case you needed a Sunday morning pick-me-up...
• Pope, Donovan to reach soccer milestone, AP -- Imagine my disappointment upon learning that the headline does not refer to Benedict XVI nor the singer of "Mellow Yellow."

Gooooooaaaaaalllll!