The Daily News Editor

My Blog has moved!!!

2007-08-03T13:27:00.000-07:00

Folks,

Some of you may think that I've quit blogging.

Not true!!! But I have moved.

A couple of weeks ago, the Northwest Florida Daily News moved our blogs so that our page views could be counted directly on our Web site.

But...I miss some of you fellow bloggers. Here's a new link to my blog. I hope you'll click on it, and continue to offer your insightful comments. Or, you can reach my blog by going to our homepage, nwfdailynews.com.

Cheers!

click here for my new blog site

A speed limit challenge

2007-07-23T06:35:00.000-07:00

Some courageous anonymous person sent the following comment to my blog that speed limits on a few roads in the area are set too low:

"Pat Rice is 100% correct and I fully concur with his suggestion. We should raise speed limits by 10 MPH on a trial basis for one year. The first streets we should do the one year study are the streets where Pat Rice, Charley Morris, the Mayor, the FWB police Chief and all city Commissioners reside. After one year lets get thier feelings on raising the speed limits on thier streets. If they're happy with the new increases then I'll be happy too. I'm sure we'll get positive feedback from our public servants and I personally look forward to this one year study. Let's go for it, what's one year of increased speeds on the roads in front of thier homes for starters. Good idea Pat, way to set the example."

Thank you, courageous anonymous person, for the email. I think you miss my point, but I'm glad so many others got it. My point is that some speed limits on some MAIN roads are too slow. The one I specifically pointed out is Hurlburt Field Road, which was recently expanded to five lanes -- two in each direction with a turn lane in the middle -- but still carries a 25 mph speed limit. That speed limit on that road is ridiculous. By the way, just this morning as I was traveling on Hurlburt Field Road at about 33 mph, an Okaloosa County deputy passed me. I sped up to 40 mph in an effort to keep up with him, but he was still pulling away. The deputy proves my point; it's nearly impossible to stay within the speed limit on that stretch or road.

As for my street -- I live at 1003 Sandra Drive in the Parrish Point subdivision -- it would be fine with me if to raise the speed limit. I don't think it would matter much. The street's only about 100 yards long, with a stop sign on each end.

But really, courageous anonymous person, thanks for writing, and please keep the comments coming. And by the way, "thier" is actually spelled "their."

Ridiculous speed limits!

2007-07-17T07:01:00.000-07:00

Time to share some Daily News associate complaints about speed limits we find to be ridiculous for one reason or another.

My current worst speed limit is on the newly expanded stretch of Hurlburt Field Road between Beal Parkway and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Taxpayers just spent a few million dollars expanding this stretch into four very smooth lanes with a turn lane in the middle. But for some reason, the speed limit is 25 mph. Which no one obeys. Which, I suppose, is why I see deputies and even state patrol pulling people over on this stretch.

The problem isn't the speeding drivers. It's a speed limit that is way too low!

When I mentioned this in the newsroom this morning, reporter Wendy Victora immediately pointed out the 45 mph stretch of State Road 85 near Okaloosa Regional Airport. The speed limit there was decreased from 55 mph after the road was repaved with asphalt that can't safely handle higher speeds when the pavement is wet. Presto, another speed trap for motorists.

And Entertainment Editor Brenda Shoffner pointed out that a section of Beal that used to be 45 mph, but is now 35 mph. Anyone that drives this stretch knows that it's almost impossible to keep to that speed limit.

I say, let's adjust speed limits so that they're reasonable. Do you agree or disagree? And do you know of other stretches that are unfairly slow, or perhaps need adjusting downward. Share your knowledge.

Best way to die...

2007-07-15T05:59:00.001-07:00

Death -- and how we die here on the Emerald Coast -- was the subject of a fascinating story on the front page of today's (Sunday's) edition of the Northwest Florida Daily News.

Reporter Rachel Kyler pretty much covered all the bases. She even took video of people talking about their fears of death. If you haven't read the story, or seen the videos, I encourage you to do so.

Rachel did miss one angle. That is, what would be the BEST way to go? I mean, if you could choose what killed you, what would it be?

I recently saw a bumper sticker that said: "I want to die in my sleep like Grandpa. Not screaming in terror like the people in the back seat of his car!"

Ok, a bad joke. Still, I think I would prefer to die in my sleep. Quickly and without warning.

How would you like to go, fellow bloggers? Share if you dare.

Is anonymity necessary?

2007-07-12T15:04:00.000-07:00

I enjoy writing this blog, and greatly appreciate readers' comments to it.

And I love The Breeze and our online polls. And I DEFINITELY love Spout Off. And I love the comments many readers place at the end of articles we publish on this Web site.

All of these efforts have greatly increased our interaction with our audience, and they have greatly increased the degree of ownership the audience has of this Web site and the Northwest Florida Daily News.

But here's what bugs me. Why do so many people who leave comments choose to remain anonymous?

I understand that some features, such as Spout Off, publish anonymously, so it hardly makes sense for those who write Spout Offs to give their names. I get that.

But I don't understand why so many people who post comments at the end of stories, or who post comments on my blog, choose to remain anonymous.

Do people really have that much fear that their comments will lead to retribution of some sort? Are many of you simply shy? Or what?

The ones who bother me the most are those who post mean-spirited anonymous comments. To me, those people lose a good amount of credibility. If you're going to take a shot at someone, you should be willing to put your name to it.

What's everybody else think about anonymity?

Let me know. And yes, it's fine with me if you wish to remain anonymous in responding to this request. And no, I don't plan to stop people from posting anonymous comments.

County spinmeisters follo

2007-07-10T09:13:00.000-07:00

I just spoke on the telephone with Cragin Mosteller, a spokesperson for the Florida Association of Counties.

Mosteller said she is also the writer of the 22-page document I posted on a previous blog. The document is essentially a guide for county officials to use to argue against the state Legislature's efforts at property tax reform, which have forced cuts to county and other local government budgets.

The document I received from a source is clearly marked "NOT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE." But Mosteller said the association never labeled the document as such, and she pointed out that it has been posted on the association of counties Web site for weeks sans the "NOT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE" label.

"We try to be very transparent," Mosteller told me. "Our position is clear. I'm upset that someone would alter the document. We wrote it in the sunshine."

The source who sent it to me said he received it from the Web site of the Walton County Association of Taxpayers. The document is still posted on that association's Web site, exactly as I received it and posted it myself.

I spoke with Bob Hudson, who handles the association's Web site. Hudson said he received it some weeks ago via email exactly as it is posted from another taxpayers association in another county.

That's as far as I've unraveled the mystery so far. I'll keep digging, and tell you more when I know more.

However it's labeled, the contents of the document are still newsworthy.

County spinmeisters

2007-07-08T08:06:00.000-07:00

A source has shared with me a document from the Florida Association of Counties. The document, clearly marked "Not for Public Release,"is a blow-by-blow strategy they asked county officials to use to sway the public -- and the media -- against the state Legislature's efforts to lower property taxes and at the same time get local governments to tighten their budgets.

There's nothing wrong with such a document, and I'm not sure why the association wouldn't want it to be made public. I mean, surely they believe that John and Jane Q. Public should know how PR campaigns attempt to shape/manipulate taxpayers' opinions! Don't they?

Anyway, below is a link to the document. Let me know what you think of it.

http://www.nwfdailynews.com/blogs/FAC_Playbook_1.pdf

About the Emerald Grande...

2007-07-06T07:35:00.000-07:00

A year or so ago, Peter Bos said people shouldn't judge the Emerald Grande until contruction was complete. He likened it to waiting until a woman has put on her makeup.

Well, contruction is now largely completed. The 13-story twin-tower condo development towers over the east end of the Destin Bridge. It is by far the largest building on the harbor.

So, what do you think of Emeralde Grande? Do you think it's spectacular? Or, do you think it's something other than that?

As always, I welcome your thoughts.

Bush commutes Libby...

2007-07-02T16:45:00.000-07:00

So, what do you think of Bush's decision to commute Scooter Libby's sentence so he won't face a couple years in the big house?

In an unprecedented but not surprising maneuver, President Bush on Monday commuted former vice presidential chief of staff Libby's prison sentence for obstruction of justice.

Bush said he respected the jury's finding against Libby, but thought a prison sentence was too harsh. LIbby will still pay a fine and face probation, but he'll avoid a cell with a roommate not of his choosing.

Some people -- including most Democrats and a fair number of Republicans -- immediately suggested that Bush has a bizarre way of showing respect for America's system of justice. Rather, they believe Bush has shown a disregard for the rule of law.

Still, it was a politically shrewd move. The commutation shores up Bush's conservative base. As for the majority already opposed to Bush, well, let 'em stew.

But enough from me. What do you all think about it?

Trimming local government

2007-06-20T06:26:00.000-07:00

Not surprisingly, county and city governments are painting worst-case scenarios about the cuts they will need to make as a result of statewide property tax reform.

But in Okaloosa County, the potential cuts do not appear to be that big. Maybe still more should be trimmed.

On Tuesday, Okaloosa County Administrator Jim Curry estimated $5.4 million will need to be trimmed from this year's budget. But that amounts to just 1.8 percent of this year's current $292.3 million budget. In the world of private enterprise -- where budgets are often adjusted to meet performance expectations -- 1.8 percent is nothing.

The county ought to give taxpayers even more of their money back.

You can help cities and counties. Blog your ideas for trimming local government. I'm confident some officials read this blog. They'll see your ideas and perhaps put them to use.

Free the chickens!

2007-06-18T13:10:00.000-07:00

You go, Jim Tucker!

Tucker, a former Fort Walton Beach city councilman, has run a-fowl (sorry, couldn't resist) of city law because he has a few chickens wandering around at his business, The Boat marina.

So, Tucker's planning to ask the city of a change in its land development code, which he hopes will allow the city to grant him an exception to the no-chicken rule.

Everyone should get behind Tucker on this one. The city ordinance is antiquated, unnecessary and an intrusion on Tucker's property rights. It's what happens when the bureaucrats get to make the rules. Yes, we don't want a chicken farm to spring up in downtown Fort Walton Beach. But a few pet chickens pecking around a businessman's lot won't hurt anyone.

The number at City Hall for the mayor and city council is 833-9510.

Attending "Freedom School"

2007-06-11T18:23:00.000-07:00

I'm blogging this week from Tempe, Ariz., where I'm attending a gathering of editors and publishers from Freedom Communications, the parent company of the Northwest Florida Daily News.

The latter part of the week is our annual editors conference. But the first part of the week is "Freedom School." No, it's not indoctrination. Rather, it's a chance for us to discuss and debate the libertarian philosophy that guides the opinions on the editorial pages of our newspapers.

I like libertarianism. We're not Democrats and we're not Republicans. We're not liberals, and we're not conservatives. Instead, Freedom's libertarian philosophy champions:

-- Repect for individual rights.
-- Community service.
-- Lifelong learning.
-- Integrity.
-- Individual responsibility.

If something particularly interesting comes up this week, I'll post it on my blog, get your feedback, and report it back to my fellow editors and publishers. Cheers.

Expand Spout Off?

2007-06-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

Folks, I need your thoughts about one of our most popular features -- Spout Off.

We began Spout Off about 15 months ago, and it has been a great hit with our readers. So great that I'm thinking about expanding it.

Right now, we sometimes receive up to 100 Spout Offs a day. Those Spout Offs are edited down to a dozen or so that we publish in the next day's edition of the Northwest Florida Daily News.

I should mention here that not all of the Spout Offs are publishable. Some of them, frankly, are crude, or bigoted, or inappropriately criticize people. Those kinds of Spout Offs go into the trash.

That stated, many Spout Offs are worth sharing, but aren't published for lack of space.

So here's my question: Would readers be interested in having the Daily News publish any extra Spout Offs online?

Let me know what you think about expanding Spout Off.

And by the way, for those of you who who blogged to me a month or so ago about comics, stay tuned for my column in in the Daily News in a couple of weeks, in which I will let you know whether "Cathy" stays or goes.

Greatest album: Sgt. Pepper

2007-06-03T16:31:00.000-07:00

It was 40 years ago today...

Actually, it was 40 years ago this week that The Beatles released Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club band.

I don't always agree with the critics, but in this case I do. Sgt. Pepper is the greatest album of all time. From the opening guitar chord of the album's theme song, to the final explosion of sound at the end of "A Day in the Life," Sgt. Pepper is non-stop brilliance. It also probably influenced pop music more than any album before or since.

Or perhaps you disagree. Perhaps you think another Beatles album is better. Or maybe you think some other band -- or even Elvis -- produced an album better than Sgt. Pepper. If so, tell me what's better than Sgt. Pepper and why.

While I'm wating for you to prove me wrong, I think I'll listen to "With a Little Help from My Friends" for about the millionth time.

Monster pig is hogwash

2007-06-01T14:47:00.000-07:00

This just in from the Associated Press.

The 1,000-plus lb. monster "wild" hog an 11-year-old boy killed a few weeks ago in Alabama was actually a domesticated pig named "Fred" that was released onto a hunting plantation just four days before it was shot. As it turns out, Fred was raised from piglet-hood in a nearby neighbor's pen.

This proves a common journalism rule: When a story sounds too good to be true, it usually isn't true.

I wonder what other "too good to be true" stories have made their way into print -- or more likely these days, onto the internet -- that later turn out to be hogwash. Anybody have a good Northwest Florida urban legend story to tell? You may share it here.

Your thoughts on Iraq

2007-05-29T13:30:00.000-07:00

"So, what do you think about the war in Iraq?"

People frequently ask me that question, or a variation of it. It's not an easy one to answer.

I feel that our pre-war intelligence was terribly flawed. I believe that our efforts during the first months of occupation after the initial fighting were badly planned. I think we misunderstood the depth of hatred between the Shiites and the Sunnis. And I don't see any real effort on the part of the Iraqis to develop a workable democratic government that will stem the violence the al Qaida terrorists and others are bent on creating.

I also feel our soldiers have performed valiently and brilliantly in Iraq. They have gone above and beyond. Based on the stories I've heard from soldiers, I believe most Iraqis want a country that is peaceful and prosperous, and that might occur if the terrorists leave. And I believe that if America pulls out of Iraq, it will be a catastrophe even worse than the current situation.

So those are some of my personal views.

Now, what do you think about the war in Iraq? My goal here is to create civil dialogue about the issue that will likely dominate the 2008 presidential election. It's also an issue critical to the lives of thousands of members of the military and their families on the Emerald Coast.

McGuire's 1, Bureaucrats 0!

2007-05-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

The state bureaucrats backed off Sunday and said it's OK for McGuire's Pub in Destin to put up its creative bathroom signs again.

In a press conference, Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation secretary Holly Benson said a compromise had been reached allowing the signs to go back up.

More to the point, the regulators realized they looked like petty tax-wasting bureaucrats, which in this case is what they are. It turns out that the complaint that started this fiasco in the first place is apparently bogus. The person whose name is on the ccomplaint never actually filed it, and doesn't know who did. I wonder how much tax money was spent hassling McGuire's for nothing.

Oh well, the bathroom signs are back, and that's what matters most. I'm going to tip a cold one tonight in McGuire's honor!

McGuire's sign fiasco

2007-05-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

Today we learned that you apparently can file a fabricated complaint to the state about the bathroom signs at a reputable local restaurant, and a state regulator will then order the business to change the signs or face closure.

The fact that the complaint was fabricated in the first place -- the man whose name appears on it says he never filed it -- doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is the regulator's feelings about the bathroom signs.

This would be laughable if it hadn't actually occurred to McGuire's Pub in Destin.

The state Department of Business and Professional Regulation's action against McGuire's is ludicrous. They're using our tax dollars to harrass a private business about a regulation that shouldn't exist in the first place, based on a complaint the regulators apparently never verified.

Worse, the DBPR's position is based solely on a regulator's interpretation that a bathroom sign isn't as clear as it needs to be. That strikes as a violation of McGuire's First Amendment rights.

Here's the main number for the DBPR: 850-413-0755. Their e-mail address is Call.Center@dbpr.state.fl.us. Call them or write them today and tell them what you think about their bathroom sign regulation.

Let McGuire's be McGuire's!

Fuming about gas prices!

2007-05-21T11:51:00.000-07:00

Just in time for summer, gasoline prices have jumped to more than $3 a gallon across Northwest Florida. The price is even higher in other parts of the country.

I know the price of gasoline is already impacting my household. It's causing me to drive less, and to use my wife's more fuel-efficient car more often.

No doubt, gasoline costs are affecting you, too. Blog to me, and tell me your answers to the following questions:

Will gasoline prices make you re-think your vacation plans?

Will it keep tourists from visiting the Emerald Coast?

Will it increase the costs for your business?

Is it causing you to spend less money on other things?

Is it causing you to drive less?

Write me what you think. And if you want the The Daily News to use your comments in a story later this week about rising gasoline prices, please leave your name and hometown. Thanks.

Let's debate immigration!

2007-05-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

It appears that an immigration deal has been struck in Washington, D.C. -- the result of an unlikely alliance between President George W. Bush, conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats.

The deal -- which the Senate will debate beginning Monday -- would grant legal status to millions of people who currently are in this country unlawfully. They would be able to obtain a "Z" visa after paying a $5,000 fine and fees, which would put them on track to gain permanent residency in 8-to-13 years. The deal would also increase border security and create a hi-tech employment verification system.

My guess is that lots of people on the Emerald Coast have opinions about this proposal. So, let's share our viewpoints on this blog. I hope people with opinions on all sides of the immigration issue will join in the discussion.

One note: I know this is an emotional issue for many people. That's fine, but please be civil on my blog.

Leave McGuire's Alone!

2007-05-17T06:59:00.000-07:00

It's bad enough that Fort Walton Beach officials are harrassing former city councilman Jim Tucker for a few stray chickens on his property.

Now, today's edition of the Northwest Florida Daily News reports that the state has ordered McGuire's Irish Pub in Destin to remove the creative signs on its bathrooms.

A father complained to the state after a college-age man walked into the women's bathroom while his 15-year-old daughter was in there. The man apparently misread the sign on the door. The father said his daughter was embarrassed and left crying over the incident.

As a result the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation has threatened McGuire's with closure for "Lack of signage properly designating bathrooms."

I've personally seen the signs on McGuire's bathroom doors up close, and they are a little confusing the first time you see them. But to order their removal is a ridiculous waste of taxpayers' money. Gimmee a break!

I don't doubt that the father's word that his daughter was embarrassed by the incident. But if the man and his family don't like the bathroom signs at McGuire's, wouldn't a better solution be to simply not go into the pub anymore?

Let's get rid of the state bathroom sign police brigade immediately. Petitions to fight back are on the pub's doors. Let McGuire's be McGuire's!

DeFuniak Springs' true patriotism

2007-05-16T09:18:00.000-07:00

I've always admired small towns, and I especially admire DeFuniak Springs this week as its residents collectively paid respect to Tim Padgett, the homewtown soldier killed last week in Afghanistan.

On Monday, Padgett's body was returned to DeFuniak Springs. Residents lined the street from the airport to show their appreciation of Padgett's ultimate sacrifice. Today, many of them will do the same for Padgett's funeral and burial.

I'm sure the town's response means a great deal to Padgett's family. DeFuniak Springs also is an example for every community in Northwest Florida, large or small. When a soldier dies on our behalf, it's a loss we all should acknowledge.

Hughes drops Republican link

2007-05-15T07:19:00.000-07:00

I spoke at the Okaloosa County Democrats meeting Monday night. More about that in my column this Sunday, May 20.

However, I did pick up an interesting news tidbit that's worth sharing.

Like all county officials, Republican Okaloosa County Tax Collector Chris Hughes has a taxpayer-financed Web site. The Web site is part informational, and part promotion of Chris Hughes. For example, on the main page of the site, in large type, is a link to Hughes' biography.

Until Monday, if viewers clicked to Hughes' biography, they also were offered a link to the Republican National Committee.

Toni Craig, executive director of the Okaloosa County Democrats, found that link to be odd, given that all taxpayers are picking up the tab for Hughes' office and Web site. She mentioned her concern to an attorney who does work for Hughes' office, and the attorney mentioned it to Hughes. On Monday, Hughes removed the Republican link from his biography.

"To be honest with you, I didn't even know it was there," Hughes told me this morning. Asked who put it up, Hughes said he didn't know, but conceded, "It probably was put up by someone in here (the tax collector's office). As soon as I found out I removed it."

And there you have it.

Al Sharpton and Romney

2007-05-14T14:41:00.000-07:00

Just lately, more than a couple folks have asked me to comment about the Rev. Al Sharpton.

Sharpton has been in the news even more than usual in recent weeks.

First, he led the charge against Radio/TV personality Don Imus after Imus made his insensitive, sexist and racist comments about the Rutgers University women's basketball team. Imus lost his job over the comments.

More recently, in a debate with an atheist, Sharpton more or less stated that people who believe in God will defeat Massachusetts Republican Gov. Mitt Romney's bid to become president.

Romney has fought back, accusing Sharpton of a bigoted comment. Sharpton in turn has accused Romney of misconstruing his comment in an effort to breath life into his flagging campaign.

Here's exactly what Sharpton said: "As for the one Mormon running for office, those who really believe in God will defeat him anyways, so don't worry about that; that's a temporary situation."

Here's what I think. I think Sharpton is an opportunist who looks for ways to appear morally superior and to incite debate about race issues. He probably costs the Democrats more votes than he gets them.

But I defend Sharpton's comment about Mormons was intentionally bigoted. And I defend his right to stir things up, in the same way that I defend everyone's right to free speech, and in the same way that I defend Romney's right to practice any religion he chooses.

That's what I think. What do you think?

Free Jim Tucker's chickens!

2007-05-11T08:34:00.000-07:00

If anyone ever needs a handy example of unnecessary government intrusion, they should clip and save the story in today's Northwest Florida Daily News about former city councilman Jim Tucker's chickens.

The city's Code Enforcement Board is after Tucker to get rid of three chickens roaming on his property that are apparently in violation of a city code.

"I don't want to be imposed on by government." Tucker told reporter Wendy Victora. "I want government to help me in times of need."

Here's an idea: Why don't we get rid of the Code Enforcement Board? At the least, why don't we get rid of petty city ordinances? Or, let's at least stop wasting taxpayer's money investigating and enforcing this sort of silliness. Tucker's not raising a hundred head of cattle; it's three chickens for cripe's sake!

Tucker's chickens should remain free! Is anyone with me on this?

Parsing Bush's Poll Numbers

2007-05-10T14:10:00.000-07:00

Gallup released its latest poll on President George W. Bush this week.

Bush's approval rating stands at 34%. This is no surprise; Bush's job approval rating has essentially flat-lined at around 35% in 2007, and it appears doubtful that he'll enjoy any improvement in the near future. The unpopular war in Iraq -- which shows little sign of improvement -- is the main reason behind his dismal numbers. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent.

I suspect Bush remains very popular here in Northwest Florida, where the majority of voters register as Republicans. In that regard, our area reflects his national approval rating among Republicans, which stands at 75%.

But nationally, the Republicans have to be sweating over their prospects in 2008. Not surprisingly, only 8% of Democrats approve of Bush's performance. Of greater concern, though, is that 31% of Independents approve of Bush. And his approval rating is at 40 percent or lower in every region of the country. Those are very short coattails indeed.

That means that a large number Republican congressmen and senators in parts of the country with viable two-party systems are very nervous about their futures. And that will make it increasingly difficult for the president to keep those folks on board as it regards support for the war in Iraq.

Or at least that's how I see it. What's everyone else think?

My complaint about FCATs

2007-05-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

I don't normally write about personal experience on this blog. However, I thought it worthwhile to share my family's recent experience with the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, also known as FCAT.

First, my lead paragraph: We have a third-grader, Dillon, at Florosa Elementary in Okaloosa County, and I'm happy to report that he passed the FCAT. Dillon's success is largely a result of three things: Dillon has a fantastic teacher named Rosia Cahn; my wife, Mary, has worked religiously with Dillon on his homework; and Dillon has personally worked hard to improve his reading skills.

But the FCAT left us with some negative feelings. I think the state of Florida places far too much emphasis on the FCAT results. This causes schools and teachers to "teach to the test" if only for their own survival. The FCATs also cause an unnecessarily high level of anxiety for parents and children. If a third-grader has bad FCAT test day, it could too greatly impact their academic future, their self-esteem, and the rest of their life. That seems to be to be more pressure than a nine-year-old child needs.

I'm not opposed to standards. But I'm also for balance, and I think FCAT has caused the education system to focus too much on the results of one test.

What do others think about FCAT?

Who won the debates?

2007-05-04T11:56:00.000-07:00

Well, the first Democratic and Republican presidential debates are over.

Yawn.

I think most people would agree that there's no effective way to hold a debate that includes 10 candidates at once. Nobody has enough time to make any point stick, or to make clear a position on any issue. The whole thing turns into forgettable sound bytes and hand gestures. Here are the only trends I took away from the first debates:

-- Every Democrat wants voters to know that they're against the war in Iraq.
-- Every Republican wants voters to think they're the next coming of Ronald Reagan.

Still, I suppose every debate has a winner and a loser. Who do you think won the first debates? Guiliani? McCain? Clinton? Obama? Or one of the others?

There's 19 months of politickin' and posturin' to go before the next president is actually elected. The only thing I'm relatively certain of is that a Democrat won't win in Okaloosa, Santa Rosa or Walton counties.

Nationally, though, I would have to give the edge to the Democrats -- unless a Republican comes forward with a legitimate plan to extricate get the U.S. out of Iraq while avoiding a complete humanitarian catastrophe there.

The 46th's unclear future

2007-05-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

As Daily News readers know, this newspaper has aggressively covered the 46th Test Wing's future at Eglin Air Force Base. It's a hugely important issue for this community, as thousands of jobs are connected to the 46th.

It was hoped that a just-released RAND report would clarify the 46th's future. The Daily News has so far obtained only a couple pages of the 200-plus page report, but it appears that the report does little to assure this area that the 46th is staying put. We continue to seek the full report. Apparently, two other Air Force reports are also now in the works. Dates for their release haven't been set yet.

When we know more, our readers will know more. Meanwhile, if anyone has any story ideas to suggest related to the 46th Test Wing, you can call me at 863-1111, ext. 400. Or, call reporter Mladen Rudman at the same number, ext. 443.

We fiddle, Iraq burns

2007-05-01T15:25:00.000-07:00

Pitiful.

That's how best to describe the political theater that played out in Washington D.C. on Tuesday.

The Democrats sent an Iraq funding bill to President George W. Bush with a timeline for a pullout of U.S. troops from the country, knowing full well that Bush would veto it.

Bush did just that, calling the bill "a prescription for chaos and confusion and we must not impose it on our troops."

Now, after weeks of this charade, Bush and the Democrats will try to reach some sort of compromise. What a waste of precious time.

The Democrats should never have sent this bill in the first place. At the same time, Bush must recognize that his policy in Iraq has already been a prescription for chaos and confusion.

At what point will America hold the Iraqi government people accountable for the self-inflicted slaughter that's occurring there and costing American lives in the process? Let's hope it's soon.

white, black suspensions

2007-04-29T09:19:00.000-07:00

The Sunday edition of the Northwest Florida Daily News included an excellent front-page story by Rachel Kyler examining school suspensions on the Emerald Coast.

The story, and accompanying information at nwfdailynews.com, includes a lot of data of interest. The most interesting comparison to me is this: Black students are about twice as likely to be suspended from school as white students. And black male students are the most likely of all to be suspended.

Why is that? What do folks think are the reasons behind this disparity? Let me know.

The county's tough choices

2007-04-22T07:10:00.000-07:00

Last week's busy news cycle -- the Virginia Tech mass murder, the Alberto Gonzales hearing, and the huge shark caught near Navarre Beach -- overshadowed another major local news story.

In a meeting with the Northwest Florida Daily News editorial board last week, Okaloosa County officials said they expect to trim millions of dollars from the county's budget for the upcoming fiscal year. This is a result of anticipated changes the state Legislature is considering that will lower property taxes.

The anticipated lower taxes come as great news to homeowners, and especially business owners who have seen their property taxes head through the roof in recent years.

But it will also mean some tough choices for Okaloosa and other Emerald Coast counties. What do you cut? Proposed construction projects such as the courthouse annex or the jail expansion? Or, do you cut the budget of other constitutional offices such as the sheriff's department or EMS? Or, do you lay off personnel?

Okaloosa County Manager Jim Curry and Commissioner Bill Roberts said those options and others will be on the table as the county develops its budget for the upcoming year.

I'm an advocate of tightening government's budget at ALL levels -- county, state and federal. Simply put, government spends too much. But I don't envy the task that will soon confront county officials. If anyone has some advice for them, share it.

Gun control vs. gun rights

2007-04-17T14:24:00.000-07:00

Predictably, the horrific shooting at Virginia Tech has fed the national debate about gun control.

Gun control advocates argue that the shooter, 23-year-old Cho Seung-Hui might not have committed mass murder if it hadn't been so easy for him to obtain the handguns he used to shoot 32 people.

Gun rights advocates counter that guns don't kill people, wackos like Seung-Hui do. They also argue that Seung-Hui might have been stopped if others on campus had been carrying guns themselves.

Here's your invitation to join the debate.

Comics you love/hate

2007-04-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

As editor of the Northwest Florida Daily News, one thing I have learned is that readers have very strong opinions about individual comics. And changing comics is a lot like closing your eyes and putting your hand on top of the stove to see which burner is on or off.

Knowing all that, here I go.

I am thinking about changing a couple of comics, and I'm asking for a little guidance.

I want to know which comic published in the Daily News you like the most.

And (or) more importantly, I want to know which comic you DISLIKE the most, and why. I say knowing which comic you dislike is more important because it's often easier to replace a comic most people seem to dilike than to cut loose a comic that at least some people do like. Know what I mean?

So, please share your thoughts with me, and ask your friends to pitch in, too.

I'll let you know in a column in the Daily News how this informal survey turns out, and what I plan to do next.

MSNBC fires Imus

2007-04-12T10:04:00.000-07:00

Well, Don Imus is no longer part of MSNBC.

As you know from my previous blog on this subject, I'm sorry to see him pulled from morning cable television. I loved his show's vicious satire of some of our most pompous politicians and other public figures.

But I also understand why so many people believe he needed to go after his incredibly stupid characterization of the Rutgers University women's basketball team as "nappy-headed ho's." As a number of people who responded to my initial blog point out, that comment was racially insensitive and sexually offensive to the extreme, and it was a comment about a group of young women who did nothing to deserve the derision.

I'm still storry to see Imus go. But I understand why others believe he needed to get the boot. And I thank you all for sharing your opinions about Imus with me.

Don't fire Imus

2007-04-10T06:48:00.000-07:00

By now most people know that and cable television personality Don Imus has gotten himself into trouble over racially insensitive comments he made about the Rutgers University women's basketball team.

The day after Rutgers lost in the national championship game, Imus referred to Rutgers players as "nappy-headed hos." Most of the team's members are black.

That comment -- as Imus has repeatedly admitted in repeated apologies -- was not just racially insensitive. It was plain stupid.

Imus will begin serving a two-week suspension from CBS Radio and MSNBC next Monday. But a chorus of people -- led by the Rev. Al Sharpton -- are calling for his dismissal. CNN's coverage seems almost to be hoping that Imus is fired, which isn't surprising to me, given that Imus has taken a big bite out of CNN's morning viewership in the past year.

Here's hoping Imus remains on the air.

Anybody who watches Imus in the Morning knows that the show is known for its often-over-the-edge brand of humor. His willingness to satirize, criticize and offend people is the key to his success in the past three decades.

But Imus has always been an equal-opportunity offender. The shows imitators are equally vicious to Bill Clinton (and by extension Hillary), Teddy Kennedy, the Rev. Jerry Falwell, Ray Nagin and Dr. Phil, among others. Imus is no fan of President Bush, but his politics are all over the map. He championed Republican Sen. Rick Santorum and Democrat Senate candidate Harold Ford Jr. equally in last fall's election. And he's been outspoken in support of veterans, even as he has been vehemently against the war in Iraq.

Sometimes I cringe when I hear Imus or others on his show go over the edge. And clearly Imus crossed the line last week when commenting about the women at Rutgers. There's a difference between making vicious fun of politicians and taking cheap, racially insensitive shots at young women athletes.

But I hope Imus isn't fired. Yes, he's offensive. But he's also very funny. If he goes, who'll be left to make of our most pompous politicians and personalities?

John McCain's skewed Iraq

2007-04-09T07:50:00.000-07:00

During his recent visit to Iraq, Republican Senator and presidential hopeful John McCain spoke of the success of our recent troop surge there, and said the media aren't adequately covering the improvements in security. He added that he visited a Baghdad market -- something he would not have been able to do in previous trips.

Fortunately, "60 Minutes" went along with him and was able to capture the truth on video.

McCain visited the market under heavy guard by the U.S. military, with 10 armored Humvees on the ground and two Apache helicopters overhead. He was surrounded by soldiers during the entire visit. Not exactly your weekend trip to the average Emerald Coast supermarket.

The troop surge may be working -- certainly some evidence suggests it is, at least in parts of Baghdad. But McCain ought to know better than to bend the truth so much. Americans deserve to know the real facts in Iraq, not the distortions of political candidates.

not trolley buses!

2007-04-05T08:28:00.000-07:00

I hate to disparage an idea before it has a chance to succeed, but I'll make an exception when it comes to Okaloosa County Transit's decision to put two WAVE "trolley" buses on the streets.

First, let's call them what they really are. They're buses dressed up to look like trolleys. The cost $139,000 in federal tax dollars apiece. According to a story in today's Daily News, "county officials hope the trolleys will draw locals and out-of-towners."

Here's reality. WAVE ridership is anemic at best. The bus service operates at a deficit of several hundred thousand dollars a year, which local taxpayers have to help make up. And two "trolley" buses will do little if anything to increase ridership.

There is a need for mass transportation services, especially for the physically disabled. But putting two more empty buses on the street at the taxpayers' expense isn't effective mass transportation, no matter how cute or stylish the buses look on the outside.

Do drug laws work?

2007-04-04T07:07:00.000-07:00

Fort Walton Beach police brought in quite a drug haul on Tuesday. About 460 pounds of marjiuana and more than 100 pounds of cocaine.

That's a lot of dope. But the reality is that the bust will probably do little to dent the illegal drug trade here or anywhere else. There's too much demand, and too much money to be made supplying it.

Which leads to a question that's been debated for a long time: Would it make more sense to legalize or de-criminalize drug use?

Doing so would eliminate the need to lock up all the drug users who currently fill up our county jails and state and federal prisons. That would free up billions of tax dollars a year, some of which could be used to provide treatment for the many drug users who want to come clean. Or, they could just give us those tax dollars back. Legalization also might take the drug trade out of the hands of gangs and other organized crime elements.

On the other hand, there's the legitimate worry that legalizing drugs might make them more available. But if pretty much any teen-ager can tell you where to buy pot right now, then aren't drugs already REAL available?

What's your opinion?

Still more about politics

2007-04-01T07:59:00.000-07:00

A couple respondents to my blog have asked me further questions about my politics.

Mike wondered about my party affiliation before I became an independent. Well, Mike, my father was and is a yellow dog, blue-collar, union-supporting Democrat. So I guess that would be the start point for my own political views. And I still view the world from the perspective of the working class. Growing up as the son of a sometimes laid-off construction worker in a single-parent family -- my mother died when I was 14 -- that often did not have enough money to go around will tend to give you a view of the world that sticks with you.

But my perspective has certainly evolved. As a younger man, I thought government programs could cure poverty, if only we'd let them work and make them bigger. Wrong! As a journalist, I have reported a quite a bit about various welfare programs, and my belief now is that most welfare programs do more to perpetuate poverty than to cure it. I further believe government -- especially at the federal level, but also at the state and local level -- is bloated and ought to shrink. And, I believe that the more government in general stays out of our lives, the better. For example, do we really need a U.S. Department of Education? I'm not sure we do.

Does that make me a conservative? Some readers seem to think so, and others don't. (One person called me a Nazi in a letter after I wrote a column critical of Democrats a couple years ago. I thought that was a bit strong, but I defend his right to have an opinion.). I can say that I have voted for Democrats and Republicans, and I'll continue to do so if that's what makes sense to me. As I said, I'm an independent.

Another blogger, however, believes that everything he's ever read from me is from the viewpoint of the "left wing." Sir or madam, (I'm not sure of your gender because you have chosen to be anonymous.), your characterization of my politics is no doubt a result of your own view of the world, through which you filter the views of others. Let me guess; you consider yourself to be a right-wing conservative with all the answers, if only everyone else could be just like you. Well, good luck with that.

About my politics

2007-03-30T15:06:00.000-07:00

One blogger today, in responding to my comments about Iraq funding, suggested that I'm a Democrat.

For the record, I'm an independent.

Not that I have anything against Democrats. Or Republicans. As I often tell groups I speak to, I've been in journalism long enough to know that there a good people in both parties, and some real losers in both parties. Mostly, I wish both parties would give us some of our tax money back.

Locally, of course, most everyone self-desbribe themselves as "Republican." Indeed, a lot of the Democrats I meet here call themselves Republicans!

And then you have the members of the Okaloosa County Commission, most of whom describe themselves as "conservative" Republicans, even as the county's budget has more than doubled in the past decade. If that's conservative, then monkeys will fly out my.....ears.

Like I say, I'm an independent. Which is just fine with most people, as long as I agree with them.

Iraq deadlines and vetoes

2007-03-29T10:13:00.000-07:00

The Senate has just passed a $122 billion war spending bill that would require President George W. Bush to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq within 120 days, with a non-binding goal of all troops being withdrawn by the end of March 2008.

The House has passed a similar bill. The House and Senate will now presumably get together to hammer out a final bill that will require some sort of withdrawal timetable.

Bush has promised to veto any bill with a timetable -- and he should. Any timetable will erode the possibility for success in creating democracy in Iraq. The terrorists and radical Shiites and Sunnis will just wait us out, etc.

That stated, Bush's administration needs to figure out an end game in Iraq and share it with the American people. And the current Iraqi government needs to show real progress, and do it very soon. Our troops can't prop them up indefinitely.

This isn't just an issue of patience. It's an issue of having the military capability available to protect ourselves from other potential threats. Like Iran, for example.

Cancer doesn't play politics.

2007-03-28T13:05:00.000-07:00

Cancer doesn't play politics.

Last week, Elizabeth Edwards announced that the cancer she thought she had beaten had returned and was now incureable. She is the wife of Democratic Presidential candidate John Edwards.

This week, the Republican President George W. Bush's White House announced that the colon cancer press secretary Tony Snow had battled two years ago had returned and spread to his liver.

I know something about cancer. It killed my mother when I was 14. She was 37.

Having seen cancer up close, I know how terrible it can be for the victim and family members. And I know it's a widely shared experience. Nearly everyone has lost a family member to cancer.

But I also know that a lot of medical progress has been made in the past three decades. Many more people beat cancer these days, and I hope Tony Snow and Elizabeth Edwards are two of them.

If you're fighting cancer, or if you're a cancer survivor, I'd be interested in reading about it, and I think other readers of this blog would also be interested in your story. Just write me a few lines, or as many as you want.

And know that the rest of us are rooting for you.

Kari Barlow, Tar Heels fan

2007-03-26T11:42:00.000-07:00

Daily News Business Editor Kari Barlow is a generally quiet, low-key person. Shy even. But not when she's watching college basketball.

Kari is a loyal graduate of the University of North Carolina. On Sunday, she was in her apartment by herself, watching her beloved Tar Heels go up against those plucky Georgetown Hoyas. At stake was a trip to the final four. It was a close game, tied at regulation, and then the Hoyas began....to....pull...away!

Kari admits to yelling at the television. She admits to getting a little loud. She admits to becoming emotional. She admits that the neighbors in her complex probably heard her.

A few after game's end, there was a loud knock at Kari's door. She opened it, and two Okaloosa County deputies met her.

"Are you all right?" they inquired. Apparently neighbors had called law enforcement, concerned that someone was attacking someone in Kari's apartment. Kari, a little sheepishly, said yes, she was just fine.

These things happen. Kari promises to be quiet from now on. At least until NCAA tournament time next year.

Go Kari! Go Tar Heels!

Bush's low approval rating

2007-03-22T07:57:00.001-07:00

In the latest Gallup Poll (March 6), President George W. Bush's approval rating stands at 33%.

That's even lower than his overall approval rating during his sixth year in office, which averaged 37.3%.

The only president in the last 50 years with a worse sixth year in office was Richard Nixon, who was forced to resign that year as a result of the Watergate scandal. Nixon's approval dipped to 25.4%.

Bush's approval rating during his sixth year is also the fourth lowest ever for a president in the 50 years Gallup as been polling. Only Nixon and Harry Truman had lower ratings.

In comparison, Bill Clinton -- the president many in Northwest Florida love to hate -- had an approval rating of 63.8% in his sixth year. That, by the way, was the year he faced impeachment over the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

Bush's low approval can certainly be attributed in large part to his handling of the war in Iraq. As the war's popularity has diminished, so has Bush's approval.

But Iraq isn't the only reason. Other issues, such as his administration's handling of Hurricane Katrina's aftermath, have also hurt Bush.

Now Bush is facing more controversy. A Democrat-controlled Congress wants to know all the details regarding the White House's role in the firing of eight U.S. attorneys. Subpoenas are being prepared. Key adviser Karl Rove and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales are under intense scrutiny. Bush is digging in his heels.

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. Here's a prediction: Bush's approval will drop still lower in the coming weeks.

Walter Reed's chaplain speaks

2007-03-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

A reader alerted me to the viewpoint below of the chaplain of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, which has come under substantial criticism in recent weeks over the treatment of some soldiers who have been wounded in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's a little long, but I think it also provides a perspective missing from much of the media's coverage. Anyway, in the interest of balance, here it is:

Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2007 10:43 AMSubject: FROM THE CHIEF OF CHAPLAINS WRAMC

I have had enough and am going to give my perspective on the news about Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Please understand that I am speaking for myself and I am responsible for my thoughts alone. The news media and politicians are making it sound like Walter Reed is a terrible place and the staff here has been abusing our brave wounded soldiers; what a bunch of bull!
I am completing my 24th year of service in the Army next month so you decide for yourself if I have the experience to write about this topic. I have been the senior clinical chaplain at Walter Reed for four years and will leave to go back to the infantry this summer. I supervise the chaplain staff inside Walter Reed that cares for the 200 inpatients, the 650+ daily outpatients from the war who come to us for medical care, the 4000+ staff, and over 3000 soldiers and their families that come for clinical appointments daily.
Walter Reed has cared for over 5500 wounded from the war. I cannot count the number of sick and non-battle injured that have come through over that timeframe. The staff at this facility has done an incredible job at the largest US military medical center with the worst injured of the war. We have cared for over 400 amputees and their families. I am privileged to serve the wounded, their families, and our staff.
When the news about building 18 broke I was on leave. I was in shock when the news broke. We in the chaplains office in Walter Reed, as well as the majority of people at Walter Reed, did not know anyone was in building 18. I didn’t even know we had a building 18. How can that happen? Walter Reed is over 100 acres of 66 buildings on two installations. Building 18 is not on the installation of Walter Reed and was believed to be closed years ago by our department.
The fact that some leaders in the medical brigade that is in charge of the outpatients put soldiers in there is terrible. That is why the company commander, first sergeant, and a group of platoon leaders and platoon sergeants were relieved immediately. They failed their soldiers and the Army. The commanding general was later relieved (more about this) and his sergeant major has been told to move on–if he gets to. The brigade sergeant major was relieved and more relief’s are sure to come and need to.
As any leader knows, if you do not take care of soldiers, lie, and then try to cover it up, you are not worthy of the commission you hold and should be sent packing. I have no issue, and am actually proud, that they did relieve the leaders they found who knew of the terrible conditions some of our outpatients were enduring. The media is making it sound like these conditions are rampant at Walter Reed and nothing could be further from the truth. We need improvements and will now get them. I hate it that it took this to make it happen.
The Army and the media made MG Weightman, our CG, out to be the problem and fired him. This was a great injustice. He was only here for six months, is responsible for military medical care in the 20 Northeast states, wears four “hats” of responsibilities, and relies on his subordinate leaders to know what is happening in their areas of responsibilities. He has a colonel that runs the hospital (my hospital commander), a colonel that runs the medical brigade (where the outpatient wounded are assigned and supposedly cared for), and a colonel that is responsible to run the garrison and installation.
What people don’t know is that he was making many changes as he became aware of them and had requested money to fix other places on the installation. The Army did not come through until four months after he asked for the money, remember that he was here only six months, which was only days before they relieved him. His leaders responsible for outpatient care did not tell him about conditions in building 18. He has been an incredible leader who really cares about the wounded, their families, and our staff. I cannot say the same about a former commander, who was my first commander here at Walter Reed, and definitely knew about many problems and is in the position to fix them and he did not.
MG Weightman also should not be held responsible for the military’s unjust and inefficient medical board system and the problems in the VA system. We lost a great leader and passionate man who showed he had the guts to make changes and was doing so when he was made the scapegoat for others.
What I am furious about is that the media is making it sound like all of Walter Reed is like building 18. Nothing could be further from the truth. No system is perfect but the medical staff provides great care in this hospital. What needs to be addressed, and finally will, is the bureaucratic garbage that all soldiers are put through going into medical boards and medical retirements. Congress is finally giving the money that people have asked for at Walter Reed for years to fix places on the installations and address shortcomings. What they don’t want you to know is Congress caused many problems by the BRAC process saying they were closing Walter Reed.
We cannot keep nor attract all the quality people we need at Walter Reed when they know this place will close in several years and they are not promised a job at the new hospital. Then they did this thing call A76 where they fired many of the workers here for a company of contractors, IAP, to get a contract to provide care outside the hospital proper. The company, which is responsible for maintenance, only hired half the number of people as there were originally assigned to maintenance areas to save money. Walter Reed leadership fought the A76 and BRAC process for years, but lost. Congress instituted the BRAC and A76 process; not the leadership of Walter Reed.
What I wish everyone would also hear is that for every horror story we are now hearing about in the media that truly needs to be addressed, you are not hearing about the hundreds of other wounded and injured soldiers who tell a story of great care they received. You are not hearing about the incredibly high morale of our troops and the fact that most of them want to go back, be with their teammates, and finish the job properly. You should be very proud of the wounded troopers we have at Walter Reed. They make me so proud to be in the Army and I will fight to get their story out.
I want you to hear the whole story because our wounded, their families, our Army, and the nation need to know that many in the media and select politicians have an agenda. Forget agendas and make the changes that have been needed for years to fix problems in every military hospital and the VA system. The poor leaders will be identified and sent packing and good riddance to them. I wish the same could be said for the politicians and media personalities who are also responsible but now want it to look like they are very concerned. Where have they been for the last four years? I am ashamed of what they all did and the pain it has caused many to think that everyone is like that.
Please know that you are not hearing the whole story. Please know that there are thousands of dedicated soldiers and civilian medical staff caring for your soldiers and their families. When I leave here I will end up deploying. When soldiers in my division have to go to Walter Reed from the battlefield, I know they will get great medical care. I pray that you know the same thing.
God bless all our troops and their families wherever they may be.
God bless you all,
+Chaplain John L. KallersonSenior Chaplain ClinicianWalter Reed Army Medical Center

A sidewalk to nowhere

2007-03-19T15:48:00.000-07:00

I often use Hurlburt Field Road on my way to and from the Daily News, so I'm very familiar with the ongoing Okaloosa County construction work on the road.

Of late, I've been very interested in the recently opened west stretch, where Hurlburt Field Road meets Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

The roadwork looks nice, but of particular interest is the brand new sidewalk that runs along both portions of the new western stretch. It's like a sidewalk to nowhere. It runs along the south side of the new stretch, then crosses Hurlburt Field Road at the intersection with MLK and runs back down the north side of the new stretch.

On my daily drive to work, I've yet to see a single person using that stretch of new sidewalk. Which has led me to wonder: If this new stretch of generally unused sidewalk hadn't been built, would the county then have the $137,000 to build the badly needed sidewalks for the children who attend Ocean City Elementary School?

Go take a look and tell me what you think.

Four years in Iraq

2007-03-18T08:45:00.000-07:00

Tuesday marks the four-year anniversary of the war in Iraq.

When the war began, most Americans were in support of it. Today, a majority of Americans are opposed to it. As the war's popularity has diminished, so has the popularity of President George W. Bush and the Republican party. The war's unpopularity is the main reason why Republicans lost the House in 2006.

Here in Northwest Florida, most people still support the war. Many of the folks at Eglin and Hurlburt have helped fight the war in the past four years, so it's a much more personal effort here than in some parts of the country. When I talk to soldiers who have been in Iraq, they generally tell me three things: 1) The majority of the Iraqi people support our efforts to create democracy there; 2) The support for the war here at home is critical to them; and 3) In doing their duty, our soldiers are putting their lives on the line.

I'd like you to share your views about the war in Iraq, so please send respond to this blog.

As a starting point, here are a few thoughts of my own:

First, it doesn't make good sense to set a withdrawal date for our troops. If we do that, everyone -- the foreign terrorists, Iran, Syria, and the Sunnis and Shiites who are engaged in Iraq's civil war -- will just wait us out.

And, it appears that the current troop surge is helping. Democracy won't take root unless the Iraqis feel more secure, and the additional troops appear to have improved the security.

But the troop surge is only a temporary solution. The Iraqis need to take responsibility for their own safety, and for their own government, and they need to show progress very, very soon. Like within the next couple of months.

Send me your thoughts.

Pat

NCAA tournament time!

2007-03-15T15:07:00.000-07:00

The best sporting event on earth began today.

Of course, I'm talking about the NCAA men's basketball tournament. For the next three weeks, the newsroom will be filled with trash talkin' puncuated by intermittent whoops and groans as brackets prosper or crash and burn.

This year, I'm so far out on the limb I'm standin' on a twig. I picked Wisconsin to win it all. I know, I may not even make it to the weekend.

Or the mighty Badgers could....go....all....the....way!!!!

Anyway, tell me who you think will win it all, and why. Or tell me who you think WON'T win it all, and why.

Go Badgers!!

build OC's sidewalk!

2007-03-14T14:55:00.000-07:00

You have to wonder whether Okaloosa County has something against Ocean City Elementary School.

The county has a $292 million budget this year, but can't find the $137,000 to build sidewalks so Ocean City's students on their way to and from school have a safe way to avoid dangerous, winding Essex Road.

This is not a new issue. According to school officials, the road has been a hazard for the children for years.

Just recently, the county spent more than $373,000 building a bathroom near the boat landing at Marler Park. If the county can find that much money for a toilet for boaters, they ought to be able to find $137,000 to build a sidewalk so school children can be safe.

The county's inability to find money for the sidewalk stinks as much as the sewer plant they've kept in operation next to Ocean City Elementary for decades.

veterans health care

2007-03-13T07:06:00.000-07:00

Revelations that out-patient care is shoddy at Walter Reed Army Medical Center have led to three high-level resignations in the past two weeks.

Now, the media and Congress are focusing on the care veterans receive at Veterans Administration hospitals and clinics across the country.

Good.

For years, veterans in Northwest Florida have registered legitimate concerns about the distance they have had to travel to receive care at Veterans Administration hospitals and clinics. A clinic is finally under construction at Eglin Air Force Base. It's slated for completion in 2008. Why it took so long to build a VA clinic in an area with this many veterans is a mystery, and perhaps a symptom of the disconnect between our federal government and the veterans who deserve the best care available.

Our Press Expansion

2007-03-12T06:47:00.000-07:00

If you picked up Monday's edition of the Northwest Florida Daily News, you no doubt noticed that some features aren't in their usual places.

That's a result of our press expansion project. When it's completed, we will be able to double the number of color pages we can publish each day. Until the project is finished, our press can print only two sections at a time, and it takes longer to print them. So, on some days, we will take what is normally a five-section paper and reconfigure it into a four-section paper. As a result, some content will not be in its normal place.

The press expansion is an investment of more than $1 million, and will take 4-to-6 weeks. Look to our front page each day for information to help you find the content you're looking for. And by all means take part in our "Find Richard" contest, and win some free gas.

Thanks for your understanding, and by all means blog to me for any and all comments related to our press expansion.

coverage of suicides

2007-03-09T07:19:00.000-08:00

The Northwest Florida Daily News published a story in Friday's edition about an elderly couple who apparently commited suicide together in Crestview. They left a note in their mailbox, along with a key to the house, a list of next of kin, and $20 to cover the phone calls. Authorities found them inside the home with a generator running.

We covered this story due to the unusual and public nature of it.

But the truth is that suicide is one of the taboo issues that newspapers and other media rarely cover. We don't cover suicide because it makes everyone feel squeamish. Also, there is a strong belief that coverage of suicides embarrasses family members.

But suicide is a serious mental health issue, and I'm not at all sure that we're doing the right thing by keeping it in the closet.

Here's what I find to be startling statistics. In 2005 -- the latest year for which state statistics are available -- 14 people were homicide victims in Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton counties. During the same period, 67 people committed suicide in the three counties. Only slightly more people died in automobile accidents -- 74.

I think the number of suicides probably surprises many people, and their surprise is a result of society's general willingness to ignore the issue.

I'm interested in what others think about this. But I won't be surprised if the responses are minimal, given the nature of the subject and how it makes people feel.

Dr. Strangelove and Destin

2007-03-07T14:37:00.000-08:00

An aerial view of the then-undeveloped Destin Harbor was featured in the 1964 movie "Dr. Strangelove."

On Wednesday, someone sent the following link to the Northwest Florida Daily News.

Click here: Dr. Strangelove film clip includes Destin, Florida

It shows what the harbor looked like then, and what it looks like more recently. (The recent photo is from 2004, I think.) Clearly, the Emerald Coast has changed in 40-plus years. Take a gander at the past, then share your thoughts....

Ann Coulter's bigotry

2007-03-05T06:46:00.000-08:00

I'm ashamed to say that Ann Coulter is a member of my profession, but unfortunately her hate-filled diatribes can still can drum up a crowd.

Speaking Friday at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, Coulter ended her remarks by referring to Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards a "faggot."

Sadly, many in the audience clapped.

I know a lot of conservatives, and most of them are good people. But Coulter is not one of the good people. She's a bigot, and she uses a hateful message and name-calling to divide people, and to line her own pockets with money.

Good conservatives in Northwest Florida ought to denounce Coulter, and I hope they use this blog space to do just that.

It's Crist, not Christ

2007-03-03T09:10:00.000-08:00

There's an old saying that goes like this: Doctors bury their mistakes. Lawyers litigate them. And newspapers print them on the front page.

Well, not always on the front page. Earlier this week, on Thursday, we printed a headline goof on Page 2 of the Local & State section. The story was about a recommendation that Gov. Charlie Crist should review Florida's process for administering the death penalty.

"Panel: Christ should review death penalty," the headline read. Of course, it should have been Crist, not Christ.

The error was spotted and fixed, but not before a few thousand copies were already sent out for delivery.

These things happen. And unfortunately, our fine governor has a last name that made this mistake almost inevitable.

But we'll try to keep it from happening again, and I do apologize. And if you see an error, by all means call me and let me know. My number is 863-1111, ext. 400.

The reality is that typos and misspellings occur in newspapers, even with a copy desk that is as conscientious as the one we have here at the Daily News. But that doesn't mean it's OK.

Capt. Taylor's rape case

2007-02-28T15:22:00.000-08:00

For the past week, the Northwest Florida Daily News has provided front-page coverage of the rape trial of Eglin Air Force Base Capt. Devery Taylor.

On Tuesday, Taylor was found guilty of raping four men and attempting to rape two others. Earlier today (Wednesday), he was sentenced to 50 years in a military prison.

Not surprisingly, our coverage drew complaints from some readers who felt that we should not have put this story on the front page, or that we included too many details about the crimes.

At the same time, our trial coverage on our Web site drew significant page views all week long -- a clear indication of high reader interest.

I'm not surprised by the complaints; stories about rape make people, including this editor, feel uncomfortable. I'm also not surprised by the high reader interest; stories about unusual crimes also attract readers.

So, cyber editors, what would you have done? Would you have placed stories about Capt. Taylor's trial on the front page? Or would you have put them somewhere inside the paper? Or, would you have covered the trial at all?

Let me know your thoughts.

anonymous reconsidered

2007-02-26T14:30:00.000-08:00

At least one "anonymous" blogger made a good point about my previous blog about anonymous people taking shots at my credibility as an editor.

This blogger pointed out that I shouldn't be so thin-skinned. After all, he or she wrote, in the past I have defended Spout Off, the column of "anonymous" comments we publish from readers each day.

Point taken. To be sure, Spout Off works partly because we allow readers to state what they really think about the issues of the day without attaching their names to their comments.

I should point out, though, that we don't publish Spout Offs from readers if they are unnecessarily unfair, mean-spirited, factually incorrect, or are personal attacks on individuals. And, it goes without saying that many readers -- including this editor -- give anonymous comments less credibility than comments that come with names attached. That's why we avoid using unnamed sources in local news stories in the Northwest Florida Daily News.

All that stated, I want everyone to know that it's OK with me if you wish to remain anonymous when commenting about my blogs. I'd rather hear your critical comments anonymously than hear no comments at all.

And I do hope many of you will take the time to share your thoughts about how to eliminate government waste. Drew had a good comment earlier today, and I hope to see more like that.

Pat

"Anonymous" chickens

2007-02-26T10:10:00.000-08:00

Rather than write about goats, perhaps I should write about "chickens."

I refer, of course, to those "anonymous" bloggers who claim that I have somehow lost my credibility.

If you want to take potshots at me, that's OK. I'm criticized pretty much daily. It comes with being the editor. And we all know how easy -- and cowardly -- it is to anonymously criticize people.

But if "anonymous" bloggers really want to impress fellow readers, they ought to take part in the discussion about government waste. Think of it this way: If you come up with a good way to trim government, then you'll REALLY look morally superior!

And put your name to your ideas. You'll look courageous and more credible all at the same time.

Cheers,
Pat

What should government cut?

2007-02-26T06:53:00.000-08:00

OK, enough about goats.

Here's another subject about which I really want input from readers.

Namely, bloated government.

I spend a fair amount of time thinking about how our government spends our tax dollars. After a couple decades as a reporter and editor, I am of the general belief that government spending can be cut considerably if: 1) Wasteful spending is eliminated; and 2) Ineffective or unnecessary programs are chopped.

Here's where I want your help: Send me examples of government spending that you think is wasteful or unnecessary. Be as specific as possible. Think federal, state and local. And no sacred cows.

I await your input. And I hope I receive just as many replies to this one as I did to my blog about the goat t-shirts.

Thanks,
Pat

Goat criticism

2007-02-23T08:25:00.000-08:00

A few folks are beating me up for giving publicity to the man in Crestview who is printing t-shirts making light of the story about a goat that expired after it was sexually assaulted by a man in the Mossy Head area.

Sorry folks, but it's news when an entrepreneur does something like this. I agree, it's highly unusual news, but "unusual" is a news value, just like prominence, timeliness and proximity.

By the way, my blog about the goat t-shirts has received more comments than any other blog I've posted in the past three weeks. Go figure.

Goat t-shirts for sale

2007-02-22T08:27:00.000-08:00

You gotta admire creative entrepreneurs. They see an opportunity, and they take advantage of the moment. And often, they have a sense of humor.

In recent weeks, the Northwest Florida Daily News has published a couple of stories about a goat in the Mossy Head area that law enforcement officials say expired after it was sexually assaulted by a man.

A bar in Crestview -- Gecko's -- is now selling t-shirts for $10 apiece that are clearly in reference to the goat incident. The back of the t-shirts shows a cartoon goat with a goofy look on its face, along with the saying, "What happens in Mossy Head stays in Mossy Head."

Here's a photo:

The idea man behind the t-shirts is John Whitley of Fort Walton Beach. Mr. Whitley said it's just something he and a couple friends decided to do for fun. He also wants people to know that he's an animal lover, and the t-shirts aren't meant to suggest that mistreatment of animals is OK.

So far, about 100 people have purshased t-shirts, and Whitley and friends are printing 200 more of them. They're also creating a Web site that should be operating by this weekened called getyourgoattees.com.

And now you know.

left vs. right

2007-02-20T15:58:00.000-08:00

In most states, arguments over politics boil down to whether a person is a left-winger or a right-winger.

Now, though, the political debate in Florida centers on whether a driver is a a left-laner or a right-laner.

A bill under consideration at the state legislature would require slow drivers in the left-hand lane to move to the right-hand lane if approached by a faster vehicle.

This same issue is a long-standing source of debate in the Daily News Spout Off column.

Not to prolong the discussion, but shouldn't common sense prevail here? If two lanes are headed in the same direction and you're in the left-hand lane and you're holding up faster cars behind you, move over to the right. We don't need another law; we just need everyone to use their heads.

Anyway, them's my thoughts.

Britney's shaved head

2007-02-19T06:51:00.000-08:00

I don't normally follow the lives of pop divas, but every once in a while they become so strange that, well...you can't help but look. Sort of like they're a bad accident and you're driving by, if you know what I mean.

This morning I flipped on CNN and was greeted by video of Britney Spears with a shaved head!
Apparently she's got a couple new tattoos as well.

Britney, there are better ways to get publicity. Like, well, you could cut a dvd -- even a bad one -- or lip sync a song at next year's Super Bowl. Or party all night with your diva friends. But pu-leeze, grow some hair back on your head.

We can only hope you wear a hat the next time you show up at Destin Commons.

Political posturing over Iraq

2007-02-16T15:05:00.000-08:00

I am disturbed by Friday's U.S. House of Representatives vote in favor of a nonbinding resolution opposing President Bush's decision to send additional troops to Iraq.

Yes, the war is nationally unpopular. Yes, it's a mess and significant mistakes have been made. I also think the Bush administration used flimsy information about purported weapons of mass destruction and supposed links to al Qaida to convince the public and Congress to support the invasion of Iraq.

But the fact is that our soldiers are now in Iraq doing their duty for their country, and they need our support. This resolution was little more than political posturing that will do nothing to help the troops on the ground and may hurt them.

If someone, anyone, knows a way out of Iraq that also gives democracy a fighting chance there, let's hear it. The debate needs to continue. But quit playing politics.

The Lory West tape dilemma

2007-02-15T07:38:00.000-08:00

The Northwest Florida Daily News faced a difficult choice on Wednesday.

Lory West was sentenced to four years in prison earier in the day for a 2005 incident in which she hit an illegal immigrant who was riding a bicycle in Destin, then drove home rather than stop.

At West's sentencing, prosecutors played a tape of West speaking from jail to relatives and her boyfriend. On the tape, West spews obscenities and makes repeated derogatory remarks about the victim, Elcio Pimental, and illegal immigrants in general. Prosecutors used the tape to demonstrate West's lack of remorse for the incident.

The Daily News has obtained a copy of the tape, and considered posting it on our Web site. But after listening to it, I decided two things. First, the tape contains so many obscenities and racial slurs that it would be impossible to post an intelligble version of the tape if we attempted to beep out all the offinsive words. Secondly, I decided that I didn't want to post such an obscenity-filled tape raw on our Web site, even though the West case has been very high profile and very controversial.

So we didn't post the tape on our Web site.

Did I make the right choice? Let me know what you think.
Thanks,
Pat Rice
Editor
Northwest Florida Daily News

Drew misunderstood me!

2007-02-13T15:54:00.000-08:00

I'd like to thank Drew for his response to my view that the cable news channels have devoted WAY TOO MUCH time to the death of Anna Nicole Smith. (By the way, I learned today from the cable news stations that Smtih is STILL dead.)

However, Drew mischaracterized my Sunday column. He wrote: "Didn't you and your other editor, Del (Stone), yell at us and complain that we should shut-up and read what's in our newspaper because it's what WE want?"

Actually, what I wrote, specifically, is "editors can’t forget that we’re the ones who choose what to offer our readers in the first place."

And that's my point about the cable news channels; THEY, not their viewers, have decided to cover Smith's death for hours and hours. And to do that they've sacrificed news about the war in Iraq, and especially the deaths of soldiers who are fighting that war on our behalf.

Enough with Anna Nicole Smith!

2007-02-12T07:15:00.000-08:00

"Ridiculous" is the main word that comes to mind to descrite the cable news coverage of Anna Nicole Smith since she turned up dead in a casino hotel room last week.

Smith died on Thursday. This morning -- Monday -- FOX News and MSNBC were STILL devoting lengthy segments at the top of the hour to Smith's death and bizarre life. CNN waited until a few minutes into the hour before bringing up Smith, but also devoted a good amount of time to her.

Yes, we all like to be entertained with tantalizing details about a generally untalented-but-buxom blond woman from Texas who lives a life of excess, craves publicity, and then is consumed by it all. But there is such a thing as overkill.

All I'm asking for is balance. For example, several American soldiers died in Iraq last week. As cable news devoted hours of coverage to Smith, the stories about those soldiers were reduced to an occasional sentence of screen crawl.

I'd rather know about the lives of those soldiers than Anna Nicole Smith any day.

Okaloosa County's Judicial Center

2007-02-08T16:01:00.000-08:00

A couple days ago, I posted a blog about the Northwest Florida Daily News libertarian-driven philosophy on our opinion pages. I explained that part of that philosophy is a belief in less, not more, government involvement in our lives.

In response, an anonymous blogger wrote: "Pat - What a great blog post. I only wish it were true. Too often you support the growth of government (Judicial Center!) "

Indeed, in my own column I have supported the need for a new Okaloosa County judicial complex to replace the current complex, which violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, and is a security nightmare. So the county should replace it.

But I think the county can replace the current judicial complex AND pay for it by cutting spending in other areas. Government -- federal, state, county -- seems stuck in a pattern of constant growth, and I'm against that non-stop growth.

I hope this clarifies my position on the judicial complex.

Cut Bush slack for Obama comment

2007-02-07T16:28:00.000-08:00

This week, some pundits have made hay of the fact that President Bush referred to Barack Obama as "articulate" during an interview on FOX News over the weekend. Apparently, the thinking is that Bush would never have referred to a white presidential candidate as "articulate," and therefore referring to Obama as "articulate" is somehow racist.

What baloney. The fact of the matter is that Obama is exceptionally articulate in much the same way that John F. Kennedy or Martin Luther King Jr. or Ronald Reagan were exceptionally articulate.

Cut the president some slack, folks. There are plenty of important things to debate. This isn't one of them.

My Blue Oyster Cult story

2007-02-06T10:21:00.000-08:00

Blue Oyster Cult is playing at The Block in Fort Walton Beach Thursday night. But my personal brush with the band occurred more than two decades ago.

My memory is a little hazy. I think the year was 1982, but that may be incorrect. I was a bellboy at the Inn on the Park in Madison, WI. I believe it was a Friday. I was working the morning shift, and arrived to work at about 6 a.m. The front desk manager immediately called me over and told me that the Blue Oyster Cult and friends were staying at the hotel. He said he heard it was the end of their tour, and they'd been partying all night. Guests were complaining. "You need to tell them to quiet down," he said.

So I got on the elevator and headed up to the Blue Oyster Cult floor. As the elevator approached the floor I could hear music that got progressively louder. When the door opened the music was LOUD. It appeared that a party was going on in several rooms at once, because several doors were open. I went to the first open door and sort of stood there until a fairly big guy -- I didn't get his name -- noticed me and asked me what I wanted.

"I've been sent to tell you to quiet down," I said. The guy laughed and went back to doing what he was doing. I got on the elevator and went back down to the lobby.

"Did you tell them to quiet down?" the desk manager asked.

"I told 'em," I said.

A few hours later, some limos pulled into the hotel driveway, Several people connected to the Blue Oyster Cult entourage came down, got in the limos, and off they went. I never saw them again.

Blue Oyster Cult, you guys rock!

a "foxy" response to CANTHINK

2007-02-05T07:36:00.000-08:00

Someone with the anonymous handle of "canthink" has called me a "limousine liberal" who needs to pull my head out of my behind. He also writes that if I took a good look around I "might just be able to see that you are begging for the USA to be defeated by our enemies."

This diatribe is apparently in response to my view that FOX News slants the news to appeal to conservatives and the far right.

I think "canthink" just proved my point about FOX; it caters to people like "canthink."

However, he did get a couple facts wrong. For the record, I drive a 2004 Dodge Ram. Also, I'm not a liberal, as other members of the newsroom often point out to me. I believe in individual rights, low taxes and a strong national defense.

But I also like to get news from a consistently objective source.

Our libertarian opinion page

2007-02-04T07:18:00.000-08:00

Ralph asks a couple good questions: Who writes our editorials, and do they all carry a libertarian point of view.

A majority of our editorials are locally written. Most of them are written by our opinion page editor, Jim Shoffner, with input from the editor and publisher. The Northwest Florida Daily News also carries editorials from other Freedom newspapers about national and international issues.

All of our editorials are written from a philosophically libertarian point of view, which I should point out has no connection to the Libertarian Party. In a nutshell, our editorials champion individual rights and responsibilities, and less government involvement in our lives whenever possible.

Personally speaking, I think we should eliminate 10 percent of total federal, state and local government spending by 2010, and see what happens. Start with some of the big federal programs, and go from there. Is there anyone out there who doesn't believe that at least 10 percent of federal government spending is fat? That's our money, folks, and I think we should all insist that we get to keep more of it.

Still searching for boat advice

2007-02-02T13:27:00.000-08:00

My thanks to all the folks who took the time this week to write or call me with advice to help me in my search for a fishing boat.

Problem is, all that good advice has made me more confused than ever.

Some have advised me to buy new. Some have said buy used. Some have told me to buy big. Some counseled that I should buy small, then trade up in a couple of years. And a couple people suggested strongly that I give up while I'm still boatless.

Sorry, but I've convinced myself that I need a boat.

So the search continues. If anyone out there has any other advice, please share. My list of questions to ask boat sellers is a lot more thorough now than it was a week ago.

FOX, CNN and MSNBC

2007-02-01T12:13:00.000-08:00

A nasty war of words has been brewing between FOX News, CNN and MSNBC, and I'm happy to report that it's getting nastier.

FOX is still the dominant channel by far, and clearly has had the best marketing strategy to this point. FOX slants the news to attract conservatives and Republicans, and they've left the other two networks to battle for everyone else.

In case you think I don't like FOX, you're absolutely right. Bill O'Reilly in particular is a weasel. I think the network has hoodwinked a lot of good people. They lost audience in 2006. As President Bush's ratings dropped, so did FOX.

But I'm also not a big fan of CNN, which also lost audience in 2006. They're just plain boring, despite some very nice haircuts.

MSNBC is gaining audience, but I wonder how long that will last. Keith Olberman can be hilarious, but he's too far left and approaches politics like he's still reading football statistics. Chris Matthews is brilliant but too loud. Joe Scarborough is, well, Joe Scarborough. The best thing MSNBC has going for it is Don Imus in the morning.

The goat story

2007-01-31T15:16:00.000-08:00

Time to play "you be the editor." Here's the real-life scenario:
A reporter comes across a bizarre story that you know will have high reader interest. But the story is also so...disgusting that you don't want to overplay it. In such a case, what's an editor to do?
Recently, the Northwest Florida Daily News reported that a goat was found dead in Walton County. A spokesperson for the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society said it appeared that the goat had been sexually assaulted. By a man.
We reported that story inside our Local section. We also posted it on our Web site, where more readers viewed it than any other story posted that week.
On Wednesday, PAWS confirmed that an autopsy discovered human semen in the goat. An investigation continues. We're playing this story on the front of our Local section, and posting it online again, where I suspect it will again be very popular among readers.
Yes, it is bizarre and disgusting.
If you were the editor, how would you play this story? Would you bury it inside the paper? Would you put it on Page 1? Would you print anything about it at all?
Let me know what you think.

OWC's basketball brawl

2007-01-29T16:08:00.000-08:00

Several members of the Okaloosa-Walton College women's basketball team have been suspended for one or more games after Saturday's brawl with Tallahassee Community College.

The most surprising part of the whole episode is that the brawl took place at all. As anyone who follows sports knows, it's not unusual for a fight to break out during a game between men. But it's extremely rare for a women's game to end up with fists flying.

Which begs the question: Why are men more prone to fighting than women? Are men genetically more programmed to fight, or is it the something in our upbringing?

Is it nature or nurture? Or am I sexist for even bringing this up? Somebody help me out here.

Is the Associated Press biased?

2007-01-26T09:53:00.000-08:00

Dear readers,

Welcome to my blog. Let's get down to it.

A reader recently sent me a letter criticizing the Northwest Florida Daily News for a Jan. 16 front page story about reaction among Sunnis in Iraq to the hanging of Barzan Ibrahim, Saddam Hussein's half-brother and one of the former dictator's henchmen. The Sunnis were especially upset because Ibrahim was decapitated during the hanging.

The reader believes the Associated Press story -- and the headline the Daily News wrote to accompany the story -- "are indicative of the 'unbalanced reporting' that I've come to expect from the Associated Press." He continued, "That the Daily News has taken upon itself the role of acting as the mindless conduit for this 'garbage' is shameful. Mr. Rice, I contend that the AP, and, by association, the Daily News are 'reporting for the enemy.' "

As you might expect, I take great issue with this reader's view that this newspaper is somehow 'reporting for the enemy' by keeping readers informed about what's going on in Iraq. In case anyone hasn't noticed, Iraq is embroiled in a sectarian feud, with the Sunnis on one side and the Shiites on the other. It's a helluva mess, which seems to be the only thing on which everyone agrees. I should also point out that after this particular hanging, President Bush expressed frustration that the hanging resulted in Ibrahim's head being separated from his body.

So now you know how I feel about it. Perhaps you have a different view.

Below is the actual text of the story the reader claims is biased, along with the actual headline. Please give it a read, and if you think it is biased, tell me, specifically, how it is biased.

Thanks,
Pat Rice
Editor

Botched hanging angers Sunni Muslims; suicide bomber kills seven
Meanwhile, two U.S. soldiers die in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — The Iraqi government’s attempt Monday to close a chapter on Saddam Hussein’s repressive regime — by hanging two of his henchmen — left many of Saddam’s fellow Sunni Muslims seething after the former leader’s half-brother was decapitated on the gallows.
A thickset Barzan Ibrahim plunged through the trap door and was beheaded by the jerk of the thick beige rope at the end of his fall, in the same execution chamber where Saddam was hanged a little over two weeks earlier.
A government video of the hanging, played at a briefing for reporters, showed Ibrahim’s body passing the camera in a blur. The body came to rest on its chest while the severed head lay a few yards away, still wearing the black hood pulled on moments before by one of Ibrahim’s five masked executioners.
The decapitation appeared inadvertent, and Iraqi officials seemed anxious to prove they hadn’t mutilated Ibrahim’s remains.
By day’s end, at least 3,000 angry Sunnis, many firing guns in the air, others weeping or cursing the government, assembled for the burials of Ibrahim and al-Bandar in Saddam’s hometown of Ouja, near Tikrit, 80 miles north of Baghdad.
The hangings came as a suicide car bomber slammed into an Iraqi army patrol in the northern city of Mosul on Monday, killing seven people and wounding 40 others, police said. A total of at least 55 people were killed or found dead across Iraq, authorities said.
The U.S. military, meanwhile, announced the deaths of two more soldiers, both killed in Baghdad.
While Ibrahim’s body was wrenched apart by the execution, his co-defendant, Awad Hamed al-Bandar, head of Saddam’s Revolutionary court, died as expected — swinging at the end of a rope. Both men met death at 3 a.m. wearing reddish-orange prison jumpsuits.
Prosecutor Jaafar al-Moussawi, who witnessed the hangings, said Ibrahim looked tense and protested his innocence as he was brought into the chamber. The condemned man had once ran Saddam’s feared security agency, the Mukhabarat.
“I did not do anything,” al-Moussawi quoted Ibrahim as saying. “It was all the work of Fadel al-Barrak.” Al-Barrak ran two intelligence departments in Saddam’s feared Mukhabarat.
Saddam was hanged amid shouted taunts and insults from Shiite witnesses — a scene Iraqi officials said was not repeated Monday.
All three executions took place in Saddam-era military intelligence headquarters, located in the north Baghdad neighborhood of Kazimiyah, a Shiite area.
The deaths aroused anger in mourners at the funerals of the former Iraqi officials.
“Where are those who cry out in demands for human rights?” Marwan Mohammed, one of the mourners, asked in grief and frustration. “Where are the U.N. and the world’s human rights organizations? Barzan had cancer. They treated him only to keep him alive long enough to kill him. We vow to take revenge, even if it takes years.”
Ibrahim’s son-in-law, Azzam Saleh Abdullah, said “we heard the news from the media. We were supposed to be informed a day earlier, but it seems that this government does not know the rules.”
The execution, he said, reflected what he called the Shiite-led government hatred for Sunnis. “They still want more Iraqi bloodshed,” he said. “To hell with this democracy.”
The executed men, at their request, were buried in a garden outside a building Saddam had built for religious events. Saddam was buried there on New Year’s eve in a grave chipped out of an interior floor.
Ouja, just outside Tikrit — about a 90-minute drive north of Baghdad on the Tigris River — is near the scene of Saddam’s capture by American soldiers in December 2003.
Saddam was discovered hiding in a small underground bunker nine months after he fled the U.S.-led invasion that toppled his regime.
Saddam, Ibrahim and al-Bandar were all handed the death sentence after their conviction for crimes against humanity, in connection with the killings of 148 Shiites in Dujail, north of Baghdad, in 1982 — following a failed assassination attempt there against Saddam.
Saddam was executed last month, four days after an Iraqi appeals court upheld the verdicts in the Dujail case. Reportedly, the court was under pressure from Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who wanted Saddam hanged before the end of 2006.
Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi said Monday he should have been consulted before the executions were staged, because he and the two other members of Iraq’s presidential council — President Jalal Talabani and Vice President Adil Abdul-Mahdi — had asked for the hangings to be delayed.
The execution video was shown to reporters Monday in an apparent attempt to prove that Ibrahim’s corpse was not intentionally mutilated after death.
Video of Saddam’s execution was broadcast worldwide. But Ali al-Dabbagh, the government spokesman, said there would be no similar public distribution of the video of Monday’s hangings.
“We will not release the video, but we want to show the truth,” he said. “The Iraqi government acted in a neutral way.”
Monday’s video was shown to reporters without sound — as was the official video of Saddam’s execution in December. But al-Dabbagh said no taunts greeted Saddam’s co-defendants.
“No one shouted slogans or said anything that would taint the execution,” he said. “None of those charged were insulted.”
The official video of Saddam’s hanging was quickly pushed aside by a second one taken with a cell phone camera by a witnesses and leaked to the media. It showed the gallows floor opening, Saddam falling and swinging dead at the end of the rope.
Some of those in attendance could be heard taunting the former Sunni strongman with shouts of “Muqtada, Muqtada,” an apparent reference to Muqtada al-Sadr, a radical Shiite cleric.
Al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army militia is believed responsible for the deaths of thousands of Sunnis in the past year.
The unruly scene at Saddam’s hanging drew worldwide protest and calls for Ibrahim and al-Bandar to be spared.
On Monday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Saddam’s execution was mishandled and said she hoped that those who made cell phone videos of Saddam’s execution would be punished.
“We were disappointed there was not greater dignity given to the accused under these circumstances,” Rice said during a news conference with her Egyptian counterpart in Luxor, Egypt.
A spokeswoman for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday he “regrets that despite pleas from both himself and the high commissioner for human rights to spare the lives of the two defendants, they were both executed.”
After Saddam’s execution, Human Rights Watch released a report calling the speedy trial and subsequent hanging of Saddam proof of the new Iraqi government’s disregard for human rights.