BALTIMORE, Maryland February 9, 2014 - If you listen only to obama and his Attorney General, Eric Holder, it was only their profound care for lesbian, gay, transgendered and all other manner of folk subject to discrimination because of their sexuality that led them to announce - by executive fiat - that henceforth the federal government will recognize spouses in gay marraiges the exact same way as they recognize spouses in traditional marraiges. The new "rule" applies in bankruptcies, health care decision making and a few other situations. The headline grabbing part of the new "rule" is that the federal government will do such "recognizing" even in states that do not permit gay marraige. They were correct in predicting it would grab headlines. The trouble is, according to Patrick Caddell, the former top pollster for President Jimmy Carter, that was the entire reason for the new "rule."
Appearing on Fox News on the 7 pm newscast on Sunday night, Caddell asked those who doubted him to look where the announcement, by Eric Holder, was made. It was announced at a conference for Lesbian, Gay and Transgendered people in Washington. Both Holder and obama understand the dollar value of making such an announcement, said Caddell, even though in the big scheme of things, it means little to the rights of folk affected by the announcement. And, Caddell added, "Eric Holder is the most lawless attorney general since John Mitchell." Mitchell, of course, was the Attorney General who was convicted for his activities in covering up the Watergate Scandal during the Nixon Administration.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Texas Congressman Michael McCaul, a Republican, predicted that Terrorists will strike the on-going Winter Olympics before they end, and "blow something up." McCaul told Chris Wallace, of Fox, that the strike would most likely come outside of the "ring of steel" established by the Russian military and police around Olympic Venues and the Olympic village. McCaul has been briefed by United States' intelligence sources on the threat facing the Olympic Games. He and other persons in a position to be aware of the threat say that prospective terrorists are determined to shame Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has led what some call an iron-fisted policy toward the breakaway area. in the first Chechen War, beginning in 1991, Chechnya gained a kind of de facto independence, but Russia, under Putin, reasserted Russian Sovereignty in the Second Chechen War beginning in 1999. Today, most fighting has ended but sporadic violence continues, and Muslim Terrorists remain a profound and determined threat.
In the games themselves, Canada, Norway and the Netherlands lead the medal count as this is posted with seven each. Russia has moved into second place with six. The United States is close behind with five, including gold medals in the new sport of snow boarding in the men and women's division. The sport has been covered extensively on NBC and is something akin to skateboarding, but without the wheels. The athletes comedown a steep hill, but must stay on the board as it slides down various railings and hazards, then make three increasingly higher jumps. During the jumps they must perform a variety of gymnastic flips, spins and other stunts. Their score depends on the athleticism of their jumps, how far they sail down the hill on the jumps, and other tests. It's such a new sport that the judges seem to reward whatever it is that impresses them that day. Sage Kotsenburg, 20, from Park City, Utah, won the gold medal in the men's "Slopestyle Competition" by trying a stunt he had never even praticed. American Jamie Anderson, from California won the Gold in the women's Slopestyle. The Russian figure skating team gained the home country's first gold medal in the team ice skating competition. On Monday, Julie Mancuso of the United States won a Bronze Medal in the Women's Super Combined Ski event.
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