Headlines (Scroll down for complete stories):
1. Ian McKellen Rips Pages Out of Bibles
2. Hollywood President Needs Acting Lessons
3. Growing Up bin Laden
4. Mainstream Media Ignores Ethics Probes
5. Dem Reps Under Ethics Investigation
1. Ian McKellen Rips Pages Out of Bibles
It’s always interesting to observe people’s reaction to the Bible.
Some find it inspirational, others threatening.
Evidently, Sir Ian McKellen falls into the latter category. When he comes across the Good Book in a hotel room, he routinely rips out certain pages.
The openly gay "Lord of the Rings" star looks for pages like the one in a section of Leviticus, which condemns homosexuality.
“I'm not proudly defacing the book, but it's a choice between removing that page and throwing away the whole Bible,” McKellen told Details magazine.
McKellen has apparently inspired others to engage in the same self-censorship of Scripture.
“I got delivered a package of 40 of those pages... that had been torn out by a married couple I know. They put them on a bit of string so that I could hang it up in the bathroom,” he explained.
Apparently, McKellen and his spiritually similar friends are under the impression that with a shred of a page the Bible can be “adjusted” to their liking.
2. Hollywood President Needs Acting Lessons
There’s a lot on the president’s plate—two wars, a health care takeover and an irrepressible pork appetite for which the prez is willing to stick our grandkids with the tab.
With all of those weighty things pressing on him, the self-described tough guy has had a difficult time trying to figure out whether or not to send more troops to Afghanistan.
Even movie and TV presidents have done a better job of convincing the public that they’re in control.
Interestingly, though, there was no dodge ball maneuver, no hem and haw, no hiccup, not even a “DWTS” sidestep when it came to adding sexual orientation to the list of U.S. hate crimes laws and also lifting a ban that had kept those who were HIV-positive from entering the country.
The hate crimes bill has some troubling First Amendment ramifications. How did the administration try to get around the thorny issues? Not like Hollywood presidents stars do.
In a tell of sorts, the hate crimes legislation was buried within the pages of the 680 billion-dollar defense bill.
The decision to let in people infected with HIV actually could have used a bit more dithering on the president’s part, if only to allow the country the chance to first weather the swine flu storm.
Obama referred to AIDS as an “epidemic.” On the White House Web site, he’s quoted as saying, “…one of our fellow citizens becomes infected every nine-and-a-half minutes…the epidemic affects all Americans…I am confident we can stop the spread of HIV and insure that those affected get the care and support they need.”
If the celebrity in chief keeps turning in performances like these, he’s headed for a Razzie.
3. Growing Up bin Laden
The new book by Osama bin Laden’s wife and first cousin, Najwa Bin Laden, paints a jumbled picture.
According to the book, while he was creating a murderous terrorist network, bin Laden enjoyed growing sunflowers.
He was a strict father who in his home banned toys and modern appliances. He himself, though, had a penchant for driving fast cars.
In the late 1970s, bin Laden and his wife visited Indianapolis and Los Angeles.
"As far as the country itself goes, my husband and I did not hate America, yet we did not love it," Najwa explained.
Makes one wonder what the 9/11 mastermind would have done to the U.S. if he really hated the country.
Bin Laden would not allow Najwa to turn on the apartment air conditioning or the kitchen refrigerator. But he loved driving his gold-colored Mercedes and his speedboat.
Najwa’s book will probably get some Hollywood minds going on a bin Laden reality show.
Personally, I’d rather see our intelligence folks come up with a reality show of their own.
Maybe “Spider Hole 2.”
4. Mainstream Media Ignores Ethics Probes
Leaks about big shots who become subjects of ethics investigations are typically huge news.
But the Washington Post story, which disclosed names of key members of Congress who are involved in ethics probes, had the mainstream media basically turning a blind eye.
Maybe that’s because most of the congressional members who are currently huddled together under the ethics cloud happen to be Democrats.
Representatives John Murtha (D-PA), Peter Visclosky (D-IN), Norm Dicks (D-WA) Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) and James Moran (D-VA) are being investigated for allegedly steering millions in earmarks to a lobbying firm, PMA.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the biggest recipients of contributions from PMA and its clients were Murtha, who since 1989 has been given more than $2.3 million, and Visclosky, who has taken in more than $1.3 million.
Two Republicans are also being checked into, Representatives C.W. "Bill" Young of Florida and Todd Tiahrt of Kansas.
On the day the story broke, all three network morning shows conveniently chose to ignore it.
5. Dem Reps Under Ethics Investigation
Busy as bumblebees, the House Ethics Committee has been investigating complaints against two Democrat congresswomen from the Los Angeles area, Maxine Waters and Laura Richardson.
The committee released a statement indicating that the investigation surrounding Waters would look into the congresswoman’s activities involving the National Bankers Assn. and OneUnited Bank, a company in which her husband owned stock and served on its board.
Massachusetts-based OneUnited Bank received $12 million in bailout money. The funding took place three months after Waters, a senior member of the congressional committee that oversees banking, helped to set up a meeting between minority-owned financial institutions and officials in the Treasury Department.
Sidney Williams, Waters’ husband, was a member of the bank's board of directors until early 2008. He held investments in the bank valued at $350,000, according to Waters' financial disclosure report.
The committee also plans to investigate whether Richardson failed to list certain items on her financial disclosure forms, and whether she received a “gift or preferential treatment” from Washington Mutual after her Sacramento house was sold at a foreclosure auction. Washington Mutual subsequently returned the two-story residence to the congresswoman.
Adding to the morass are the ethics questions swirling around New York Democrat Rep. Charles Rangel. Recent disclosures have raised serious questions about Rangel's personal finances.
Another Democrat, Rep. Alan Mollohan of West Virginia, is being probed over real estate holdings.
Back in 2006 prior to the elections, Nancy Pelosi issued a press release about how she and 160 House Democrats had introduced their Honest Leadership and Open Government Act that Pelosi touted as “an aggressive reform package to reverse Republican excesses and protect the public trust.”
To paraphrase Rush Limbaugh, how’s that public trust thing workin’ out for you?
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