Smell permeated Cleveland neighborhood where 11 bodies found, residents say

This article is about Eleven bodies have been found inside and outside a home adjacent to Ray's -- six inside and five outside. A skull, wrapped in a paper bag and stuffed into a bucket in the basement, apparently is all that remains of the 11th victim, authorities said Wednesday.The smell permeated the neighborhood, turning the stomachs of residents and curtailing their outdoor activities. The home's inhabitant, Anthony Sowell, 50, is a registered sex offender. Now, Sowell is facing five counts of aggravated murder, rape, felonious assault and kidnapping, police said. A judge on Wednesday denied bond for him, saying the latest allegations against him are "gruesome" and the "most serious" he has heard in his years on the bench.The first victim was identified Wednesday as Tonia Carmichael, who was 52 when she was last seen on November 10, 2008, police said. Carmichael was identified using DNA. She disappeared from Warrensville Heights, a Cleveland suburb near Sowell's home.Seven of the victims died from strangulation by a ligature, said Frank Miller, Cuyahoga County coroner. A ligature can include a string, cord or wire. All seven still had something tied around their necks, Miller told reporters.An eighth victim died from manual strangulation -- strangulation by hands. Two other bodies were too decomposed to determine the cause of death, although Miller said he believes they were victims of "homicidal violence." Autopsy results on the 11th victim are pending.

In my opinion this is a sick man. He should have the death sentence or should spend the rest of his life in jail. There is so much pain in all 11 families. Our probation departments around the nation are not doing there jobs.

http://www.mixx.com/stories/9027348/after_10_bodies_search_of_rapist_s_home_to_continue?partner=CNN

Maine rejects same-sex marriage law

This article is about Supporters of Maine's same-sex marriage law, which voters narrowly repealed, gathered Wednesday to concede the vote but not the issue.It seems in the end that Mainers are not ready to treat these families fairly. Mary Bonauto, a lawyer for Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), who lives in Maine with her partner and their two children, said she was disappointed by the vote but she felt "a great deal has been gained through this whole process.There were two main reasons the group wanted to repeal the law, which was signed by Gov. John Baldacci on May 6. There was a religious element wanting to continue to define marriage as between a man and a woman, he said, but the group also felt that the legal inequities in domestic partnerships as compared with marriage could be addressed through lawmaking.

In my opinion who cares if you the same sex and want to get married. I say if you love someone no matter what age,color,sex,religion if you want to marry them do it. There shouldn't be a law telling someone not to get married. I'm very proud of states who approve the same sex marriage if i could vote i vote YES!

Mom 'will not sleep' until daughter's killer found

This article is about a seven year old girl that got kidnap in Orange Park, Florida on Monday from her way from school. She ran off from her siblings upset from telling them about a fight she had at school.She was seen in a fight at school before she disappeared, according to a police report released Thursday. Her 10-year-old sister told police that Somer had gotten into a fight with another girl at school earlier in the day. The body of 7-year-old Somer Thompson, was found in a south Georgia landfill, Clay County,Florida.Some possiable evidence has been removed from the landfill, but authorities won't describe what they found, said Mary Justino of the Clay County Sheriff's Department. Police have no suspects, she said.

My heart goes out to this little girl family. Police should do what ever they can to track down the murder. I think The 7 year old sister should of down something about this right when the girl ran off. And when the little girl got in a fight at school the school should of called the girls family to let them know. Then maybe she wouldn't of ran.

Senate panel OKs health reform bill; Obama: 'We're not there yet'

This article is about the health care reform debate reached a new milestone Tuesday as a key congressional committee passed an $829 billion plan projected to extend coverage to an additional 29 million Americans. The Senate Finance Committee's bill would subsidize insurance for poorer Americans and create health insurance exchanges to make it easier for small groups and individuals to purchase coverage. While the health care was being descussed the Finance Committee was the last of five congressional panels to consider health care legislation before formal debate begins in the full House and Senate. Democratic leaders in each chamber have now started the politically delicate task of melding together five pieces of legislation -- two in the Senate and three in the House.

All i can say about this article is what ever happens. Happens. I hope they did the right thing. Spending weeks in voting boosting the bill's overall price by more than $50 billion in part by expanding insurance subsidies for individuals and families with lower incomes.

http://www.powerlineblog.com/

War Dollars

The national debt is affecting the choices we take to spread out money to the areas, like the war. The war is contributing to the national deficit which is climbing more and more every year. The congress has used the "power of the purse" to cap what they spent on the war every year. There is one side of the issue that people want the congress to apply the "power of the purse" so they don't give as much money to the war troops. The other side wants to the congress to stop using the power of the purse so they spend more money for the troops in Iraq but it will increase the national debt and deficit.

In my opinion the congress should applied the power of purse bill because we are spending to much money in a war that shouldn't be going on. We are just spending money on infrastructure in Iraq. We could be saving the money for getting us out of the 12 trillion dollars debt. Another reason would be because we keep sending troops in and not pulling troops out of Iraq. This also effects the national debt and deficit. Some more reasons we wouldn't have to spend money on bring supplies to Iraq all the time. In turn we can be putting this money we are saving into more important areas that need money. For example education would be a alternative.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/12/white-house-browbeats-dem_n_214870.html


Issue #2: Spending What We Can Afford http://heathersanchez.blogspot.com/
Issue #3:Social Insecurity http://jumpingjoeblog.blogspot.com/

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Bailout cop: Treasury set 'unrealistic expectations'

This article is about federal officials weren't entirely honest with the public about the health of the first 9 financial firms that got federal bailouts, according to a report released Monday.Bailout special inspector general Neil Barofsky says in an audit that Treasury Department officials painted an overly rosy picture when they called the first bailout banks "healthy" institutions that would be able to lend more with government help. Some people knew that some banks weren't healthy to lend out money. They are saying one thing but they didn't do the research to make sure. The banks did not lend as much money as the people would want to see. The tarp did not help stability. SigTARP has opened 35 ongoing criminal and civil investigations looking for fraud, with a focus on banks that falsely applied for a bailout and those that used the TARP name in scams.Barofsky gives the major players the benefit of the doubt. He acknowledges that Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke and then-Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson wanted the deal to go through, fearing the potential failure of Merrill Lynch and the "collateral damage to the economy.


It was wrong to lie to the public about banks being healthy and lend out money. How are people going to believe what is going on if we don't tell the truth about things. It was wrong not to do the research on the banks. I think the treasury needs to work harder.

Clinton, Gates: U.S. in Afghanistan for long haul

This article is about the United States is committed to a regional strategy to build long-standing relations with Afghanistan and Pakistan. Two members of President Obama's Cabinet insisted that the president's deliberate approach to set the right objectives and policies for Afghanistan was necessary and proper. In this article It made some good views on the war for example Gates made clear that no matter what Obama decides on immediate troop levels, the United States will remain in Afghanistan to continue efforts to dismantle terrorist organizations and help with economic development and nation building.The pair played down division in the administration over McChrystal's request to increase the 68,000 troops in Afghanistan by as many as 40,000 more, saying the process called for frank discussion to help Obama make the appropriate decision.

My reaction to this article is that President Obama doesn't like to react fast he likes to take his time to think things out. Hopefully he knows what to do in Afghanistan. Maybe Obama doesn't want to look like a war guy that is why he is taking a long time to make a decision about a stragity. I think he wants to look like a nice guy.