Brevard County Deputy Sheriff Barbara Pill Fatally Shot by Brandon Lee Brantley During Traffic Stop in Melbourne

FALLEN LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER:  Brevard County Deputy Sheriff Barbara Pill was fatally shot during a traffic stop  in Melbourne, FL, shortly before 11:15 a.m. Tuesday. She was shot multiple times by Brandon Lee Brantley, 22, who was driving in the car with Andrea Michelle Kirshner, 19.

The vehicle was wanted in connection with a stolen property call from a local motel. As Deputy Pill made contact with the driver of the vehicle he opened fire on her, striking her multiple times. Responding deputies, Melbourne police officers, and Florida troopers chased the vehicle a short distance until it crashed on Turtlemound Road. A male and female subject in the vehicle were taken into custody.

Deputy Pill was transported to the Holmes Regional Medical Center where she succumbed to the gunshot wound. Source

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Deputy Barbara Pill. She served with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office for 15 years and is survived by her two sons who also serve in law enforcement.

Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia for access to all records pertaining to an August 2010 vacation taken by First Lady Michelle Obama and her daughters. That’s including cost estimates and passenger manifests. I have no beef with them asking for the records, but did they hold Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush to the same standards? If they did and filed various lawsuits to gain access to their travel records then I have no bone in this dog fight and the suits are justified.

I will say that the economic quagmire we have found ourselves in have made it virtually impossible for anyone to justify the president and his family taking lavish vacations at the expense of taxpayers like you and I. But is the Judicial Watch just on a witch hunt? What will gaining access to the records accomplish? The president didn’t break any laws nor did the First Lady, so what? To show them as elitists or snobs? Wasteful and oblivious to the plight of the American people? What? It’s smells a little since this lawsuit was filed by a conservative group, who most likely want to embarrass the president.

“Evidently, American taxpayers were stuck with a sizable bill so Mrs. Obama could tour around Spain with her family and friends,  This administration, as a supposed steward of taxpayer dollars, has an obligation to disclose the full costs of the Obama family’s luxury trip,” said Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton in a statement.

Well, Nancy Reagan was a heck of a lot more lavish in her actions than Michelle Obama, but I guess since she’s a Republican that’s just A-OK. Terrible double standard. Personally, I am for the president and his family traveling together for vacation, not just a day or two apart. That’s whether all is well or not. It’s just plain wasteful to spend so much money.

GOOD NEWS STORY:  It’s nice to see an elderly black woman winning the Powerball for a change. Louise White, 81, of Newport, Rhode Island, is the winner of the third-largest Powerball jackpot in the history of the game: $336.4 million. Ms. White came forward Tuesday morning and accepted the money on behalf of the Rainbow Sherbert Trust.

White’s ticket, which cost $3, was the only ticket that matched all the numbers: 1-10-37-52-57 and Powerball 11. It was sold at the Stop & Shop supermarket at 250 Bellevue Ave. in Newport, MSNBC reports. that’s a heck of a way to spend your sunset years.

Every time I think some in the Republican Party sink to a new loan, something always pops up to re-affirm my viewpoint, with the latest being the suggestion by Sarah Palin that Tea Party darling Rep. Allen West be considered for the vice presidential spot. What’s worse, he said he would be willing to serve as vice president. Um, really? When donkeys fly. So, first we have Herman Cain saying he would like to serve as the Secretary of Defense (with zero experience and zero credibility) and now this?

During an appearance on CNN with Soledad O’Brien, Rep. Allen West said:

“As far as the vice president thing, you know, who knows what the future lies because it wasn’t too long ago, you know, I was sitting in the desert of Kandahar, Afghanistan, and now I’m here talking with you. But, you know, I am always willing and ready to serve my country in whatever capacity that the American people would desire.”

Right Rep. Allen West, you would be the right person for join Mitt Romney or Rick Santorum on the presidential ticket. Joe Biden and the Democrats would have a field day and Obama would win reelection easily. So, since he fought in the desert of Kandahar, that makes him a good vice presidential pick? Heck, if that’s the case, more soldiers ought to be tossing their hat in the ring for the job. SMH and LMAO at the same time.

Jon Stewart takes on windbag Rush Limbaugh controversy after radio show host calls Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke a “slut” and a “prostitute” over birth control flap. This comes as advertisers continue to flee the conservative’s show and two radio stations have also dropped the show.

According to media reports, KPUA in Hilo, Hawaii, and WBEC in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, are no longer airing it. That’s in addition to the list of growing advertisers jumping ship:  Carbonite, Proflowers, Tax Resolution Services, Legal Zoom, Citrix Success, All State, Heart and Body Extract, AutoZone, Quicken Loans, Sleep Train, Sleep Number, Oreck and AOL.

Twitter users are also spreading the message using the hashtags #BoycottRush, #StopRush and #BoycottHate. Do your part and hold other misogynistic media personalities accountable too. Watch the Jon Stewart video, it’s hilarious:

Birtherism Reemerges in 2012 Election Cycle as Large Block of Republicans Believe President Obama Born in Kenya Wikipedia

The birtherism movement has re-emerged and a healthy bloc of Republicans in Georgia and Ohio think President Obama isn’t a natural born American citizen. Rush Limbaugh doesn’t fare so well either, but did you think otherwise, in light of his recent “slut” and “prostitute” name-calling?

Public Policy Polling:   Our numbers suggest that Rush Limbaugh has seen significant erosion in his popularity with Republican voters over the last week. The last time we polled on him nationally he was at 80/12 with GOPers. But now we find him below 50% in all three of these states: he’s at 45/28 in Ohio, 46/29 in Tennessee, and 44/30 in Georgia.

Republican women in particular have become very skeptical about Limbaugh in the states holding tomorrow’s 2 most competitive contests. He’s at only 39/28 with them in Ohio and 36/30 in Tennessee

[...]

Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s press conference last week put the birther issue back in the news and our polling in these states finds that the birther contingent is still pretty strong within the Republican Party:

AOL Eighth Advertiser to Jump Ship from Rush Limbaugh Syndicated Talk Show After "Slut" Comment Wikipedia

The fallout continues for conservative radio show host Rush Limbaugh in the aftermath of his ugly comments — “slut” and “prostitute” — about Sandra Fluke, with the show’s eighth advertiser jumping ship. AOL, the parent of The Huffington Post, pulled its money from Limbaugh’s syndicated show:

The Huffington Post:  ”At AOL one of our core values is that we act with integrity,” said Maureen Sullivan, an AOL spokeswoman who confirmed the decision. “We have monitored the unfolding events and have determined that Mr. Limbaugh’s comments are not in line with our values. As a result we have made the decision to suspend advertising on The Rush Limbaugh Radio show.”

Rush Limbaugh and his brand of vitriol should not be embraced but discouraged. In fact, Rush Limbaugh isn’t the only media “darling” guilty of misogynistic behavior — Ed Schultz, Bill Maher, Keith Olbermann, Mike Savage, Pamela Gellar and others come to mind. Enough is enough. But when will Rush Limbaugh be suspended for his ugly comments?

Rick Santorum is the gift that just keeps on giving for the Democrats. His latest “blistering” attack on President Obama comes over his perceived falling-out with Israel. A notion that couldn’t be further from the truth. Santorum attacked President Obama saying he is “undermining Israel on every front.” Um, really? Wait, I didn’t realize Obama was the prime minister of Israel now.

The Hill:  Santorum sharply attacked the president during a campaign stop in Ohio, claiming Obama “doesn’t recognize the historical roots of the state of Israel.”"He never mentions it, never talks about it,” Santorum said.

Meanwhile, Obama met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and once again pledged America’s support to Israel. During a speech Sunday at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, President Obama also stressed his commitment to Israel’s security, saying ”I have Israel’s back.” As usual, Rick Santorum is left eating crow after making reckless statements that he has no knowledge about.

Rick Santorum’s attacks against President Obama are baseless, hollow and basically without merit. Just like being a “snob” for encouraging all students to go to college, despite the fact that he has three degrees. His talking points are only geared towards garnering votes and nothing else.  Rick Santorum is your typical right wing evangelical Washington D. C. windbag.

Ann Coulter Says Andrew Breitbart Death "Like John Lennon Dying" (Wikipedia)

Ann Coulter tells the Daily Caller that death of Andrew Breitbart like “John Lennon dying.” Um, fans of John Lennon everywhere should be crying foul to that comparison. Somebody has been drinking way too much right wing Kool-Aid.

“Who knows what else he could have done,” she told TheDC. “It’s like John Lennon dying, what other music might he have produced.”

Imagine if Andrew Breitbart could just walk in John Lennon’s shoes for a minute. Oh well, I guess I am just a dreamer…..

President Obama, George W. Bush Impersonator Comedian, Actor Steve Bridges Dies at 48

Comedian, impressionist, and actor Steve Bridges, best known for hisimpersonation of President Barack Obama, former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, has died. He was 48.

LA Times:  Bridges had recently returned home from China, where he had been performing, said his brother Phillip. He appeared to have died of natural causes. An an autopsy is scheduled, but the Los Angeles County coroner’s office said foul play was not suspected.

Born in Dallas on May 22, 1963, Bridges began doing impersonations as a child, starting with the Three Stooges. “Anything I saw on TV, I imitated,” he told Larry King in a CNN interview in 2006.