Not ready for prime time news

The Associated Press offers a variety of "news" items that will probably won't make the nightly news. The first one -- and we've all been there -- is of a Milwaukee man who shot his lawn mower for not starting. God knows I've had a vew lawn mowers I would have liked to shoot!

A Milwaukee man was accused of shooting his lawn mower because it wouldn't start. Keith Walendowski, 56, was charged with felony possession of a short-barreled shotgun or rifle and misdemeanor disorderly conduct while armed.

According to the criminal complaint, Walendowski said he was angry because his Lawn Boy wouldn't start Wednesday morning. He told police quote, "I can do that, it's my lawn mower and my yard so I can shoot it if I want."

A woman who lives at Walendowski's house reported the incident. She said he was intoxicated.

Walendowski could face up to an $11,000 fine and six years and three months in prison if convicted.

A call to Walendowski's home went unanswered Friday morning.

Here's one that I wish I'd done!

If you've ever had anything stolen, and I have, how rewarding would it be to actually catch up with the guy an get your stuff back! Read about a New Castle woman who did just that!

New Castle Police say a woman chased down a burglar she caught carrying her property out of her house, and got her stuff back. It happened Tuesday morning in a home on Pennsylvania Avenue in Manor Park.

Police said the woman told the man to drop her property, but he said "no" and rode off on a bike. Police said the woman followed in her car, bumping the bike till the suspect had to drop the stolen stuff to keep his balance.

The woman picked up her things, drove home and called 911. A police dog tracked the suspect's scent to New Jersey Avenue, but lost the scent there.

As someone who is still trying to figure out how to send a text message, this story caught my attention.

After catching one of two people wanted in a series of break-ins, deputies in North Carolina let their fingers do the chasing to catch a second suspect.

Catawba County sheriff's Maj. Coy Reid says that when deputies caught a 16-year-old suspect on Wednesday, they confiscated his cell phone. Soon, a text message arrived asking the teen if he had been caught.

The deputies typed "no" in response. After a few more messages, the sender said he would try to pick up his friend, not knowing he was in custody.

Deputies waited in an area where several break-ins had occurred. They say they arrested the 17-year-old texter after finding him in a car with three other people.

Both teens face several charges, including larceny and breaking and entering.

Hey, maybe you should try dialing next time! ha

And finally, this story touch my heart. It's about a person who really loved his job and was appreciated by the people he worked with. Jeff Hornagold got a very special final delivery.

Jeff Hornagold loved being a UPS driver.

So when the suburban Chicago man died this week of lung cancer, longtime co-worker Michael McGowan agreed to take him on one last delivery.

McGowan transported Hornagold's body from Davenport Family Funeral Home to Saturday's funeral services in his UPS truck.

McGowan says he plans to keep a picture of Hornagold in his truck until he retires so that they can keep riding together.

Hornagold was a UPS driver for 20 years, and his wife Judy Hornagold described him as "just the happiest UPS man alive."

She says the special delivery was the perfect tribute.

May he rest in peace.

And that's the news that's not ready for prime time!

MoveOn Thinks FOX News Got the Best of Obama

Some of us have been saying for a while now that we don't think Sen. Barack Obama is ready for prime time. Now it seems MoveOn might agree. Here's what Adam Greene, a spokesperson for MoveOn, had to say:

It was a mistake for Obama to go on FOX’s Sunday show and treat the experience as if it was a real news interview. Democratic politicians need to understand that FOX is a Republican mouthpiece masquerading as a news outlet. [...] And that's why Democratic politicians should never treat FOX like a real news outlet - including FOX's Sunday show.

Barack Obama's campaign made a promise before this weekend's appearance. They said he would "take FOX on" [...]

The interview began with a question about Obama's race – implying that white people won’t vote for him. Instead of “taking FOX on” and saying FOX’s questions are premised on Republican talking points, Obama simply answered. So, Wallace kept going – asking more than 10 straight race-related questions, all skewed against Obama. ... One of these rigged questions [about Rev. Wright] got Obama to say, "The fact that he is my former pastor I think makes it a legitimate political issue" – resulting in John McCain quoting Obama hours later, hinting to right-wing allies that Rev. Wright is fair game.

FOX also asked a bunch of questions aimed at getting Obama to distance himself from Democrats and progressives. Because Obama didn't "take on" the Republican framing of these questions, Obama was cornered into saying things like, "I think there are a whole host of areas where Republicans in some cases may have a better idea [than Democrats]" ... .

Face it folks, Obama is simply NOT ready for prime time!

Obama Not Ready for Prime Time

Once again Sen. Obama has demonstrated why he is clearly not ready for prime time, and why he would be such an easy target for Republicans should he become the Dem nominee.

Take a look at this video from the Democratic Party on YouTube. It clearly presents a strategy all Dems should embrace -- that John McCain would be Bush 3.



Democrats would be crazy NOT to tie McCain to Bush, since George W. Bush has been such a disaster. But look what Taylor Marsh has up this morning:

Last week was miserable for Barack Obama. But now he's making matters worse for us all by scuttling Democratic efforts to equate a McCain presidency with a third term for George W. Bush. Just take a look at the above video, which is an official video from the Democratic Party on YouTube. Oh, and it's by no means the only video like this from the DNC. We need this like a whole in the head.

"You have a real choice in this election. Either Democrat would be better than John McCain," Obama said to cheers from a rowdy crowd in central Pennsylvania. Then he said: "And all three of us would be better than George Bush."
Obama says McCain would be better than Bush

Hillary Clinton has also compared McCain's "lifetime of experience," and come up with some parallels that don't include Obama, which is illustrated in this video. But her arguments make the case why McCain is a formidable opponent in the general election, not why McCain would be a better president than Bush. It's a huge difference. (more)

Obama is clearly not ready for prime time. Let's hope voters realize this, before it's too late.