You probably are wondering who this could be. A sports figure? A media figure? Well yes he is in the media and probably one of the most skilled and knowledgeable journalists of our time. Richard Engel is NBCs Chief Foreign Correspondent and he has diligently and quietly been reporting on our engagements in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria for the duration of these unfortunate conflicts. Apparently fearless, this unarmed slight figure of a man stares down the unknown on a daily basis in places that have claimed the lives of scores of foreign journalists. There is in my opinion no greater authority on the Middle East than this man, particularly the Middle East street which he patrols with the skill of a soldier but only armed with the tools of his media trade and hopefully the advices of a loyal local “fixer” and security. Im no political authority but wouldn’t it be prudent for the White House to summon this man on occasion, even if in the name of national security, to provide briefings on what is really happening? The skill of the CIA analyst notwithstanding, it would seem that he is our man on the street and his knowledge should not be reserved simply for the evening news sound bite. I feel that if people like Richard Engel and Sebastian Junger ( another war correspondent whose “War” captures the American soldier in Afghanistan like no other work) were consulted as a matter of political protocol we would be in a better place and make far more informed decisions about our policy in areas of the world where there is a galaxy of difference between us culturally. Be safe Mr Engel I consider you a national treasure, journalist or not.

-Mike

Backpedaling from his ill advised remarks regarding the relationship between gun ownership and the senseless killings by the Kansas City player, Bob Costas attempted to put his comments in perspective on the Dan Patrick Show. His ramblings about not wanting the Second Amendment repealed but” people should not arm themselves like the military or police would” provide further evidence that he should stick to sports. The famous “why would anyone need a semiautomatic weapon” blather actually flowed from his mouth. I can assure you that this troubled football player would have had the ability to kill the mother of his child and himself in myriad ways including the use of a revolver. There are plenty of reasons to own a semi-automatic weapon and someone should tell Mr Costas who is obviously very late to this party that that argument was torn apart a long time ago.

Bob Costas echoed the writings of a colleague which posited that without guns the horrible murder/suicide in Kansas City would not have occurred. Our rights to own firearms only subject to reasonable restrictions has been ruled upon by the U.S. Supreme Court. The right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental right. This human tragedy should do nothing to diminish this right any more than what happened to Congressman Giffords or to those poor souls in Aurora Colo. In a free society such events will occur and we must do all we can to interdict, identify and help those who we see are suffering from mental disease. Anything else would be unacceptable and an affront to protected rights. Mr Costas is a skilled and respected journalist but he should exit this debate and get on with the business of broadcasting. He doesn’t understand the Constitution or the implications of the statements he makes.

This was not news to me. I am immersed in both the biker and law enforcement communities and I am keenly aware of the serious charitable initiatives these folks are capable of. The NYPD has much to be proud of when one of its own comes to the aid of a homeless soul. There are far too many out there who will die on the streets and I am troubled by our quick reaction to judge those less fortunate than us. Life strikes hard to some and it is up to us as humans to do what we can. Officer DiPrimos 75$ outlay for warm shoes and socks transcended politics and philosophy. It was just one human looking to lessen anothers suffering. Bravissimo paesano!!!!!!!

Short of endorsing anyone directly, I made no apologies for stating that the Republican Party should have listened to this man and done more to elevate him on the national stage. The Huntsman message was one of workmanlike inclusion and bipartisan effort to better this country. The message of Obamas re-election in a cesspool of unemployment and numerous woes was a rejection of the right wings hijacking of the party and the signal to women and non whites that they were not invited to the American Dream. The whole notion that somehow Obama and the Democrats threatened “Judeo-Christian” values sealed the fate of a candidate simply viewed as not one of us. Marylands embracing of same sex marriage and the legalization of personal amounts of marijuana in Colorado and Washington mean that we are in a different place and that our young see the world in a way that Republicans don’t understand. Jon Huntsman, said after being persona non grata at the Republican National Convention, that the Republican Party needs to be a party of inclusion while preserving fiscal conservatism and the role of the individual in a free market and society. He was right and yesterday proved it in a way that sends hate mongers like Rove, Limbaugh and Coulter scrambling. It also vindicated his view that Citizens United was a blow to true democracy but that he had faith that voters would see through it. They did and I hope the Koch Brothers and Sheldon Adelson feel their money was well spent. In short, perhaps Obama did not deserve a second term, but the alternative was apparently worse for the majority of American voters who are increasingly diverse. Lets hope that Congress and the White House can get on with the serious business at hand.

-Mike

Vetshouse, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides housing, food, clothing, counseling and other assistance to homeless veterans of the United States Armed Forces in order to facilitate their return to gainful, independent, responsible and productive lifestyles. All proceeds of Family Fun Day will benefit Vetshouse, Inc, to aid the growing number of homeless and displaced veterans in Hampton Roads.

Family Fun Day is being held at Hunt Club Farm on Sunday, September 23, 2012 from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm. This fun filled event is open to the public.

Please come out and support this worthwhile event

-Mike

The NYPD patrolmen faced with the gun wielding murderer last Friday had absolutely no choice but to engage the suspect with deadly force. This was no ordinary police citizen encounter. Surveillance video clearly shows the suspect pointing a weapon at the officers after being confronted. The officers, one an apparent veteran, had been told by a witness that the suspect had just executed a citizen in broad daylight and was trying to get away by blending in with the omnipresent NYC foot traffic. A gun wielding murderer trying to get away is just the type of suspect who police have the right to confront with deadly force and not have to wait for him to fire. The resulting harm to innocent bystanders was the responsibility of the criminal that started that process in motion, not the police who did their duty with honor. It is unfortunate that they will inevitably be defendants in ill advised lawsuits seeking to target the Citys coffers. It is wrong and shame on any so-called police “expert” who criticizes their actions in a split second of terror that all too often defines “ The JOB.” I have represented police in the aftermath of shooting incidents for years. No matter how well trained and qualified an officer might be, shooting under stress creates the possibility that rounds will miss their mark. In this case the suspect was immediately killed and any further harm to the populace was nullified as there is no telling what such a desperate person might do to get away. The citizens of NYC were well served and these cops have our support.

-Mike

From 1975-1979 I attended Fordham University at the Rose Hill campus in the South Bronx. In the middle of a broke and violent Bronx we were a semi safe oasis. However we quickly learned that the most dangerous part of life there was not the crime or the violence but the campus meal plan. In my freshman year I used part of my meager scholarship to pay for this “ meal plan” and wound up watching horrific things occur on my food tray. The guy who ladled the crap on had no teeth and a maniacal laugh and he just blurted out “next”…”next”…”next” - we wound up calling him “ Necky” because he actually said “Neck” instead of “next”. We puked and farted our way past that first semester until we had the sense to realize we were on the fringe of Little Italy and some of the best food in the world and we didn’t need Neckys stank ladle to survive. Well, it was with no surprise that I found out that in a recent poll Fordham University at the Rose Hill campus has the worst on-campus food in the country. Quite a dubious honor and now the tuition is $40,000 when in my day it was $3000 but the food is a disgusting constant. Students have found bugs and foreign objects in their food. Looks like the ghost of ‘Necky” is hard at work . Go to Arthur Ave and eat its much better.

-Mike

In the furor over Rep Todd Akins (R Mo) comments about “legitimate rape” and punishing the offender but not the child, the operatives are scrambling to prevent cross-contamination of the Romney-Ryan ticket. Romney himself indicated he couldn’t defend such statements and indicated that an exception in cases of rape was acceptable. Reince Preibus the Republican National Chairperson stated that the RNC platform which is currently looking at the wording of its anti abortion position is the”Republican platform but not Mitt Romneys platform”. Rep Ryan and others have, in the past, supported redefinitions of rape in proposed federal legislation that defines “forcible rape” as the exception but left question about other classifications of rape including statutory rape. This issue which is driven by the”non secular” wing ( tongue in cheek here) of the Republican Party will no doubt drive many independent voters away especially women. Rape is Rape and a woman does not have to give birth to and nurse a child conceived during a criminal act. To suggest otherwise is simply wrong. I am the father of a beautiful daughter and I know I am right.

-Mike

Those who know Juli Zobel our very own Sales Manager have heard the very sad news that her beloved horse Frankie passed away from surgical complications this weekend. He was twenty years old and lived a great life because Juli always provided the best for him and he gave her and others much joy and apparently won a bunch of ribbons in competition. I don’t know much about horses- we had very few in the Bronx- well maybe a few heads but rarely the whole ones- but I do know how we grow to love our animals and we mourn them as we would a family member. Unconditional love defines what our animals give to us and Frankie was very important to all who took care of him especially Juli. I met Frankie once during a time long ago when I had an unrequited crush on Juli and rode the Harley to the stable to visit. She was gone but since the staff knew of me and determined I was a person of good will they directed me to his stable which Juli of course had kept immaculate. He had a penchant for shirts and proceed to chow down on mine but then he stopped and looked at me and raised his head up and down as if he was laughing. I gave him a treat and I know in that short visit we bonded in some way. We hope he is currently cavorting with Seabiscuit and Man O War in horse heaven and that Juli will get past her loss. We miss you Frankie…..

-Mike

Yes you heard it… you cant make it up… you marvel at how people think… you wonder how they get elected. Congressman Todd Akin of Missouri ( see a pattern here?????) actually said that if it is a “legitimate rape” a woman has a way of “shutting it down” so as not to conceive (the spawn of a sociopath presumptively). People in this country actually believe that a woman who is violated in the most base disgusting way must bear the child of a sociopath because life is life. This is why it is so important that we vote. I don’t care what their politics are I suspect that women in Missouri will reject this irresponsible drivel at the polling place. Why is it that Republicans seem so determined to frame the issues in this way?. Whatever you think of “life” the forcing of a woman to carry the child of a criminal is so base and so hateful that it can never wear the label of legitimate political doctrine. This country should demand more and expect more in a modern age. Shame on you Congressman you have no business being a US Senator.

-Mike

If you think Ted Nugent is a brainless troll how about his evil twin Dave Mustaine who waxed political during a concert in Singapore. I always want my political views enriched by idiots like Ted and Dave so it was with great interest that I listened to this “musician” rant about Obama during the aforementioned concert. Apparently the best way for the Obama Administration to further an anti-gun agenda, despite the fact that he and his team have done nothing to limit our rights in any real way, is to STAGE the Aurora and Sikh temple mass murders to get a ban passed. Yes our President loosed these mass killers on an innocent populace as the ultimate lobbying effort. This is beyond comprehension and he needs to have no career now. There comes a time when you must pay -First Amendment or not.

-Mike

Spyker cars- a Dutch supercar firm that bought the brand in 2010 has alleged in a 3 Billion dollar lawsuit that GM interfered with a contract and deal that would have saved the venerated Swedish car company from bankruptcy after GM spun it off to them. Spyker isn’t playing and stated that GM “deliberately” drove SAAB into bankruptcy thwarting Spykers efforts to save it by selling to a potential Chinese investor. Could industrial espionage be afoot? Very serious allegations and expect a counterclaim by GM. Many do miss this quirky automobile with a cult following but in our opinion the market spoke years ago and the damage could never be repaired. Woe to the current owners who will need parts and service in the coming years. We will follow this one and keep you posted.

-Mike

On Saturday Aug 4th over 700 bikes stretching, at times, six miles with cars and support vehicles rode from Clutch Bar and Grill with full VBPD escort to Knuckleheads Roadhouse for an auction. These proceeds are slated to support the 31 Heroes Fund set up to provide financial support to the families of those killed on Aug 6th 2011 in Afghanistan. The helicopter shot down was named Extortion 17. I proudly rode in this impressive and emotional parade with Stephanie Satterfield Middleton on back. She and Torrie Rogers and many others spent much time organizing this event. We hope it will be an annual event. Bikers are among the most generous and patriotic of us and it was an honor to again be among such great people.

-Mike

Stated simply, as a response to the 2004 debacle wherein tens of thousands of Ohio voters were disenfranchised by long lines and inefficient polling practices, the Ohio legislature went to no- fault absentee ballots. These apparently worked well in 2008. Voters could cast their votes in the three days prior to Election Day- the so-called “in person” absentee ballot. The Republican controlled Ohio General Assembly in May of this year determined that voters using the federal Uniform Overseas Citizens Absentee Voter Act ( military stationed there mostly) may vote early in person up to Monday before election Day Nov 6th while non “UOCVA” in person absentee voters have a deadline of the Friday before. The papers filed by the Obama re-election team allege that this provides unequal treatment to similarly situated voters in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and that it is effective disenfranchisement of voters who are arbitrarily cut-off while permitting others similarly situated to votes closer to Election Day. Certainly the politics drove the amendments to existing Ohio law since military voters even if voting in the state “in person” are overwhelmingly pro Republican and easing their access to vote favors Romney and others in the GOP on the ballot. However these realities would have had little real effect and now there is significant military outrage and pushback even though those deployed and truly “absent” are not effected. Obama loses the politics of this one and should have simply worked to get the votes out without giving the GOP another rallying cry. Wake up Axelrod.

-Mike

Yes from cradle to grave Ms Bloomberg aka Ms Doubtfire has our back.Now he is spearheading a plan for NYC hospitals to lock away baby formula along with morphine and Percocet so new moms will be prodded into breast feeding. This despite the fact that breast feeding planning takes place well before delivery and I'm certain a lack of formula will not have any effect except to piss people off. If a new mom breast feeds but hydrates with a Big Gulp the child will be taken away and the mother charged with child endangerment. What is next Mayor we don't know how to live unless you tell us how.........

-Mike

Take that Affordable Care Act! Do you have a provision for doctors and nurses to dance at the Olympics!? Well, in England they do!

Did you catch the dance fest by the National Health Services at the opening ceremonies? Very impressive. Would it be seen as a mandate here to insist that our docs do the same? Talk amongst yourselves............

-Mike

Chick–Fil- A is a successful business chain that has tapped into an alternative to the burger- you can get a whole wheat bun and a grilled chicken breast and eat guiltless on the run. If you desire, the waffle fries are quite good. The restaurants are clean, employ many and are a delight to stop into. That is why we couldn't care less what the founder thinks about gay marriage, which has little to do with the business model of this chain. I am sure many patrons of all sexual orientations enjoy the product and couldn't care less. If the owner wants to be foolish and potentially alienate same sex oriented chicken lovers, that should be seen as bad business. The market will decide. The Boston mayor has no ground to deny franchises to this chain because of protected speech and many Bostonians of the Roman Catholic variety are probably siding with the chicken guy. This sounds like bad politics and he should just govern and let the market decide who steps in the place. For those waffle fries you would be surprised what is forgiven. Shut up already the both of you and get back to work.

-Mike

His ramblings on Piers Morgan on the issue of gun control are ridiculous. From “Roger and Me” to whatever else he has visited on the brainless and gullible, he is defined by his unfailing beliefs that we are a sick society that must model itself after Canada and Cuba ( great health care) and that capitalism is a failed system. His agenda resonates with about three people yet he gets to treat us to his craptalk on national media outlets regularly. The late Christopher Hitchens's writings on this clown are priceless and I commend them since I don’t have the capacity to capture Moore like the incomparable Hitchens did. The textual interpretation of the right to bear arms means what it says and Justice Scalia set it forth in Heller v. District of Columbia. A law abiding person of good will who meets federal and state requirements should have the right to own a so-called “assault weapon” for myriad reasons and whether or not its commonly used for hunting or is ‘needed” doesn’t define the right. An armed and law abiding populace has the right to bear such arms under our Constitution as members of a free society who mean to keep it free. The Framers saw this as a hedge against tyranny. Moore sees Cuba as a model society. I suggest he move there and ask them how much they love it.

-Mike

Jessica Ghawi looked to a career in sportscasting. There is no reason to suspect that she couldn’t achieve that dream. When she met a horrible and violent end at the hands of a coward loser we all lost something. We vow here to always cherish the privilege that we have to take our message and thoughts on air as she dreamed of and for this my Show will always be dedicated to her and her memory. Rest in Peace Jessica and all who lost their lives.

-Mike

The sanctions are all but the death penalty and will likely wreak havoc on the school and surrounding businesses because of the secretive actions of a few. A hefty fine and corrective internal procedural changes would have sufficed along with a fund for the victims. To remove the accomplishments of good young men from 1998-2011 along with other sanctions calculated to eviscerate the program serve no purpose. They won those championships and were innocent. Hypocritical overkill that loses sight of what is necessary to fix the problem and prosecute the guilty. It frankly stinks.

-Mike

Why humans do such evil to others without provocation and with such cowardice is almost beyond the comprehension of civilized men. Those who died and were wounded need to be remembered and supported as the sudden violent loss of a loved one is devastating. Our hearts are in Aurora. There are not harsh enough penalties for the piece of garbage who did this and anyone who doesn't see the justice of the death penalty is truly misguided.

-Mike

There is a fine line between PR for your client and the need to raise money from the base of fans who applaud one of the most irresponsible idiots in gun owning history. Apparently O Mara believes that this is a case where the $150,000 plus raised is way low and sees a huge fee donation as a necessity. The cost- let loose your client on the air to give a gratuitous recorded statement that the prosecution can mull over for the next months. Even Hannitys soft ball questioning and leading Z-man around by the nose could not protect Zimmerman from such memorable statements like he “wouldn’t change anything” and that this was “Gods Plan”. That’s enough to put you off of religion. Apparently it was” Gods plan” for a young man who was being stalked by a cop wanna be to be shot to death senselessly. Asshead Zimmerman brings a gun to a fistfight and states that its Gods Plan. This is the Second Amendment poster boy?????? Big mistake and it will come back to haunt him. The Stand Your Ground law says that the person invoking the law cannot have committed an unlawful act. Perhaps trying to effect a physical arrest as an unsworn citizen and following a person who had the right not to be harassed is just such an act. Stay in the car and wait for the cops. That is what a responsible concealed carry citizen would do and Trayvon Martin would be alive. Period.

-Mike

Penn State apparently will decide whether to take down the statue of Joe Paterno in the next “7-10 days” according to University officials. On the Saturday Show I strongly suggested that dismantling the football program would penalize far too many innocents without really redressing the problems identified in the Freeh Report and the grand jury investigation. A few idiots knew of criminal conduct and covered it up for myriad reasons one of which was the precious football program. That alone does not justify ruining countless lives in a tenuous economic time in a scorched earth response. Those responsible will pay a heavy price and Joe Paterno took his dishonor to his grave. The University will answer in tort to these victims and pay penalties to regulators. Much has been learned from this horrible situation and other institutions have recovered from systemic allegations of cover up and infestation by pedophiles. The statue will be as much a reminder as it is a tribute to an imperfect man and those who stand before it for years to come can and will arrive at their own conclusions.

-Mike

The latest alarmist nut jobs practicing the insidious politics of fear have stated that elements of the Muslim Brotherhood have infiltrated the U.S. Government. This modern McCarthyism is every bit as offensive and truly brainless. In steps Sen McCain who took the high road in the 2008 campaign and always seeks the honorable way notwithstanding his determination to entangle us in every skirmish in the Middle East. His words condemning this hogwash define the man and he will always have our respect as a statesman and war hero. Harken to these his words;

…” Ultimately, what is at stake in this matter is larger than even the reputation of one person. This is about who we are as a nation, and who we aspire to be. What makes America exceptional among the countries of the world is that we are bound together as citizens not by blood or class, not by sect or ethnicity, but by a set of enduring , universal, and equal rights that are the foundation of our constitution, our laws, our citizenry and our identity. When anyone, not least a member of Congress, launches specious and degrading attacks against fellow Americans on the basis of nothing more than fear of who they are and ignorance of what they stand for, it defames the spirit of our nation….. “

Sen McCain of course speaks in response to the moron Congressman Michelle Bachmann who actually ran for president until she got so few votes in a sea of clowns she saw the light and dropped out. She smeared Huma Abedin an aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by implying that Ms Abedins family had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. Her only fault lies in having ties to Anthony Wiener but that is a different story ( she is married to him and he resigned from Congress in disgrace after being caught tweeting his junk). We should be proud to have Sen McCain in government and his reaction should define our collective response to this gratuitous hate speech.

-Mike

In the same term session as the Affordable Health Care ruling was announced- the Court in Alvarez v. United States upheld the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that the Stolen Valor Acts criminal penalties violated the First Amendment prohibitions against free speech. False bravado and cowardly usurpation of the accomplishments of others is apparently protected speech just as corporate chicanery in the political process is under Citizens United. You wont hear that the Obama administration urged the reversal of the Court and argued that this is not protected speech. The Court disagreed. The Court understandably wishes to protect a fundamental right to the greatest extent envisioned by the Framers but we believe legislators, state and federal, have the right to decide what is so offensive that it bears criminal sanction. Noone would seriously disagree that a cowards use of revered medals to lie about non accomplishments incites others to react and denigrates military honor- all valid goals of the Stolen Valor Act. The Court got this one wrong.

Today the US Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision surprisingly authored by Justice Roberts ( only because he was a presumed dissent on this issue) the Court upheld the core of the Act with the individual mandate sustained as a product of Congress’ power to tax- the Court stated…” The Affordable Care Acts requirement that certain individuals pay a financial penalty for not obtaining health insurance may reasonably be characterized as a tax. Because the Constitution permits such a tax, it is not our role to forbid it, or to pass upon its wisdom or fairness….” Agreeing with most that the Commerce Clause did not permit regulation of inactivity as” commerce” which the mandate did , the Court in workmanlike fashion limited its role in true constitutional fashion and nonetheless upheld most of the provisions. Reading between the lines suggests that the Court invited Congress to review the wisdom of such a tax and as we have seen the respective parties are either spinning this as the greatest tax increase of all time or the salvation of millions who can get affordable insurance in the free market regardless of the underlying regulations which control insurability issues. I feel the Court did its job and as we hoped and expected Justice Roberts called the “balls and strikes” he vowed to do when his Republican partisanship was questioned during his brief confirmation hearings. The repeal of this Act will be the rallying cry for Romney and Republicans and its propagation will be the war cry of Obama and the left and center Democrats who will hail his making good on a promise and delivering health care to millions. You decide that is what elections are for.

Guilty on 45 of 48 counts and the retribution is already starting as criminals in the Centre County Jail who actually have a “code” have been taunting him with Pink Floyds refrain from “The Wall”… “Teacher…leave those kids alone…”, actually quite witty and it will get worse when he goes to the State Pen. We covered this verdict as breaking news on the Saturday Show and the actions of his defense team create many questions. All we know is Bob Costas convicted him during that incredible interview before a jury was ever impaneled, an interview that should never have taken place.We hope the victims can have a life and rest easy knowing that what happened to them was not their fault and that the person responsible has been punished. That is what such victims need to know to even begin to heal.

The State of Montana, like Arizona, enacted a law that reflects a compelling need; in this case its very cautious history of dealing with political corruption since the days when Anaconda Coal owned the State. Its anti-corruption laws were a model for the country and reflected the tragic consequences to democracy of unfettered money and influence in the electoral process. In American Tradition Partnership Inc v. Steve Bullock Attorney General of Montana the Court summarily reversed the Supreme Court of Montanas ruling that its law did not violate the First Amendment – this law provided that a “corporation may not make…an expenditure in connection with a candidate or a political committee that supports or opposes a candidate or a political party.” The Supreme Court of the United States stated that Citizens United v. FEC and its holding that “political speech does not lose First Amendment protection simply because its source is a corporation” has therefore been perpetuated into the stinking mess that is our current system. The Soros, Adelmans and Kochs of the world, not to mention the veiled and disguised money from all manner of dirty sources including foreign governments, are therefore enabled to gain leverage never contemplated in a democracy. Congress must act to remedy this horrific decision rendered by Justices that have no clue regarding the realities of a political campaign and the potential for corruption. Anything Sen McCain says about this is 100% correct. We scratch our heads and wonder……

The State of Arizona felt compelled to enact S.B. 1070 to address pressing questions regarding the social costs of large numbers of illegal immigrants in the State. These large numbers the consequence of a failure of the federal government to aggressively enforce immigration laws. In Arizona et al v United States No 11-182, Justice Kennedy delivered the opinion of a Court that did not include Justice Kagan who took no part in the case due to her conflict from her previous position. The Court held that the majority of the law intrudes upon the field of alien registration, criminal penalties for violation of immigration laws and warrantless arrests, which violates the Supremacy Clause when it is clear that this is a field that is Congress’ sole province to enforce and regulate. However the majority felt that Section 2(B) presumptively escapes injunction because consultation between federal and state agents is an “important feature” of the immigration system and requiring state officers to conduct a status check during a lawful authorized detention was proper unless and until state courts determine that the scheme unduly intrudes on federal law. The majority of the Act was struck down but this part remains and can be seen as a mixed victory for the Justice Department, which sought to enforce the notion that this is an area that is distinctly federal. Politics, however, will ensure that these laws do not get enforced and Arizona will be left with the socio-economic shambles unless comprehensive reform is in place and the borders are effectively policed.

First of all the guys in the Sonic commercial should just get a room. I don’t go to food drive ins with dudes and those two spend entirely too much time in the front seat of the car – not that there is anything wrong with that. Tyler Perry should also just get the operation and change his name to Tara. Why do we need waterboarding when we can subject a suspected Al Qaeda operative to extending forced viewing of this non funny Oprah created joke in drag in such monumental accomplishments as Madea goes to Jail or Madeas Happy Family? He is a multimillionaire perhaps his lack of talent can be used to ensure national security. Finally I feel really bad for Nick Cage- when you pay your taxes and don’t owe the IRS you do movies like Moonstruck or The Rock but once Uncle Sam gets ahold of you you make Drive Angry or Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance. I seek vengeance having paid 4.99 to see the latter piece of crap on Cox on Demand. I think it went there right from the editing bay. Poor Nick get current on the taxes you do have talent and we would like to see it again.

-Mike

The City Manager gets this one right. Capt Goldsmith is a veteran of the Department and conventional wisdom favors a promotion from within for a variety of reasons. He has a long history in Internal Affairs and is a strong leader who has a varied background and will instill public confidence in the Department. I would hope that he would handle discipline with an even and fair hand and not cave in to unfair criticism from the public especially in the wake of the Pilot reporters ill advised complaint on the handling of the Church and Brambleton response by uniformed patrol. We wish him the best.

-Mike

What is going on here?- now a patriotic albeit corny country song God Bless the USA is scrapped in favor of some crap from everybodys favorite underage lesbian, Justin Bieber, as graduation entertainment at a NYC kindergarten. Apparently this song “ God Bless the USA” might “offend other cultures” and was therefore pulled from the eagerly awaited entertainment list. Horse hockey!!!! Last time I checked NYC was in America and largely populated by Americans of varying cultural backgrounds. Bloomberg and company again show that the worlds once greatest City needs regime change. At least they had the good sense to drop the Bieber song. How about Tiny Tims rendition of “Tiptoe through the Tulips??????”

-Mike

The greatest City on Earth (okay I am biased in that department) had long been a place which encouraged individual effort and free thinking, even if it had to buy concrete from gangsters. New York was no stranger to various forms of corruption. Enter Mayor Bloomberg, the ultimate nanny Mayor, who is using New York City as a social experiment in behavior control by government. First smoking is banned just about everywhere, and when I go home and walk down the street with a cigar I am treated like Al Qaeda. Now in a stroke of pure moronic overreaching the good Mayor is spearheading a war on large soft drinks sold in the City at certain places. It seems he feels that such a ban will cure childhood and adult obesity despite the fact that those hell bent on drinking a bucket of Cola products can buy them anywhere. This ban only hurts innocent merchants who profit from these sales. I hope these laws are challenged or those who enact them are voted out. We know that sugar is bad and we have the sense to stop or limit it without this billionaire nebbish acting like our mommy all the time. Makes me ashamed to be a New Yorker in my heart I tell you………

-Mike

Will the Hatfields and McCoys miniseries on the History Channel rekindle the feud?

This beautifully filmed and produced miniseries establishes that Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton are truly underrated as actors and that so-called TV movies can destroy Hollywoods best in production and content. However Im sure that members of both families may dispute the historic accuracy of some of the less then flattering depictions of their ancestors as addled , bloodthirsty and cowardly. Who shot who and who started what are sure to be rehashed in the hills over a glass of the still excellent moonshine. Lets hope old grudges remain buried and the guns are holstered.

-Mike

The National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) is honoring Norfolk Circuit Court’s Drug Court by bringing its “All Rise America! National Motorcycle Relay for Recovery” to Norfolk on May 22, 2012, at 2pm.

In recognition of May being National Drug Court Month, the NADCP is traveling across the country to “celebrate the incredible stories of transformation and recovery brought to bear in America’s Drug Courts” and to “help put a Drug Court within reach of the 1.2 million drug addicted individuals” who are still in need of assistance. The relay got its start in Santa Ana, California, on May 1, 2012, and will stop in Norfolk on May 22, 2012, for a Drug Court Graduation in Norfolk Circuit Court before the Honorable Junius P. Fulton (Courtroom #2) at 2pm. Judge Fulton and Commonwealth’s Attorney Gregory D. Underwood hope you will be able to join them as Norfolk is recognized as a significant part of this national effort. If you are able to attend, please reply to this message. A formal letter of invitation will be mailed in the next few days.

In addition, if you, your colleagues, or your constituents are interested in participating in the event as motorcycle rider, please visit the NADCP’s website – AllRiseAmerica.org – to register. The motorcycle riders participating in the Norfolk leg of the relay will ride from Newport News to Norfolk.

-Mike

In honor of the brave men and women in all branches of the United States Military, Spartyka is excited to partner with the Virginia Beach Boot Girls for the First Spartyka Boots & UTES 5K on Sunday, June 10 in Virginia Beach. "GetYourBoots On" and help us raise funds for the Boot Campaign, a national nonprofit organization providing a tangible way for Americans to show appreciation for troops, raise awareness of the challenges they face upon return and donate funds to charities supporting their transition home. For more information please visit bootcampaign.com.

The Boot Camp 5K

-Mike

This is what we should be talking about not some street crime in Norfolk hijacked by OReilly to fit his narrative. We send more people to war and receive them home than just about any place in the country. These are real problems and we need to step up for our vets. Listen cloosely to Adm Mullen. His analysis is borne of respect and loyalty not political partisanship. Check out the Washington Post article below.

A welcome-home gift for veterans: Jobs

-Mike

My heroes in Milwaukee will fully restore and return to its owner in Miyagi Prefecture a Harley swept away in the tsunami and recovered on the shores of British Columbia. This incredible story should get national attention and means so much to all of us who can never begin to understand the massive devastation that these great people endured. It is not well known that even in the pre WW II years Japan built a licensed version of the Harley and it's people have loved these bikes ever since. Japanese designers have created knuckle and pan bobbers that have been correctly termed rolling art. Some of the finest builders like Chica are legend in this genre. Well done Harley Davidson and lets hope it's owner gets reunited with his ride soon and did not lose any loved ones.

Harley-Davidson Will Restore Motorcycle Lost in Tsunami and Found in Canada

-Mike

The Pastor in the Berean Baptist Church in Fayetteville NC destroyed any notion of what a sermon should be and stated that parents who perceived that their child was not acting in a gender appropriate way should be punched or otherwise have the behavior squashed. This idiot has no business preaching Jesus' teachings, and what in the world does a child's or adult's sexuality have to do with those teachings or the right to be what they are without persecution and reorientation. They are people and they are certainly loved by God so a fortiori this moron does not speak for God. If your child acts out in a way that might be deemed "gay" don't punch them, tell them you love them and that they are God's child.This has been the word of Mike and the sermon has endeth.

-Mike

The Virginian Pilot, through its editorial staff, reported this attack on its staffers which occurred two weeks ago. A mob of young people pulled them from the car and assaulted them. This act of violence is apparently played out locally and nationally far too frequently. Whether or not the genesis of this tragedy is retribution for the Trayvon Martin shooting, it cries out for an explanation and a cure. We knew that the Sharptons of the world would create a level of rhetoric and race baiting where it should not be. These crimes are borne of ignorance, not racism, and race baiters fan these flames for the wrong reasons. George Zimmerman may have used unlawful force in an unlawful manner but he did not “hunt his victim down like a dog” and race had nothing to do with that shooting. The rhetoric of race has now apparently been the rallying cry for apparent retribution against innocents on their way home from the theater in our own backyard. These actions of young people in a mob have and will be the subject of comment and study for years to come. The responding Norfolk police have apparently seen it far too often and having represented them for years I know that what they see every day can cause them to be viewed as callous sometimes. They get shot at and assaulted by persons of all races I assure you. The lesson here is that we need to know about these things so we can respond as a community and with reason. Parents and teachers need to find out what happened and people need to come forward. The Norfolk Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court will do the rest I assure you. We must not let this happen in our communities and we must not fear reporting the truth.

-Mike

The decision making was Presidential and validates the notion of civilian control over the military. The choice to put SEALS in this mission combined confidence with resolve. We get this and there is something troubling about utilizing the exploits of these men to become a campaign commercial. Rove sank Bush with the "Mission Accomplished" theatre and Gibb and Axelrod need to stay away from this. It will be a theme and speaks of good leadership, but has no place in a campaign commercial. It cheapens the act and the mission. Check out the link below

Obama's Choice: Bomb Bin Laden or Shoot Him?

-Mike

It is refreshing to see that he has indeed burned bridges. He turned on Fox and never had the media backing of the Rove Channel anyway. They were in the tank for Romney as much as MSNBC is in the tank for Obama. He will be remembered for divisive politics , vilification of opponents , moon colonies and the mother of all social economic initiatives- replacing janitors in inner city schools with students. I can smell the economic prosperity already. His lobbying group is bankrupt, he is in debt and I doubt he has the same patina for influence peddling he once enjoyed. Herman Cain got out at the right time and did indeed polish his brand. Newt destroyed his. Karma is a bitch.

The End Of Gingrich?

-Mike

He got his start at WFUV my college radio station and went on in the great days of NYC radio to be the best of the best, He was there at the peak of the rock era and his shows highlighted those who defined the genre. A natural voice and unsurpassed knowledge . Rest in peace.

Pete Fornatale: 1945-2012

-Mike

We take a lot for granted. Ford, GM and Harley have to scramble to find a chemical substitute for a compound used in brake systems. I don't want something that doesn't work stopping my Harley. Check this alarming tidbit out.

Automakers Rush to Avert a Crisis

-Mike

Neither Obama nor Romney nor anyone else in the White House is going to create a job for you. Big reveal here but the economy is in cathartic change and certain majors and industries are no longer relevant. There is a realignment toward health care, technology, engineering and language. The World is Flat. Let's steer our children in this direction and help them find their way into the new world. Read the link

The 13 Most Useless Majors, From Philosophy to Journalism

-Mike

Mass transit and how we assimilate it into our lives is something that's foreign to many in America. The light rail, if successful will create a new genre of commuter here in Hampton Roads and tie us together in more ways than just the geographic. Enjoy these shots from the legendary filmmaker who was fascinated by the rituals he captured on the subway in pre and post war NYC.

Riding the Subway with Stanley Kubrick

-Mike

Very confusing but the combination of a beautiful model and a thinly disguised Ducati make for attention capturing content. If the ad was actually for a motorcycle they would sell plenty of them and some of the marketing people in this industry should take note. Women are an ever growing segment of the motorcycle buying public but it is not a negative for a commercial to feature a woman on a bike to market to men. Whether it is on a Harley or a Ducati we appreciate a woman rider and this commercial rocks for the wrong target market!!!!!

-Mike

Last night on Mad Men Peggy got fired from an account and then got high and gave a total stranger an old fashioned in a movie theater while Roger dropped acid and discovered that he hated his wife in the psychedelic world as much as the real world. Don was brilliantly boring as he left his wife at an upstate Howard Johnson's and then chased her around the apartment when she took a bus home. Two morons. The suckage almost drew me into the TV. Veep was funny and probably closer to real life than West Wing was. Thank goodness for HBO and Showtime

-Mike

This eminently qualified man who was apparently too true to his beliefs and way too honest to get the nomination, is and should be on the short list for a third party initiative. This Former Governor of Utah and Ambassador to China has all the street cred that a leader needs. I don’t take seriously what he said about Republicans and what happens in China when someone goes off script because I see the message beyond the sound bite. It is chilling that Reagan could not get nominated in this climate and that political polarization is creating a chill on the role of Congress to fix ills through compromise. I hope he continues to be a voice of reason for his Party and that they heed his message that independent voters want a more moderate candidate who focuses on issues that are truly important and not the cultural issues that seem to have defined the debate during the Primary process. I don’t know what the alternate party would be called but it is time to break the log jam and scare some people into reason.

Check out this article from the Washington Post: Jon Huntsman, Republican antagonist

-Mike

I shook this man's hand once and came away feeling he was a slimy egomaniac who probably thought I was pond scum because I had a crappy haircut and wore biker clothes when we met. His handshake was weak and clammy and I felt his whole manner to be borderline effeminate. I was arm wrestled into a donation to his campaign but am proud to say I never thought he was fit for national office. Neither now nor ever will Americans ever elect a trial lawyer to that office- well maybe another Lincoln- and for good reason. His personal behavior was reprehensible and he let scores of good people down with his actions and cover up, however this prosecution is questionable in its premise. The money paid to hide his personal mess was from a Listerine heir and Fred Baron another billionaire trial lawyer and to call these contributions is a stretch. This is dangerous overbreadth, and I expect there will be appeals for years if he is convicted. Virtually any expenditure which furthers the political purpose might come under this net and this will create trouble for even well meaning candidates. The whole Super PAC mess makes this look laughable in terms of public confidence in the process and I believe his public humiliation, his ouster from politics and his knowledge that he hurt his now deceased wife will torment him and that is enough. We will keep you posted on this one.

-Mike

Carved straight from the dog dish of political discourse, Republicans and Democrats have really reached a new low. Noone cares that in 1983 Mitt Romney and his wife placed Seamus the Irish Setter in a carry crate and placed him on the roof of a Griswold-style family truckster for a road trip. A respected journalist actually quizzed Ann and Mitt Romney on this and they replied the dog “loved” it. Seamus certainly can no longer speak for himself as he is near a fire hydrant in heaven but this is not exactly fodder for vetting a candidate. Democratic strategists need to let this go by the way of a Letterman monologue where it belongs. Besides Mitt was for external dog carry before he was against it. No harm here even though I am an inside the car dog person. Now it appears in response to the canine wars certain Republicans have dragged out a story wherein Obama ate dog meat as a boy. I don’t think there is a chance he will be caught putting salt on his Portuguese Water Dog anytime soon. We are not stupid stop with the crap and focus on what is important.

-Mike

The outpouring of democracy last night at Suffolk City Council was refreshing and made an important point. I spoke on behalf of the Suffolk Police Officers Association and their message crafted by their President which I merely delivered was respectful and right on target. Teachers, Police and Firemen have gone too long without raises and the pay structure has created awful compression issues. ANY appointed employee like the City Manager or the City Attorney need to flatly say NO to any raise when people are suffering and being laid off. This is a matter of public responsibility. Im going to say it and I don’t care- I was born at night but not last night- neither the City Manager nor the City Attorney merit or warrant the numbers being talked about for their raises now or ever. Police officers have not had a real raise since 2008 and we all know what they do for us. With benefits and retirement etc these people will be making in excess of $200.000 a year in a City with a population a fraction of neighboring Cities and responsibility which is a fraction of other Managers. This outrage was short circuited by the people and if they hadn’t voiced their objection a tremendous fiscal and moral injustice would have occurred. We are proud of these citizens and hope things change for the better.

-Mike

The biggest lie is that Obama is soft on terror. In fact the bold and sometimes controversial use of drones to chase Al Qaeda and its support structure has been incredibly effective for the expenditure. The CIA has requested expanded authority for drone warfare and I say grant it. Yemen is the new incubator for those who really want to harm us and we can continue to throw them off balance. Sovereignty needs to take a back seat when we are looking at semi failed or completely failed states like Somalia , Yemen and yes Pakistan. There should be no safe harbor for our enemies. This includes American citizens abroad who have demonstrated that they want to kill us. Not if we get you first.

-Mike

I thought you would like this story from TheBlaze.com

Ted Nugent is a moron. Yes it appears that Gary Busey has a new crazy evil twin. Now don’t get me wrong I have been a fan of his music since Cat Scratch Fever and I enjoy his hunting stories and his appearance on Bourdains show was really fun. However all the false bravado and gun waving is getting old and he stepped over the line on several occasions with his statements about the President and First Lady. I love to hunt and have a lot of guns but I have never been as over the top as this douche has been. We get it you are masculine and like to kill what you eat- so do a lot of us but we do it humbly and with respect. You are getting a visit from the Secret Service because you came perilously close to a threat on the President if he was reelected which is a federal felony and you act crazy. I sincerely hope my friends at the NRA keep their distance because he is a caricature not a cause. I also hope the Secret Service is not “starstruck” by this piece of old news and does its job by creating a file on him. Keep your mouth shut unless you have something other than gratuitous crap to spew Nuge…..

-Mike

It was reported by Gingrich that he was recently bit by a penguin at a zoo near a "campaign" stop. The penguin was rushed to a nearby veterinarian and treated for acute bull...t exposure. The penguin is recovering nicely and is enjoying a well deserved sardine.

-Mike

It appears those in charge of protecting the leader of the free world were taken down by the worlds oldest profession. If they had paid the bill and she had been out by curfew perhaps the greatest scandal in this elite agencies history would never have seen the light of day. But it has and is a sad chapter in that history. These agents enjoy the best law enforcement job in the world and earn at least six figures with OT and special pays. Now they are looking squarely at dismissal or severe discipline because they couldn’t exercise some restraint while deployed. Such highly cleared and classified agents are targets for those who might compromise them and the appearance of impropriety is just too much. For hookers to have access to our elite agents and military on foreign soil is mind boggling and the equations for disaster are numerous. Many around the world see Americans as easily corrupted by sex and money and stories have been told that intelligence agencies use that in their playbook to turn our military or our agents. This did much to enhance that reputation and this agency has much to explain.

-Mike

Another local motorcyclist was killed Saturday when a vehicle turned in front of him. This is the most common cause of such fatalities and injuries and remains completely unexplainable and senseless. A two wheeled conveyance with rider that occupies space and time and is invariably lit up is objectively seeable by the human eye but inattentive morons turn anyway to very often disastrous result. The situation is also often complicated by the impaired or distracted driver. Traffic judges who preside over these cases need to send a message that such conduct is intolerable. I have never hesitated to seek punitive damages against impaired drivers who hurt motorcyclists who are only trying to enjoy this recreation and share the road. Rest in peace rider.

-Mike

In his $52 million plan to increase oversight of the oil markets, President Obama is proposing a tenfold increase in the maximum civil and criminal penalties that can be applied for oil-market manipulation.

The attached link shows an initiative which has merit that will be lost in cries of election year politics. In truth for some time the Attorney General has been tasked with determining to what extent gas price manipulation was effecting prices. According to Matt Taibbi in his book Griftopia a few “powerful actors determined to turn the once solid market into a speculative casino” He says that players like Goldman persuaded pension and hedge funds to invest in oil futures which transformed it into a bettable entity like a stock as opposed to a commodity. According to Taibbis research between 2003 and 2008 the amount of speculative money in commodities grew from 13 Billion to 317 Billion and by 2008 a barrel of oil was traded 27 times before it was actually delivered and consumed. This reality will be clouded in Republican cries of too much regulation and Democrat cries of fat cat practices. A Congressional inquiry into these matters and whether there is a demonstrable effect on prices is in order. If there is, then regulation is good and greed is bad and that transcends petty politics.

Obama Calls for Stricter Penalties on Oil-Market Manipulators

It is out of the Vietnam playbook. In a time of political unpopularity of a war engage in a broad based attack behind the lines to cause terror and shake confidence. However this is not 1968 and there is no Cronkite moment. Where there is a similarity is that much the like the Tet offensive, the Taliban's offensive was a military failure as Americans and allies decisively beat the enemy everywhere they turned up then and now. It doesn’t change the equation as we will be there until we are not, and it will always be a corrupt country with tribal loyalties that defy our Western models of society. Whatever happens there this latest offensive will do nothing to change or accelerate what we already know and that is that we don’t belong there any more. We spent 230 million dollars on Highway 1 last year and corrupt villagers provide comfort to the Taliban who plant IEDs on it at will. When someone explains how the Taliban can attack the United States I will gladly support this intervention. Until then I see a failed strategy that lost its way a long time ago.

It appears those in charge of protecting the leader of the free world were taken down by the worlds oldest profession. If they had paid the bill and she had been out by curfew perhaps the greatest scandal in this elite agency's history would never have seen the light of day. But it has and is a sad chapter in that history. These agents enjoy the best law enforcement job in the world and earn at least six figures with OT and special pays. Now they are looking squarely at dismissal or severe discipline because they couldn’t exercise some restraint while deployed. Such highly cleared and classified agents are targets for those who might compromise them and the appearance of impropriety is just too much. For hookers to have access to our elite agents and military on foreign soil is mind boggling and the equations for disaster are numerous. Many around the world see Americans as easily corrupted by sex and money and stories have been told that intelligence agencies use that in their playbook to turn our military or our agents. This did much to enhance that reputation and this agency has much to explain.

Today is his birthday. Last year he left us and the reasons are very complex, but I know he is at peace. More often than not we were on different sides of a case but I never had more admiration for an advocate and he was the best of us. I think of him often and I miss his friendship and guidance. Remember that the complexities of life and responsibility touch us all in different ways. Think of him and his family this day.

-Mike

Victory ain't playin. They hired Gunny Ermey as a spokesperson and got Sonny Barger to ride one. The Polaris product has proven an outstanding choice and it's base power gives the Harley 103 Baggers a lesson in torque. Many did not give this company a chance, but police sales and a diverse line up that uses innovative styling and a solid power train seems to have ensured this other American Motorcycle Company is here to stay. Competition breeds innovation. For more info, check out the link below.

More Police Depts Using Victory Motorcycles

-Mike

The press conference held by the Florida Special Prosecutor Angela Corey was a model of adherence to the ethical standards applicable to the prosecution and did much to dispel the rumors that officials were lax in the pursuit of this matter. A very professional team of investigators and prosecutors will present the case and ultimately a court will have to rule on a motion which will assert the so-called Stand Your Ground immunity. The case could be dismissed but the decision of the State to arrest and place it in the hands of a judge and jury reflects the very best of our system. Even Trayvon Martins family counsel urged calm and to respect the rule of law. So be it. Second Degree Murder is a serious charge and should remind all who carry a firearm how grave this responsibility is.

Soon the world will see a new one hundred plus story symbol of American resilience and defiance of tyranny near where the Twin Towers once stood. It is only fitting that it resides in New York City- my City- that will forever remember the horror of Sept 11 2001. My city symbolizes the economic and cultural vitality that drives this country and it's citizens would have nothing less than a new structure that rises from what was destroyed by cowards and sociopaths. I see it as a singular middle finger to all those that might harm us. It is built on hallowed ground and will be a beacon of freedom for years to come. The memories of those innocents who were senselessly and violently slaughtered are part of its structure as much as steel and concrete and I have no doubt that they look upon it with pride. That's all I have to say about that.

Well yesterday we learned that Mr Zimmerman has decided to change his legal team and go with Team Hannity. His bizarre behavior of course did not remain secret despite an alleged “off the record” statement to Sean who has decided to cloak all things American and apple pie in the benevolent Mr Zimmerman who allegedly tutored children on the weekend and taught gun safety. It seems his perturbed legal team did not choose the high road and quietly go into the night, they jumped on the circus reality show bandwagon and gave an unauthorized national interview wherein they portrayed their client- former or otherwise he was their client- as a disturbed flight risk!!!! I have rarely heard of ineffective assistance of counsel before the case starts or from counsel that were no longer counsel. You cant make this s**t up! Well of course the Prosecutor will now charge to flush Zimmerman out and not be criticized further for delaying so he can run which was his right to do. The lure of the limelight should never cause confidences to be disclosed in my opinion. I knew Zimmerman was a piece of work but these lawyers take the cake- of course that’s my opinion and not the opinion of this fine radio station!!!!!!!

Today the Florida special prosecutor determined that at this time there will be no presentment at the next Grand Jury. That doesn’t mean there wont be, or that Zimmerman cant be charged. The investigation will be extensive but really there is only so much to determine. If Zimmerman truly had a fear of serious bodily harm he could be exonerated but the case is muddy because of a lingering question of who the aggressor was. One who provokes the encounter cannot claim self defense and what is important is what happened in the minute or so before the gun went off. The Florida "Stand your Ground" law is, as we have discussed on a previous show, merely a codification of long standing self defense principles that mirror those present in Virginia. The main difference is the additional codification of an immunity from civil or criminal prosecution, but that call is made by a judge at trial not the police at the scene. We can understand confusion over the law and will never ascribe to the police in Sanford racial animus in not charging. Lawyers much less police could debate the term “serious bodily harm” to include a serious beating by someone who is unarmed. We are still here skeptical of the use of a firearm in response to a physical assault, but if serious enough it would be justified. That investigation will hopefully be free of the prejudices both sides of the political spectrum have brought to this debate.

Whether you believe it was the hand of God or the hand of the pilot that placed a stricken F/A 18 D aircraft in the courtyard of a densely populated apartment complex without fatality, it is surely a miracle. On the Saturday Show we featured Dan Rose, a former carrier based Navy jet pilot who marveled at the fortuity of this and credited the training of the crew which included a seasoned Weapons System Officer. A “catastrophic mechanical failure” is the working diagnosis and Dan felt it could be anything from internals to a bird strike or FOD (foreign object debris) take down of the engines. Whatever it was also caused the system to dump fuel. It was unlikely that it was the pilots. Heroic and professional responses by Virginia Beach Fire, Police and EMS made us beamingly proud, as this was a difficult fire to contain. Jet fuel is extremely volatile and without great skill this fire could have spread. Navy crash crews had cross trained with VBFD and the result was foam and skill on the fire when most needed. We learned from Tim Riley, Battalion Chief of VBFD, that even floor wax was applied to keep composite fibers from also spreading. Now the Navy steps up with a full claims process- Congress took these events into consideration with the Federal Tort Claims Act and the Military Claims Act- and the Navy Safety Center and the Virginia State Police will try to get some answers. We fervently hope that the event is not symptomatic of a problem with the venerable GE engines or some other system that might effect the fleet. By all accounts the F/A 18 is a robust and capable multi role aircraft and these events unfortunately happen and have since the dawn of aviation. As a young Lt in the JAG Corps I remember the claim of the poor soul killed in the 1986 A6 crash outside of Oceana coming to our office for adjudication. It was heart breaking. At AM 790 WNIS we all hope that those who lost their homes and possessions can soon find peace and normalcy once again. We are proud to be part of the Hampton Roads Community.

Check out this AP article about the crashed US NAVY F/A-18 Hornet featuring comments from Daniel O. Rose, a former Navy Jet Pilot. Dan was also a guest on this Saturday's program.

-Mike

This consummate Washington insider made millions trading access for money. His presidential “run” is a focus group test of his continued marketability and a signal that he continues to prioritize polishing his brand and massaging his ego over really seeking the office that he will never obtain. Now we learn that his lobby group- excuse me- history group when health care is involved- (“ I never lobbied for health care” Newt Gingrich, “ I never had sex with that woman”- Bill Clinton) is seeking bankruptcy protection. Sheldon Adelson can't donate to this. His flip flops for money speak volumes about his character. At least Romney wants to serve and his political flip flops don’t wax immoral like King Gingrich's do. I am hoping he is the sole resident of the new moon colony he wants to build and that he stays there.

In my Travis Bickle days in the seventies I prowled the streets of Long Island and New York City in a by god Checker limo that seated a small army, held a battalion's worth of luggage and all with great comfort. So what if the Chevy 350 and auto trans combo got 10 mpg on a good day. Gas was cheap and life was simple. The Checker and later the Crown Vic in bright dirt tinged yellow became the symbols of the NYC we know and love. Now we hear that the NISSAN will be the next cab. A Nissan NV 200, or whatever box like thing that looks like it came from Blade Runner, will be the new people mover of the next age. It will be “greener” and more fuel efficient. Supposedly people wont mind being ferried around in a shoe box. I wouldn’t have been caught dead working a 14 hour shift in a contraption like that and I am glad I got to drive a cab in the Golden Age. Anyone who could afford the one million for a taxi medallion and a rehabbed vintage Checker would never have an empty cab. Maybe I can win the lottery.

I stated that the President should answer the questions posed in the Affordable Care Act oral arguments in a public statement that picked up where the Solicitor Generals arguments fell short. His background as a Constitutional law scholar would show some knowledge and leadership. Instead we heard a jumble about the Supreme Court, activist judges and the error of unelected officials failing to pay lip service to a legislative enactment. WRONG. The role of the Court is etched in our system and the Court calls balls and strikes on constitutionality. Obama went directly into campaign mode in the most damaging statement he has uttered in some time. Challenging the Justices is error unless he dared to challenge them intellectually. The low political road will cost him. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals was troubled by this and actually tasked Eric Holder with writing a paper clarifying the position of the Administration on the role of the judiciary. This will haunt the President make no mistake about it.

-Mike

O'Reilly and Krauthammer seemed to agree that Romney building a car elevator in his San Francisco home was a political mistake that allows the opposition to continue the narrative that Romney is an out of touch patrician. I disagree. Wealth is not the issue if the candidate is competent and qualified. Anyone who sees this as a deal breaker is, in my opinion, short sighted and doesn't give the voter, particularly the independent voter, any credit. Romney rises or falls on his message. Jerry Seinfeld has a car elevator and even though he is not running for office I don't think it makes him bad in the eyes of anyone.

-Mike

President Obama weighed in publicly on the Florida shooting of an unarmed youth to mixed reviews from the political masses. I frankly thought the tone should have been different even if he felt it necessary to comment on a local law enforcement matter that frankly repeats itself nationwide every day. However Obama was to his credit a professor of Constitutional law and a distinguished graduate of Harvard Law School- a place where yours truly did not have the cranium for entry. He certainly could blend his not too shabby political skills and answer for us and indirectly the Justices why the mandate doesn’t run afoul of Congressional powers set forth in the Commerce Clause or its Necessary and Proper powers. General Verilli's less than stellar (I'm not throwing stones he is brilliant) response to the pointed questions of Justice Kennedy and the conservative cadre of Justices could get a do over by our Pres in what would be a real Presidential moment. He could answer those questions. He should.

-Mike

Today the Supreme Court held that strip searches can occur if the prisoner is destined for the general population, even if the offense is minor- such as a traffic offense. The Court weighed- in Florence v. Board of Chosen Freeholders, et als- the interests in privacy with the needs of jail officials in protecting the security of the facility noting that it is hard to discern the dangerous from the non dangerous, and some of the most notorious criminals of our time including Timothy McVeigh and a 9/11 bomber were all stopped for minor infractions. I see the case as non controversial and frankly it is like any “border” type analysis- when you enter a jail, an airport or other facility I think there can be a lessened expectation of privacy given the need for overall security at such places.

-Mike

Jonathan Capehart posits in todays Washington Post that the video of George Zimmerman taken at Sanford Police Headquarters is the new Zapruder film of our age. Not. The capture of the killing of an American President and hero by Abraham Zapruder on an 8mm camera was critical evidence of a crime that truly changed this country and broke the heart of our nation. It has been used to try to determine if there was a conspiracy to kill the leader of the free world and to assist in solving one of the great debates of our time-did Oswald act alone?. The fact that it resides in the Library of Congress is a testimony to its historic significance. The video of a wanna be and yahoo who may have used unlawful force in killing an unarmed young man has no such historic significance and may provide forensic clues to whether Zimmerman was truly injured. But that is all it is and I suspect it will not be studied for generations, spawn books and Congressional hearings and wind up in the official archives of the United States. No comparison Mr Capehart although the tragic and criminal loss of any life is lamentable. I'll only agree with you there.

-Mike

I know all the hype- best show in history, new Golden Age of television, blah blah. Sorry but even though I have been tuned in I fail to discern the genius apart from the scrupulous adherence to detail in recreating the early sixties. To me Jon Hamms portrayal of Don Draper is boring, the cast is largely speaking in monotone and the stories are not exactly the stuff of a new age of television. Last night they stood in the hall of a Rolling Stone concert and one of the agency people smoked a joint and ate White Castle while Don ( Jon Hamm) largely just raised his eyebrows and “reacted”. Very compelling. When I want cutting edge I go to Showtime or HBO for series which can use the platform of real pay cable to create exciting programming like Game of Thrones, Shameless or House of Lies. The Borgias make the Sopranos look like amateurs. Just the opinion of a self confessed TV addict. Maybe im too old- im starting to be outside all the good demographics anyway……..

-Mike

The system worked as an obviously distraught and ill pilot was locked out of the cabin by a quick thinking co-pilot and well meaning crew and passengers. This man succumbed to something in his life and we know in our hearts that the professionalism of the crew meant that no passenger was at risk. The FAA will see to his fitness and we hope that he can salvage his life. The pressures of this life are no small burden on many who engage in high risk or high intensity professions. Lets not beat a man when he is down and lets do celebrate that redundancy in the cockpit and the good will of the people on board prevailed. Godspeed Capt Osborn.

-Mike

The Severability issue was center stage in the Health Care Arguments today and the stakes are huge as oral arguments wrap up.

The Justices openly wondered whether the unconstitutionality of the mandate provision would gut the whole law and render it useless in light of its goals. Both the Government and the opposition seemed to suggest it should all go out because a key component of the attempted cure for the health care woes is the creation of a pool of insured that would keep costs down and allow the insurers to be able to comply with the most laudable of the goals of the legislation- prevent “discriminating” against prospective insureds who have a pre-existing condition, ability to keep dependents on the policy until age 26 and several other things that Justice Kagan said were “right” about the Act. The problem is without that pool fueled by a mandate insurers would not be able to comply without tweaking premiums to the point of absurdity or going bankrupt. The court appointed representative for the severability argument urged that Congress could fill the gaps and Justice Breyer cautioned that the Court should stay out of politics. I suspect the law could stand but there would need to be fixes in other ways to keep costs down. The problem with reserving this issue for the States to handle under their plenary powers is the insurers objections to out of state purchases in an open market and the insurance lobby influence in many states especially Virginia which is very insurance friendly. The Utah and Massachusetts examples may not work elsewhere and this is a national problem. Justice Sotomayor summed it up in grilling Paul Clement who argued against severability.

“…What we do know is that for those states that found prices increasing, they found various solutions to that. In one instance—and we might or might not say that its unconstitutional—Massachusetts passed the mandatory coverage provision. But others adjusted some of the other provisions. Why shouldn’t we let Congress do that, if in fact the economists prove….right that prices will spiral? Whats wrong with leaving it in the hands of the people who should be fixing this, not us……..

Whether it is kicked back to Congress to die an inevitable political death or struck down in its entirety the Affordable Health Care Act is on the rocks but this lawyer knows you cannot predict the outcome just from arguments. There will be much discussion in Chambers until June and politics is inevitable.

Audio from the hearing and a transcript from the hearing have been posted below:

Transcript: link

-Mike

Day two of the Health Care arguments focused on the individual mandate and it looks like it is in trouble. Justice Kennedy is seen as a key swing vote and he challenged the Solicitor General with the following:

“…Assume for the moment that this is unprecedented, this is a step beyond what our cases have allowed, the affirmative duty to act to go into commerce… do you not have a heavy burden of justification? …..When you are changing the relation of the individual to the government in this …unique way… do you not have a heavy burden to show authorization under the Constitution…?

For some reason the Justices are stuck on the notion of government forcing individuals to buy goods and Broccoli is the example most frequently used;

Justice Scalia in questioning the Solicitor General;

“Could you define the market---everybody has to buy food sooner or later, so you define the market as food, therefore everybody is in the market; therefore you can make people buy broccoli… “

Justice Ginsburg attempted to help the Solicitor General in defining the argument and justify treating health care as a singularly unique market which is effected by a choice to stay out of the pool;

“…..I thought what was unique about this is its not my choice whether I want to buy a product to keep me healthy, but the cost that I am forcing on other people if I don’t buy the product sooner rather than later….”

Finally Justice Breyer asked that Justice Kennedys ultimate question be responded to- namely- Can under the Commerce Clause Congress create commerce where none previously existed?

It seems that the real question is troubling the Conservative Justices and that is treating health care differently than other commodities which Congress wouldn’t have the power to create a market in. Individuals are to be forced into an insurance market to create lower cost since they will do it early on before health issues set in. This primary focus of the Act is most troubling to those who see the Framers limiting federal powers to those specifically enumerated and this is very unclear. The Court wants a limiting principle and the answer will be in if they find one. Arguments continue tomorrow.

Audio from the hearing and a transcript from the hearing have been posted below:

Transcript: link

-Mike

Maryanne Michael gives to Wounded Wear with a beautiful original song, “ My Forever More”. Download it now from iTunes or Amazon. Fifty percent of the proceeds from the sale of the song will go directly to Wounded Wear, and all it does for those who paid the price. Check out a sample of the track below.

iTunes: buy now
Amazon: buy now

Maryanne Michael - My Forever More

-Mike

The Anti Injunction Act is the first thing being heard as the Supreme Court tries to determine if it has jurisdiction to even hear the matter as the “tax”, if that is what the penalty is. If they hold that it is, they can avoid any of the big mandate/interstate commerce issues and hope the Act dies a political death. The audio recording of the hearing is posted below.

-Mike

Now SSGT Bales' wife is doing nothing to help her husband by saying he was ready for deployment and seemed fine and showed no signs of PTSD. Bales' lawyer still confirms the state of the clients memory of the events publicly and asks for forensic evidence that Im sure the Army will spend millions developing. Just shut up and do what is necessary. Before you know it the client's fifth amendment rights to remain silent will be waived by broadcasting what he says to his lawyer or his wife because they wont shut up. Just shut up.

-Mike

In Virginia, self defense is either justifiable or excusable. It goes this way- if the accused (the party claiming the privilege of self defense) is in NO FAULT whatsoever he NEED NOT RETREAT he may STAND HIS GROUND and use deadly force if need be to slay his adversary. If a sudden fight is brought on and the accused is at fault, he must retreat as far as he can but having done so in good faith may kill his adversary if he cannot preserve his life in any other way. Justifiable self defense is when the accused is completely without fault and he may stand his ground and defend himself or others. These long standing principles are utilized by Commonwealth Attorneys in a decision to indict or not and by juries in weighing self defense. This prevents a person from starting a fight and escalating it to the point where deadly force is wielded, but didn’t have to be. The person who shot Trayvon Martin would most probably be found to have been at fault for pursuing and confronting the unarmed youth, but then must show that the self defense privilege excused the shooting because he tried to retreat, but had no choice. Both Virginia common law and Florida's statute presume that there is a reasonable belief that death or serious bodily harm are imminent and that is what the States Attorney will determine. In the meantime NEVER use a deadly weapon unless you are in real and reasonable fear for your life because the consequences of civil and criminal prosecution are no joke.

-Mike

Sharptons theatrics need to be tuned out and clearer minds need to prevail. Remember the Reverend gave us Tawana Brawley- how soon we forget. He found another cause and apparently Sanford Fla is ground zero for more irresponsible race baiting. The fact is that Fla stat Sec. 776.012 the “Stand Your Ground” law probably has no applicability to this tragic misjudgment by a trigger happy citizen and the Second Amendment should not be dragged into this vortex either. Politics will screw this up as the local Council scrambles for a scapegoat. The Police Chief has no business stepping aside. If there is a crime the States Attorney will impanel a grand jury and there will either be an indictment or not. I know one thing. The use and ownership of a weapon confers serious responsibility in the gravest extreme. If you do not have a reasonable belief that you will suffer serious bodily harm you do not shoot that weapon. Stop the rhetoric, investigate the facts and the law is more than capable of handling this matter.

-Mike

Its kind of like extended dating….at some point you grudgingly settle. The endorsement coming so late is a function of Bush waiting for someone better to come along. That ain't happening until 2016 when the talent steps up - the Christies or Daniels or Rubios (look for a VP nod here). Bush publicly lamented the extremes that the Party was embracing and the rhetoric that propelled Gingrich and Santorum to some surprising wins. No one really believes Romney is a conservative, but I think many believe he is a skilled and accomplished businessman and former Governor who can get things done. I never cared about the awkward “cheesy grits” moments. Romney is a talented candidate and hell, he wants the job!!!! Cant say that for several who have “run” just to polish their brand. Jeb Bush signaled its time to get started and I believe this will be an important moment as Santorum decides what his future will be. The Party will probably embrace him unless he lets his ego take him to a place that will shut many doors for him. Look closely at the next two weeks.

-Mike

The Defensive Coordinator is out indefinitely. Head coach Sean Payton is out for a year. The GM is suspended for a half season and the assistant head coach is out for the first six games. Add a $500,000 fine and second round selection forfeitures for two years and it seems that The NFL takes a serious view of bounties on players. I am sure they would hit just as hard without a cash reward but to unleash these athletes in a focused manner for bonuses is an appearance of impropriety that the league cannot tolerate. If this is rampant the effects will be undeniable on the season but perhaps they will make this one example and move on. Personally, I think the conduct is reprehensible especially when one sees the carnage these men can create. Money for a game or career ending serious injury is wrong. Period.

We will miss Willie G, but he will not really be gone. Willie G Davidson has announced his retirement after 49 years of leading the styling on the worlds most iconic motorcycles. I cherish the cap he autographed for me and I know he will be a continuing influence on Harley's design team. He was one of the visionaries who purchased the company from AMF and made it work. He did this not because it was a good business decision, but for a love of motorcycles and what his family created in a Wisconsin garage. Now the Bar and Shield is the worlds most recognizable brand logo and the company is strong having weathered more than one economic downturn. Look to see him at rallies and doing special projects. He has earned the right to be in the wind and skip the office.

Tune in Saturday at two oclock to hear from Jay Redman of Wounded Wear and a special guest. In the three o’clock hour we will have Professor Allison Orr Larsen of the William and Mary Law School to discuss the Affordable Health Care issues that will be raised in the U.S. Supreme Court next week. She clerked for Justice David Souter of the U.S. Supreme Court and is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and the University of Virginia Law School. We have a decorated Navy SEAL hero and a legal scholar on one Saturday afternoon- Im not worthy……

**Update - Jay and Erica Redman of Wounded Wear will be on at 2 along with Maryanne Michael who is a singer and is donating half of the proceeds of her single “ MY Forever More” to Wounded Wear. Also joining them will be Michael Midura of the Virginia Advisory Council on Military education to promote a fundraiser and golf tournament taking place next week. Hope to see you then.

-Mike

Hard decisions do not always make for good politics. The hard times are coming and we need to change in many ways- I suspect this needs to be bipartisan and election years do not bring out the honesty in folks. The fireworks begin.

GOP budget plan cuts deeply into domestic programs, reshapes Medicare, Medicaid.

-Mike

…apparently our fragile complex free market economy is driven by drawers- yes you heard it right- leading economists say that confidence in the economy and its rise are demonstrated by men purchasing underwear. Since I still have some from the Reagan administration I suspect I am not a reliable harbinger of better times ahead………

-Mike

Sanduskys lawyer and SSgt Bales lawyer should go back to school and remember that client confidences and statements are just that –privileged. Seeing Sandusky's lawyer on television making questionable statements about attraction to young boys and Bales lawyer announcing to the world that his client doesn’t remember much about the killings do nothing to advance either the cause of the client or the cause of lawyers in general. Shut up.

**Update - Staff Sgt. Robert Bales was found liable in financial fraud.

-Mike

There are other ways to ensure readiness read this from a Naval Officer who says it better than I can....

http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/03/15/breathalyzers

-Mike

This month the United States Supreme Court hears an unprecedented six hours of oral argument on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act politicized as “Obamacare”. Audio of the daily arguments will be posted on the Courts website. At center stage is the individual mandate the original brainchild of the Heritage Foundation- a conservative think tank and politicians like Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney and other” conservatives”. It was designed to deter some from having to pay for the health care of others who chose not to be covered and were deemed freeloaders. Now this notion is apparently evil and socialist. Go figure. The limits of Congressional power to regulate interstate commerce will be tested and listening to the arguments is highly recommended. If you would like to read some more info about this, check out this Washington Post Article.

-Mike

Law and politics dominate the news in any free society. My goal is to have discussions about the myriad issues that effect our freedoms and our lives and mix in some topical fun in our open phone format each Saturday. Thanks for listening. We are interested in what you have to say because talk radio is a timeless medium that allows you to weigh in live on some of the most critical issues of the day.

I have been a practicing lawyer for nearly thirty years. After law school I was commissioned as a LT in the Navy Judge Advocates Generals Corps and also served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney. I completed my tour in 1986 and have been practicing in Hampton Roads since that time. I am currently a partner with Breit Drescher Imprevento and Walker in Virginia Beach Virginia and my practice focuses on products liability and personal injury law including trucking and motorcycle accidents. I serve as General Counsel for local Police and Fire Associations. My time in NYC- Da Bronx- growing up in a blue collar world defined me and I worked my way through school doing everything from drivinga taxi to janitorial and landscaping services. Now I can be found riding or racing my Harley Davidsons or hunting and shooting. My radio show is an important part of sharing my life with you and bringing the legal and political issues of the day to the forefront. Listen in.

-Mike