I know that Washington, DC is not Senator Dick Durbin’s constituency, but he needs to keep in mind those who are listening to his comments when he decides to open his mouth. In what might be considered his latest gaffe, Dick took a swipe at the DC Metro population by commenting on their reaction to the recent snow storms. He said:

I am convinced that infants born in Washington, D.C., are taken from the arms of their loving mothers right when they are born into a room where someone shows a film of a snowstorm with shrieking and screaming so that those children come to believe snow is a mortal enemy, like a nuclear attack, because I have seen, for over 40 years here, people in this town go into a full-scale panic at the thought of a snowfall.

So, according to Dick, the residents of the DC Metro area are cry babies when it comes to snow. Maybe Dick would like to know that the population of the DC Metro area is made up of individuals from all over the world. Some of these people come from areas like Chicago, where snow is a way of life. Others come from Hawaii, where snow is something you see on television (unless you travel to the Big Island). And still others come from as far away as Africa, India, and Singapore. This unique population may have never lived in a region that snowed, let alone driven in it.

Maybe Dick should engage his mind next time before he openly insults millions of people in a gross overgeneralization.

As you might have heard, Pennsylvania Representative John Murtha passed away following complications due to gall bladder surgery.  He served in Congress for 36 years after a decorated career in the Marines.  The following is a collection of thoughts by our fellow bloggers:

The BoBo Files says: Sorry – no tears lost here for that corrupt bastard. I’m sure he’s trying to cut some deals with the devil now as we speak (assuming Kennedy hasn’t already beaten him to the punch).

Chicagoray’s Views and News says: [Unlike] the left when conservatives fall ill and pass on, I’ll wait until he’s buried to celebrate the loss. And celebrate I eventually will his absence from congress hereafter, and for that reason today America just became a better place, however for his family I mourn their sad loss as he was a human being most of the time.

Taxes, Stupidity, and Death says: Few people get to be so damned by their own words and deeds and still remain in their positions of power until the assume room temperature. I’m sorry for his family, but not for the “unindicted co-conspirator“.

Wisdom From Wenchypoo’s Mental Wastebasket says: I, for one, am glad John Murtha’s gone, and you should be too. … Hopefully, John Murtha’s passing will put an end to over-spending on antiquated military hardware and vehicles, and unwanted vehicles and hardware for the sake of bringing home the bacon.

Of the huge list of bloggers on my Political Blog Listing, those four quotes above represents all of what has been said about a man that has served over 3 decades in office. Just four. Most of the liberal blogs were silent on the issue, and the rest simply reposted news articles.

I might come back to this article in a few days, just in case some of the other bloggers have thoughts to share. However, as things look now, the legacy of Murtha’s political career will be focused on pork spending and as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the ABSCAM scandal.

Until then, our thoughts and prayers go out to the Murtha family at this time.

Please take a moment to say a prayer or voice your well wishes to the Durbin family this weekend.  Chris Durbin, the daughter of Senator Dick Durbing of Illinois, passed away on Saturday following the complications of of a congenital heart condition.  She leaves behind a husband and son.

We are sad to announce the passing of Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Democrat from Ohio. She passed away today after suffering a brain hemorrhage caused by aneurysm this morning while driving in her car.

According to the National Institute of Health:

A cerebral aneurysm (also known as an intracranial or intracerebral aneurysm) is a weak or thin spot on a blood vessel in the brain that balloons out and fills with blood. The bulging aneurysm can put pressure on a nerve or surrounding brain tissue. It may also leak or rupture, spilling blood into the surrounding tissue (called a hemorrhage). Some cerebral aneurysms, particularly those that are very small, do not bleed or cause other problems. Cerebral aneurysms can occur anywhere in the brain, but most are located along a loop of arteries that run between the underside of the brain and the base of the skull.

Most cerebral aneurysms are congenital, resulting from an inborn abnormality in an artery wall. Cerebral aneurysms are also more common in people with certain genetic diseases, such as connective tissue disorders and polycystic kidney disease, and certain circulatory disorders, such as arteriovenous malformations.

Other causes include trauma or injury to the head, high blood pressure, infection, tumors, atherosclerosis (a blood vessel disease in which fats build up on the inside of artery walls) and other diseases of the vascular system, cigarette smoking, and drug abuse. Some investigators have speculated that oral contraceptives may increase the risk of developing aneurysms.

Aneurysms that result from an infection in the arterial wall are called mycotic aneurysms. Cancer-related aneurysms are often associated with primary or metastatic tumors of the head and neck. Drug abuse, particularly the habitual use of cocaine, can inflame blood vessels and lead to the development of brain aneurysms.

We do not currently have any information detailing how the aneurysm developed at this time, and I’m not sure if the details will be released to the public. At this time, I would like to extend our condolences to her family during this terrible time.

Related articles:
National Institute of Health – “Cerebral Aneurysm Fact Sheet”
Yahoo News – “US Rep. Tubbs Jones of Ohio dies after hemorrhage”
Reuters – “Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones dies of aneurysm”
CNN – “Ohio Rep. Tubbs Jones dies after aneursym”
First Door on the Left – “Ohio Congresswoman dies”

This isn’t much of a political piece as much as it is an economic piece. I was sitting here thinking what I should do with my economic stimulus check. There is no one thing that I need to buy with it, and it wouldn’t be most beneficial for me and the country (?) if the money just sits in my bank account. So, I’ve decided to invest it in … the U.S. Common Sense website!

Ok, so that isn’t a bold activity, but I want to see if I can make the money turn a profit for me down the road. Since my time writing for the site is a “volunteer” effort, I won’t try to come up with an hourly rate for my time. Instead, I will deduct my hosting fees, technical support, software purchases, etc to run my online “empire.”

Starting with the inception of the website, I spent $239.62 in 2007, and I am projecting to spend $356.68 during 2008, for a total of $596.30. This leaves me with $3.70 out of the $600.00 stimulus check. Since there is less than 6 months remaining in the this year, my prospects of breaking even (or even turning a profit) seems a little thin. My ad revenue is trickling in, but not nearly enough to cover my monthly expenses.

But fear not! The website will continue, even when the stimulus funds run out. A government handout is not necessary for this labor of love!