BUSH & CHENEY: INVASION OF VERMONT IMMINENT!

Are you angry about the war in Iraq? Do you feel betrayed by your own government? Do you want to see change? Well if so you may enjoy reading this piece about how a town in Vermont has taken action.

A town petition making President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney subject to arrest for crimes against the Constitution has triggered a barrage of criticism from people who say residents are "wackjobs" and "nuts."

In e-mail messages, voicemail messages and telephone calls, outraged people are calling the measure the equivalent of treason and vowing never to visit Vermont.

"Has everyone up there been out in the cold too long?" said one.

"I would like to know how I could get some water from your town," said another. "It's obvious that there is something special in it."

The petition — with more than 436 signatures, or at least the 5 percent of voters necessary to be considered — was submitted Thursday and the town Select Board voted 3-2 Friday to put it on the ballot. It goes to a town-wide vote March 4.

It reads: "Shall the Selectboard instruct the Town Attorney to draft indictments against President Bush and Vice President Cheney for crimes against our Constitution, and publish said indictments for consideration by other authorities and shall it be the law of the Town of Brattleboro that the Brattleboro Police, pursuant to the above-mentioned indictments, arrest and detain George Bush and Richard Cheney in Brattleboro if they are not duly impeached, and prosecute or extradite them to other authorities that may reasonably contend to prosecute them?"

If you agree or disagree with what the people in Vermont have done is your own opinion but the true beauty of what has been accomplished is the fact that they did it. That is one of the great things about this country. I have to admit I got a chuckle out of this story. The petition wont hold water but it is good to see people using their civil liberties to take action for a cause they believe in.

KEEP YOUR SCIENCE EXPERIMENT OUT OF MY MOUTH!

Looks like the ad campaign from Chick-Fil-A was dead-on accurate as well as a precursor of things to come! Wow...some truth in advertising!

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Meat and milk products of offspring from the 600 cloned animals in the United States most likely have not entered the nation's food supply, an official with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday, as the agency downplayed the long-term impact of cloning.

The FDA last week said meat and milk from cloned cattle, swine and goats and their offspring were as safe to eat as products obtained from traditional animals. Before then, farmers and ranchers had followed a voluntary moratorium that prevented the sale of clones and their offspring.

"There is no feeling that this will ever become a way of mass producing animals," Stephen Sundlof, director of FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied nutrition, told reporters.

He noted that another reproductive technique used in agriculture, in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer, has been used to create only a small portion of the millions of animals on U.S. farms.

It could take four or five years before consumers are able to buy clone-derived food on a wide scale as animals need to be cloned, mature and give birth. So far, several major food companies including Tyson Foods Inc, the largest U.S. meat company, and Smithfield Foods Inc have said they would avoid using cloned animals.

I am officially not eating beef products anymore. I don't care what the FDA tells me about how safe eating test tube cattle is....I am not buying it.

Let's not forget this is the same FDA that told you that children's cough medications and Vioxx were safe also. OOPS...sorry folks we seemed to have made a mistake....those products aren't actually safe. Now they are telling me that eating Dr. Frankenstein's remake of 'Old Bessy' is perfectly safe. Right!

I have already switched my daughter over to organic milk and called the company who manufactures the milk to ask them if the milk they produce is from cloned cattle. When I heard the answer of "abolutely not", I replied, "congratulations you just made a sale!"

Sorry folks but I have little faith when the federal government tells me something is really safe. Asks the Hurricane Katrina victims how they feel about living in toxic trash cans that leak formaldehyde fumes.

OOOPS again....looks like FEMA dropped the ball on that one. Sorry your house was destroyed, but until we figure out what to do with you we want you to live in this nice trailer. If you develop any odd illnesses or unexplained diseases remember it's not from the formaldehyde used in manufacturing your home.

I know a lot of people love a great steak or burger but to me eating some lab experiment beef is not my thing!

NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE

Halliburton, the world's second-largest oil-field services company, said fourth-quarter profits increased 4.9 percent as it continued to expand in fast-growing regions outside North America.

Net income rose to $690 million, or 75 cents a share, from $658 million, or 64 cents, a year earlier, Halliburton — with maintains headquarters in Houston and Dubai — said in a statement today. Revenues jumped 19 percent to $4.2 billion for the October-December period.

"Our international growth is providing the strength to offset the challenging North American market, with over 55 percent of our fourth quarter revenue coming from outside North America," said Dave Lesar, Halliburton's chairman and chief executive.

Analysts, on average, expected Halliburton to earn 69 cents per share on revenue of $4.06 billion during the fourth quarter, according to a survey by Thomson Financial.

Wow...this story is starting to sound like a country song that goes "I've got friends in high places." I swear Halliburton has to be the luckiest company on the face of the Earth.
Regions outside North America....could we be speaking of Iraq and possibly next Iran?
I am sure DICK had nothing to do with the increasing profit margins that Halliburton is pulling in.
Ohh Nooo! What am I thinking.
Government influence to help influence the profitability of a company to which the Vice-President is the former CEO. Could DICK still be tied to Halliburton through stock options. No. He is a straight shooter. (EXCEPT WHEN QUAIL HUNTING!!!)
Shame on me for thinking that Washington could someone be linked to Halliburtons no-bid contracts on running the oil ministries in Iraq or running the mess halls for the soldiers.
Do the words "war profiteering" come to anyone else's mind.

WHO YOU CALLING 'CANADIAN'!

Is "Canadian" the new black? Perhaps – that is if you're a racist speaking in code.

Recent revelations that the term "Canadian" is being used to replace racist names for black people have got a Texas assistant district attorney into trouble and have left others wondering what exactly it means to be labelled a Canadian in the American south.

Long derogated as weak-kneed liberals with lax laws and funny monopoly money, Canadians have carried a negative connotation in certain regions of America – but not as a replacement for the N-word.

Earlier this week a columnist with the Houston Chronicle uncovered an email from Harris County assistant district attorney Mike Trent who, in a congratulatory note to a junior prosecutor, used the word "Canadians" to describe blacks on a jury.

Trent wrote of the prosecutor in a 2003 email: "He overcame a subversively good defence by Matt Hennessey that had some Canadians on the jury feeling sorry for the defendant and forced them to do the right thing."

Trent's email remained unchallenged by colleagues who received the email, despite there being no actual Canadians on the jury.

It's nice to see that the "stars at night don't really shine too bright deep in the heart of Texas." There is nothing I can say here because the story alone proves how much of a moron this Assistant District Attorney truely is. Did he think he was being clever when he referred to these people as 'Canadians'. Did he think that nobody would question as to which jurors were Canadians in a U.S. Court of law? It is nice to see that things in Texas don't actually progress they just regress.

REALITY....CHECK PLEASE!

OK...lets start with the obvious in that "Brokeback Mountain" is a FICTIONAL movie (that means not real) and Heath Ledger pretended to be a gay cowboy.

The reality here is that Heath Ledger was straight, there is no mountain known as Brokeback and finally if you attend Westboro Baptist "Church" you are probably are biggot!

You are going to protest Heath Ledger's funeral. What should they not bury him? What do you hope to accomplish by protesting his funeral. The man is dead, let him and his family be.

I love how these people feel the need to pass judgement as if they are the Almighty themselves. These people must have nothing better to do in Kansas. Instead of worrying about Heath Ledger why don't you go count corn stalks.

The is a fine example of what is wrong with organized religion and also shows the stupidity of some people in our country.

BUSH SPEAKS.....STOCKS TUMBLE!

How much more evidence is needed that our economy is sliding into a recession. A federal bail out of the mortgage industry and now a plan to hand out money in hopes people will just go out and spend it. These are temporary fixes to much larger problems and instead of worrying about policing the world or investigating steroid scandals maybe our government should start paying closer attention to matters at home.

Wall Street resumed its downward trek Friday as skittish investors, unable to hold on to much optimism about the economy, drew little comfort from President Bush's stimulus plan.

Investors had already pulled back from a big early gain, with the major indexes trading mixed as Bush began to speak. By the time the president finished announcing a plan for about $145 billion worth of tax relief, the indexes were well into negative territory.

CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND!

4 teams left…2 games to go! This Sunday I will be glued to my television as I first watch the Chargers take on the Patriots and then the Packers take on the Giants.
Here are my predictions for this weekends games:

Chargers at Patriots: Norv Turner stinks as a head coach, both LT & Philip Rivers are banged up for the Bolts and they are headed into Foxboro for the Patriots final game before a trip to the Super Bowl as an undefeated team. Tom Brady is playing out this world and Randy Moss will prove he doesn't need to hit any woman because he is going to beat on San Diego. The cards are really stacked in the Patriots favor and considering they have not lost a game my instincts tells me that they will still be undefeated after this game on Sunday. This game will be a landslide in the Patriots favor.

Giant at Packers: Let's see the weather will be really cold and Brett Favre has been really hot. The Giants are headed into historic Lambeau Field where history and weather are favoring the Packers. The only thing that will be uncertain for Sundays game is which team Eli decides to throw too. (Here's a hint Eli...the team with the G on the helmet doesn't mean Giant). The Packers will be one win away from a possible rematch of the Super Bowl of 1996 where Brett Favre defeated the Patriots in New Orleans. I am taking the Packers to give a good beat down to Tom "Choking" Coughlin and Eli "Not Anywhere Near As Good As Peyton" Manning. Oh by the way Charlie....Eli is sooooooooooo overrated!

ROID RAGE

Let me start off by saying how proud I am of the American government for taking my tax dollars, rolling them up into a tight-wound ball and then flushing them down the toilet right in front of my eyes. What could I be speaking about? How about the Congressional investigation into steroid use in baseball.

This witch hunt that the federal government has decided to spearhead serves what purpose to the everyday citizens in our country.
The correct answer is NONE!

WOW...we can learn that Barry Bonds used performance enhacing drugs. There's a real SHOCKER!!! I couldn't look at a photo of him when he first came into the league and look at him now and see a slight difference in his build. NOPE! I needed Senator "GET MY NAME IN THE RECORD BOOKS" George Mitchell to tell me that.

What do I really care if some multi-millionaire, who happens to play baseball for a living, gets juiced up for work. I don't at all. This makes no difference in my life what so ever! I will wake up and go to work just the same. If some ball player is all juiced up it does not affect the food I eat, how my bills are paid or the cost of a gallon of gas.

What will the real outcome of this investigation be? Well for starters a lot of tax dollars will have been needlessly wasted. Some almost out of the league baseball player gets a slap on the wrist for lying under oath. OOOOHHH!!! Some smuck of a Senator pawns a few book deals (Get your very own copy of "The Mitchell Report" My life as a Senator who investigated steroid use in baseball by George Mitchell next week at Barnes & Noble). Some players names are tarnished but their names remain in the record books (without an asterik I may add). Oops, lets not forget that Bud Selig gets a contract extension.

With all that is happening in this country right now (2 wars, an economy teetering on a recession, global climate change, unemployment on the rise, etc) why is the government wasting its time and U.S. tax dollars investigating steroid use in baseball. I mean in all seriousness – WHO CARES! It doesn't really matter.

As a fan I am disappointed to hear that players I enjoyed watching play ball were cheating. The institution of baseball has been cheapened by this investigation. The 2 people that deserve the blame for the steriod problem in baseball are Donald Fehr and Bud Selig!

Stupid Is As Faux News Does

Fox News host Megyn Kelly teamed up with one of the network's "legal analysts" to bash John Edwards and others who are criticizing an insurance company for dragging its feet in approving a potentially life-saving liver transplant for a now-dead California teen.

The segment also featured a defense attorney, who defended Edwards and the family of 17-year-old Nataline Sarkisyan, but the segment was heavily slanted towards defending insurance company Cigna and tying the Democratic presidential candidate to ambulance-chasing trial lawyers.

Defense attorney Rachel Kugel spoke for about 50 seconds of the five-and-a-half minute segment, according to a rough estimate. Fox News Legal Analyst Mercedes Colwin received more than twice as much talk-time to admonish Edwards and stick up for the poor, demonized insurance company.

"How irresponsible of Edwards to exploit this situation for his own political gain," scolded Colwin. "Cigna did their due diligence."

Kugel pointed out that the company eventually relented, amid heavy protests from nurses unions, and agreed to pay for a transplant for Sarkisian, whose liver had failed due to treatments for relapsed leukemia. The company's decision came too late, though, and Sarkisian died late last year.

Here is just another example of how unbalanced Fox News is in reality. I could care less that they are bashing John Edwards. That to me is irrelavent because would you expect higher standards from an ultra right wing opinion outlet. Folks...I call it Faux News for a reason. A true journalist does not inject their opinions in a story such as Megyn Kelly does here. Not to mention I can't believe that anyone would have the audacity to defend an insurance company as if they are really looking out for the patient. Right! How many times do people get screwed over by the insurance companies....multiple times every day! The whole fact that a 17 year old girl is dead because an insurance company drug their feet and refused treatment to a patient. That makes me feel good about the state of health care in this country when accountants are telling our doctors how to practice medicine. Lets not worry about whats in the patients best interest lets only worry about the bottom line. I am so in favor of universal health care. It seems to work elsewhere in the world. I don't hear people in Europe screaming that they need to have Cigna covering them.

DURHAM, N.C. - In some situations, it pays to watch your step.

Josue Herrios-Coronilla, 18, drove his black Camaro on the wrong side of the road Wednesday and crashed into the yard of man who owns four dogs, police said.

Investigating officers found crushed bushes, a damaged fence, an inoperable car — and a fresh shoeprint in a pile of dog feces.

Following an odoriferous trail down the street, Sgt. Dale Gunter noticed a white van driving toward him. When he asked the passenger to step out, he noticed the smell of alcohol on the man's breath and evidence all over his shoes.

Herrios-Coronilla was charged with driving while impaired and drinking underage and released on $1,500 bail. He could not immediately be reached for comment.

That was probably the most expensive dog poop that Josue will ever step in. Does the dog who created the pile get a reward or medal of honor in helping the police solve a crime?

THE JOKES ON ME!

BERLIN (Reuters) - A Hamburg newspaper that reported last week on a computer company manager who said he fired three non-smokers because they had threatened disruptions after asking for a smoke-free environment said on Monday the
story was a hoax.

Stephanie Lamprecht, a journalist at the Hamburger Morgenpost, said Thomas Joschko first told her he had fired the three from his 10-person staff because they were causing a disruption with their non-smoking but later admitted it was a hoax.

Lamprecht, whose story was published widely in the German and international media last week, said: "He said it was a joke and worth the trouble. He said he's a chain-smoker himself and said he was tired of smokers being hassled so much."

First of all let me say thank you so much to cccmells who pointed out on my original post that the story was a hoax. Secondly I would like to personally apologize to those of you, who like myself, read the story thinking it to be true. Unfortunately the reporter who originally wrote the story did not check their facts or sources and a "story" that was just a hoax was published in print and online.
Since reading that the story was completely false, I have removed the posting from my blog.
Again I want to say thanks to whomever cccmells is and again I apologize to the readers.
Thanks!

Cigarettes for your Dryer

Have you ever wondered exactly what causes your clothes to be "Snuggle Fresh" or have that special "Bounce" to them? Once you read this story you may want to just throw a pack of cigarettes in the dryer because that dryer sheet comes with a powerful punch.

Dryer sheets contain a veritable who’s-who of nasty chemicals, like: Benzyl Acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer, Benzyl Alcohol: an Upper respiratory tract irritant, Ethanol: On the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Hazardous Waste list and can cause central nervous system disorders, Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA’s Hazardous Waste list, and Chloroform: Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic. In addition, most of the fragrances in dryer sheets are petroleum-based! These chemicals are heated in the dryer and released into the air through your dryer’s vents. Ew! The chemical coating on dryer sheets make them a landfill favorite, since they take a long time to biodegrade. The sexiest thing to do is to skip dryer sheets and substitute by adding baking soda during the rinse cycle or white vinegar during the wash cycle to soften clothes and combat static. If scent is what you’re aiming for, toss a reusable sachet of lavender in the dryer with your clothes. When the sachet is ready for retirement, you can dump the contents onto your carpet and vacuum it up, leaving your room smelling as yummy as your clothes.

It is good to know that large corporations are only looking out for what is best for profit......I mean the consumer.

BAYOU LA BATRE, Alabama (AP) -- A day after reporting his four young children were missing, a shrimp fisherman broke down and confessed that he threw them off an 80-foot-high bridge to their deaths, authorities said Wednesday.

Lam Luong, 37, was charged with four counts of capital murder, and divers searched the murky waters for the bodies of the youngsters, who ranged in age from a few months to 3 years.

Authorities said they believe Luong then drove on Monday to the two-lane Dauphin Island bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway, stopped at the highest part of the span and threw the youngsters over the side.

I can't truly express how disgusted I am after reading this. I can't think of any punishment that would equal the horror that this piece of crap inflicted on his own kids. What in the hell is wrong with people. Tossing your kids off an 80 foot bridge as if they were nothing. How can this guy sleep at night. Throwing them aside with no care because you were angry at your girlfriend. Again a steaming pile of dog poo is about the nicest thing I am allowed to say about this person.

Newest Excuse For Skipping School

A 10-year-old Mexican boy glued his hand to his bed to avoid going back to school after the Christmas break, authorities said Monday.

"I thought if I was glued to the bed, they couldn't make me go to school," the boy, Diego, told AFP. "I didn't want to go, the holidays were so much fun."

"I remembered my mom had bought a very strong glue," he said of the industrial strength shoe glue he used to stick his hand to the bed's metal headboard, where he stayed stuck for two hours.

His mother Sandra Palacios was unable to free him and called paramedics and police to help. Diego watched cartoons while they worked to unglue him, eventually using a spray to dissolve the chemical adhesive.

"I don't know why this happened. He is a very good boy," said his mother.

Diego eventually made it school a few hours late.

Diego I have to applaud you for your creative thinking. I thought I had every excuse in the book down pat but NEVER would I ever have thought of glueing myself to the bed to prevent having to go to school. I can't say that I think it is the smartest thing to do but a very crafty plan none the less.

Britney Spears: OOPS I DID IT AGAIN!

Another chapter in "My Life As A Drunken, White Trash, Trailer Park Superstar" has been written for the often troubled Pop Star Britney Spears.

Last night Spears was whisked away in an ambulance after six police cars, two ambulances and a fire truck were called to the Spears residence. At around 8 p.m. Los Angeles police responded to a call over a custody dispute between Spears and ex-husband (back-up dancer/nobody in reality) Kevin Federline over their sons, 2-year-old Sean Preston and 1-year-old Jayden James.
Spears turned over the children at around 10:50 p.m. and was then taken to to a hospital for tests to see if she was under the influence of alcohol or drugs and for a psychological evaluation. Officer Jason Lee of the Los Angeles Police Department told City News Service that Spears appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance.

And to this I say congratulations to Lynne Spears. You as a parent should be applauded for tossing not one, but both of your kids into the limelight (for your own financial gain) and having them both end up train wrecks for the whole world to watch. What did Lynne Spears expect to happen when she threw Britney to the Mickey Mouse Club and then into Pop Star status. I know people make their own choices but please don't try and make it sound as if Mama Spears had NO influence over her kids becoming stars. What do kids learn from having tons of money thrown at them at such a young age. And after watching the rise and fall of Britney you repeat this with your younger daughter Jamie Lynn as she played the lead role on Zoey 101.
So you have Britney, who is a few more outrageous breakdowns from Liza Minelli status and 16 year-old Jamie Lynne who is 3 months pregnant. GOOD JOB MOM! And you think you are fit to write a parenting book. The only advise you should be giving is how to make sure your kids end up as fodder for comedic punchlines.

Looking for a great family travel spot?

I am not your local travel expert but I do have a passion for traveling. This coming from a person who hates flying and whose wife can't bare the thought of boarding an airplace with me due to my extreme anxiety of flying. I sit here on this very frigid day thinking about a warmer place that has a special place in my heart. That little piece of Southern Harmony is known as Gulf Shores, Alabama.
Gulf Shores is located about 30 minutes from the Florida state line at the southern most point of Alabama. Yes folks, there are beaches in Alabama.
Gulf Shores is a wonderful beach town that boasts lots of family friendly activities. If you are an avid golfer you should check out all the golf courses that are available for public play. Gulf Shores also has a water park, zoo and go-cart tracks. There are so many activities offered in Gulf Shores that you may have to remember to get down to the beach.
If you ever get the chance to spend a day laying out on the sugar white sand beaches staring into the emerald green waters of the Gulf of Mexico you may find your own little piece of heaven.
One thing that most beach towns are famous for is seafood. Gulf Shores offers some of the freshest and most succulent shrimp you will ever sink your teeth into. Ever seen a Royal Red? Imagine a shrimp that looks like a minature lobster.
And the people are the greatest. I don't know if you have ever experienced Southern Hospitality before but you would think that most of these people have known you for life. The people are so open and friendly and make you feel welcome.
I can speak from experience on this little beach town as Gulf Shores was a place I called home at one time.
If you make your way down there stop by Crico's Pizza right on Highway 59 about 2 blocks from the beach and ask for Mike. Tell him Wes sent you!
If you do make you way down or have ever been please share your thoughts and experiences.

THE RUNNING MAN

For all of his tough talk, Sean Hannity has proven that he is just that…ALL TALK! The right-wing extremist war loving, kill all the "terrorists" showed how tough he was when he ran into some Ron Paul supporters.

In New Hampshire Sean Hannity flees from Ron Paul supporters after being chased out of a resturant because Congressman Paul was banned from the FOX New Hampshire Debate.

I don't know a lot about Ron Paul but anyone whose supporters can run off the "fearless" Sean Hannity makes me smile.
I wonder if Sean ran over to Ann Coulters house to protect him. I can see him curling up in the fetal position sitting in Ann's lap crying "Mommy...Sean scared!"
You're a true punk Hannity.

I hope you also enjoy the pic of "Mr. Ultra Conservative" Sean Hannity hanging at the Bunny Ranch. That's a fine establishment wouldn't you say Sean. I didn't think that prostitution was apart of Hannity's America....then again look at who talks tough on the tv & radio but flees when being confronted.

Bushism of the Day – 01/08

"It's about past seven in the evening here so we're actually in different time lines."

– Washington, D.C., January 2001

Bushism of the Day - 1/7

"The best way to defeat the totalitarian of hate is with an ideology of hope – an ideology of hate – excuse me – with and ideology of hope."

– Benning, Georgia, January, 2007

Bushism of the Day - 1/5 & 1/6

"Not over my dead body will they raise your taxes."

– Ontario, California January 5, 2002

Bushism of the Day – 01/04/08

"I want to thank you for taking time out of our day to come and witness my hanging."

– Austin, Texas, January 4, 2002, at the dedication of his gubernatorial portrait

Bushism Of The Day

"We need to apply twenty-first century information technology to the healthcare field. We need to have our medical records put on the I.T."

– Collinsville, Illinois, January 2005

McCain: Flip-Flops Newest Star

Old Johnny Boy doesn't really know what to think anymore and he proves it daily as the race for the White House heats up. I am surprised that McCain doesn't cry foul against himself for his own questionable ethics. I love how politicians can stand for both sides of an issue. DJ M.C. Cain's newest album "Diary of a Flip Flop Icon" drops Tuesday in New Hampshire.

It is common for politicians to court big money during a campaign. But private schmooze sessions such as the gathering in Utah pose a particular dilemma for McCain, who has spent a long career decrying "special interests" and politicians who offer special access to them in order to raise money. As a presidential candidate this year, McCain has found himself assiduously courting both lobbyists and their wealthy clients, offering them private audiences as part of his fundraising. He also counts more than 30 lobbyists among his chief fundraisers, more than any other presidential contender.


McCain has consistently fought in the Senate against pork-barrel spending from such interests and championed laws to restrict their lobbying and political donations. But his aides bridle at the notion that he might favor his big contributors. "There's never been anybody who's done more to rein in special interests and lobbyists than John McCain," Davis said. "If you give to him, you know there's no quid pro quo. People give to him because they want him to be president of the United States. They can't be motivated by any other reason."

McCain began his anti-special-interest drive two decades ago after he and four other senators were accused of trying to influence bank regulators on behalf of donor Charles Keating, a savings and loan financier later convicted of securities fraud. The Senate ethics committee said McCain had used "poor judgment" but also said his actions "were not improper" and did not merit punishment.

Ever since, McCain has made high ethical standards a hallmark of his public persona. In his 2002 memoir, he wrote that "money does buy access in Washington, and access increases influence that often results in benefiting the few at the expense of the many." Just this month in Detroit, he told reporters that he had "never done any favors for anybody -- lobbyist or special interest group -- that's a clear, 24-year record."

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