Grandad boosted pension by dealing crack

Richard Smith

The Daily Mirror

8/09/2010

Andrew Hobson, defending, said Hartley, from Gloucester, was jailed for nine years in 2002 for importing drugs from Jamaica which he had claimed were planted. Mr Hobson added: "He does not fit the profile of a person involved in the supply of class A drugs. He is 65 and has three children, six grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

"He became involved in drugs 10 years ago when he took pity on someone he knew at work and helped her get off heroin.

"For some reason he became a user and has not been able to kick his habit until very recently while on remand in prison.

"His concerns were TV licence arrears and water arrears. For a man of his age such small debts weighed heavily on his mind. It made him cross the boundary from being a drug user to being involved in supply."

Judge William Hart told him at Gloucester crown court: "Your age may well be one of the attractions of using your services. You do not fit the profile of someone involved in this sort of offending."

Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-world/2010/09/08/crack-dealer-at-65-115875-22545454/#ixzz0yz4soCng

Teresa Lewis, Mentally Disabled Woman, To Be Executed In Virginia This Month

First Posted: 09- 7-10 07:09 PM   |   Updated: 09- 7-10 07:11 PM

 

 

Teresa Lewis, a borderline mentally retarded woman charged with "masterminding" the murder of her husband and stepson in 2002, is slated to be the first woman in almost a century to be executed in Virginia this month.

Lewis, 40, pleaded guilty to hiring two men, Matthew Shallenberger and Rodney Fuller, to murder her husband and stepson so that she could collect a $350,000 life insurance policy. Both triggermen were handed life sentences, but Judge Charles Strauss gave Lewis the death penalty, reasoning that she was "clearly the head of this serpent."

Since the 2002 verdict, new evidence about Lewis and the gunmen has emerged that raises questions about whether she was fairly sentenced and whether, after already having lost one appeal, the Supreme Court should reopen her case. Lewis took two IQ tests after the trial, one by her own expert and one by the state's expert, and she scored 73 and 70 on them, respectively. An intelligence quotient below 70 qualifies as mentally retarded according to the Supreme Court, and Lewis' tests placed her in the "borderline intellectual functioning" zone.

Three different forensic psychology experts also testified that Lewis had "dependent personality disorder," making it difficult for her to carry out functions as simple as making a grocery list without the support of another person.

And in 2003, Shallenberger wrote in a letter to a fellow inmate that he had deliberately manipulated Lewis into going along with his plan because he needed the money to start a drug business in New York City.

"I met Teresa at the Walmart in Danville, VA. From the moment I met her I knew she was someone who could be easily manipulated," Shallenberger wrote. "Killing Julian and Charles Lewis was entirely my idea. I needed money, and Teresa was an easy target."

Three years later, Shallenberger committed suicide in prison, and Lewis' defense team has not yet been able to use the letter as evidence to a court. Lynn Litchfield, Teresa's chaplain at the maximum-security prison in Virginia where she was confined, describes Lewis in a recent Newsweek article as "slow and overly eager to please -- an easy mark, in other words, for a con."

"She didn't look like a remorseless killer, a 'mastermind' who plotted two murders, as the judge put it," Litchfield writes. "In one of our sessions, she collapsed into great soul-shattering, body-heaving sobs and cried into my wrist, the only part of me I could get through the slot in the door."

Lewis' pro bono defense lawyer, James Rocap, told HuffPost that Lewis' behavior on death row has been exemplary and that he hopes Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) will consider that when he reviews her petition for clemency.

"This is one of the better examples of what is wrong with the death penalty," he said. "Up until October of 2002, Teresa had no record of any violent conduct at all. Since she went to prison, she has been not only a model prisoner, but she has a huge amount of remorse and has developed a prison ministry under very harsh conditions. She can't recreate with anyone, she can't hold anyone's hand, play cards with anyone, and so on. Because of the death penalty in Virginia, we have a remarkable individual who did not have any violent record at all being judged on her participation in one event in one day of her life."

Rocap said he took on Lewis' case in 2004 because he believes the U.S. justice system is flawed regarding the death penalty.

"The legal system for the most serious sanction you can possibly have doesn't operate well," he said. "There is so much serendipity in what happens to people who do the same thing or even worse things than other people. There's so much inconsistency in who gets executed and who doesn't. I think it's important for the legal profession that we provide the most legal representation we can for people who are in danger of losing their lives."

The United States is counted among the countries with the highest numbers of executions in the world, along with China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Congo, Egypt and Iraq, and, barring intervention by McDonnell or the U.S. Supreme Court, Lewis will be added to the tally on Sept. 23.

Rocap, in the meantime, is not going to give up on defending her.

"Teresa is a terrific candidate for clemency, and we hope the Governor sees it that way," he said.

Kamm/GettyHillary Clinton, who fell short against President Obama in 2008, has insisted she won't run for the White House again.

Over Labor Day weekend, in between failed fishing excursions and burgers, my friends and I played a popular party game: Guess the likely 2012 presidential field.

We tossed around the usual suspects - Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty - and we agreed that if things don't get considerably better over the next two years, any one of them could give President Obama a run for his money.

But for my friends - three thirtysomething left-of-center moderates who voted for Obama in 2008 - only one name would make them consider pulling the lever for someone else: Hillary Clinton.

It's a ridiculous prospect. Clinton has insisted she will not run again. She's been a loyal soldier for Obama, and challenging an incumbent doesn't usually work out too well for the challenger.

Still, the unlikely prospect of a Clinton-Obama faceoff got me thinking. Maybe she could run. And more to the point, maybe she should run.

Sure, I'm a Republican who can hardly be trusted to offer objective advice to Democrats I've long lambasted. But believe me when I tell you, two years of Obama has even me seeing Clinton in a much different light than in 2008, when I thought the only thing worse than a new President named Obama was another one named Clinton.

My friends aren't the only ones who think that Clinton should reconsider her vow not to run again. A dentist from Chicago has paid for a slew of Hillary for President ads that tout her as "one of the most admired women in our nation's history."

Even though I disagree vehemently with her political world-view, he's right. Just as I've taken issue with some of the liberal attacks against Sarah Palin, I challenge conservatives to acknowledge that Hillary is exactly the kind of woman - accomplished, intelligent, successful and self-made - that we should encourage our daughters to look up to.

Since becoming secretary of state, she's stayed out of the political weeds, doing serious work with diligence while most other cabinet members - Janet Napolitano, Eric Holder, Timothy Geithner, Kathleen Sebelius - have been tarnished by their involvement in unpopular and controversial political fights over health care and the economic stimulus package.

While many on the right have been successfully using Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Obama for archery practice, Clinton is one of the few big-name Democrats who doesn't have her fingerprints on any of the left's domestic failures.

And more than merely staying out of trouble, she's even had some key victories. She was instrumental in persuading Obama to send more troops into Afghanistan, defeating Vice President Biden in an internal debate on the matter. She convinced 33 other governments to toughen their position on allowing Cuba back into the Organization of American States. She saved the signing of the historic Turkish-Armenian accord.

And now she has a chance - albeit a slim one - to make history by helping forge  a compromise between Israelis and Palestinians. Even if she fails, Clinton will likely remain a sober politician who avoids the divisive rhetoric upon which so many on both sides of the spectrum seem hopelessly dependent.

To be clear, I'll most likely vote Republican in 2012. But Obama's lackluster performance has suddenly made Clinton an attractive option for frustrated Democrats and independents. Add to that group of disaffecteds Clinton's famously rabid supporters, and we might start seeing Clinton 2012 bumper stickers soon. And just imagine if she runs as an independent.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2010/09/08/2010-09-08_after_barack_obama_a_dose_of_hillary_clinton_many_moderates_would_support_the_se.html#ixzz0ywpcesRO

THE DAY OF THE PUZZLING PURIST

     Those born on the 8^th of September are by no means easy to figure out. In their own minds they are interested in cleaning up shop, straightening things out and generally improving the lot of their family, social or national group. Yet if and when they go off on the wrong track, they are likely to maintain the absolute belief that they are acting reasonably or responsibly. Whether their efforts turn out well or badly in the end, there is no denying that September 8^th people impact greatly on their environment.

   Most September 8^th people see the world in terms of black and white, and as such highly subjected to the forces of good and evil. Their chosen role is often as protector of the faith against the enemies of the family, state, party or church.

     September 8^th people generally like to be at the very head whether public or private. Politics in particular may hold an attraction for them, and even if they do not take an active leadership role socially, they usually have a marked interest in the crucial issues of their times. Those born on this day are not easy to get along with per se. They do not, however, depend on the opinions of others but firmly hold their own course, knowing in their hearts that they do what is best for all.

     Those born on the 8^th of the month are ruled by the number 8. Those ruled by the number 8 generally build their lives and careers slowly and carefully. 

Advice: Your ideas are not always easy for others to accept. Don’t push them too hard, let others breathe a bit. Strive to be yourself. Beware of a tendency to be bossy or insensitive.

Strengths: Serious, dynamic and performative

Weaknesses: Unyielding, authoritarian, and misdirected.

Those Born On This Day: Richard I, Sam Nunn, Sid Caesar, and Lyndon H. La Rouche, Jr.

This Day in History: Sep 8, 1974:   Ford pardons Nixon

In a controversial executive action, President Gerald Ford pardons his disgraced predecessor Richard Nixon for any crimes he may have committed or participated in while in office. Ford later defended this action before the House Judiciary Committee, explaining that he wanted to end the national divisions created by the Watergate scandal.

Famous Inventions:  1868 William Hinds patented a candlestick.
1994 Microsoft gave Windows 95 its new name; previously, the operating system had been referred to by its code name of "Chicago".

MEDITATION

I heard someone say, “Most of life is a gray area.''

THIS IS FOR ENTERTAIN ONLY!!!     

Last Edited: Yesterday, 7:31 am

Goulding/Times-Herald RecordPictured before their marriage, Michael O'Connell holds fiancee Jessica Vega's hand as she reads their marriage license. O'Connell holds their daughter Ava, who was 11 months at the time.

A newlywed bride from upstate New York faked a case of terminal leukemia to score a free wedding dress, honeymoon and gifts, her estranged husband claims.

Michael O'Connell accused his chef wife Jessica Vega of cooking up a sad story that duped strangers into showering her with freebies and sympathy.

The Times Herald Record in April published a story about the upcoming dream wedding of the young couple, who met two years earlier while both were studying at the Institute of Culinary Education in Manhattan.

"I had to prepare for her to die," O'Connell told the Middletown, NY, newspaper.

Now, Michael O'Connell says his wife's illness was a sham - though he also admits slapping "the fire out of her" during a brawl and biting her on the elbow.

He's now filed for divorce in Sullivan County Court, just months after marrying Vega in front of 60 loved ones.

O'Connell, 23, claims he was snowed by a phony letter from a Westchester County cancer specialist that supposedly confirmed Vega's diagnosis of terminal acute myeloid leukemia.

The Westchester Institute for Treatment of Cancer & Blood Disorders did not return calls.

The reporter who wrote the original story for the Times Herald Record wrote today that he listened in when O'Connell said he called the clinic and was told Vega, 23, was "never a patient" there.

"Jessie would never do something so manipulative," her mother, Diana, told the Daily Mail.

Jessica Vega insisted to the Times Herald Record that she had received the letter confirming she had cancer -  after earlier saying the letter had been typed in front of her.

She then stood the reporter up on a planned visit to get a blood test at her new doctor's office in the Bronx, and has claimed her husband was physically abusive.

"I don't think he really wants to go down that route of me exposing him," she said, according to the newspaper.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/09/07/2010-09-07_man_divorces_wife_who_faked_leukemia_to_score_free_wedding_dress_and_honeymoon.html#ixzz0ytrlMGb7

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Sheriff's Office: Miami couple breaks into Key Largo house to 'make out'

Sun Sentinel

10:40 AM EDT, September 6, 2010

A Miami man and woman were arrested and charged Sunday night with criminal mischief after they broke into a Key Largo home to "make out," police said.

According to Becky Herrin, spokeswoman for the Monroe County Sheriff's Office:

A neighbor called the Sheriff's Office just after 9 p.m. to report two people breaking in to the vacant home on Lower Matecumbe Road in Key Largo. When deputies arrived at the scene, they found a window broken and the door unlocked at the stilt home. When they entered, they found Adrian Alonso and Iliu Gonzalez lying on the floor.

The couple had broken a window and Gonzalez had crawled through it and opened the door for Alonso. They said they broke in to "make out."

Chicago mayor retires sparking talk about bid by Rahm Emanuel

He won’t have much time to decide — the election is Feb. 22, 2011, and candidates need to file by Nov. 22.

A senior administration official requesting anonymity told The Hill: “I would be surprised if he [Emanuel] wasn’t a candidate.”

Emanuel, a Chicago native who has represented part of the city in the House, spoke of his interest in the job earlier this year.

In April, he told television host Charlie Rose he hoped Daley would seek reelection, but that he would like to run for the position “one day.”

“I hope Mayor Daley seeks reelection. I will work and support him if he seeks reelection,” Emanuel said at the time. “But if Mayor Daley doesn’t, one day I would like to run for mayor of the City of Chicago. That’s always been an aspiration of mine even when I was in the House of Representatives.”

In a short statement, Obama, who represented Illinois in the Senate, praised Daley’s service without mentioning Emanuel.

“No mayor in America has loved a city more or served a community with greater passion than Rich Daley. He helped build Chicago’s image as a world-class city, and leaves a legacy of progress that will be appreciated for generations to come,” the president said.

Daley’s announcement was shocking: He is the son of Chicago’s longest-serving mayor and has occupied the office since 1989. There was little indication he would not seek a seventh term.

It’s “time for me, it’s time for Chicago to move on,” he said at a Tuesday press conference.

“The truth is I have been thinking about this for the past several months,” Daley said. “In the end this is a personal decision, no more, no less.”

His wife, Maggie, is battling cancer, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The surprise announcement didn’t stop people from speculating on who would replace Daley.

Emanuel’s name was floated by radio and print news outlets in Chicago, including in banner headline stories on the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times websites.

But Emanuel could be one of more than a dozen candidates. Other names floated Tuesday include Daley’s brother, William Daley, and longtime Democratic Alderman Ed Burke.

The mayor’s announcement also inspired a flurry of Twitter posts from Washington reporters, who have long had an eye on Emanuel’s next step.

Adding to the speculation surrounding Emanuel’s future is the typically short shelf lives of White House chiefs of staff. President George W. Bush had only two, but President Clinton went through four in his two terms, and President George H.W. Bush employed three in his single term.

One of Emanuel’s top aides, Sarah Feinberg, left the White House in May to take a senior position with Bloomberg news service, which also fueled the curiosity surrounding Emanuel’s next move in politics.

Emanuel is not the only top White House aide to be subject to rumors regarding their futures. Senior advisers Valerie Jarrett and David Axelrod both moved from Chicago to Washington to serve in the White House, prompting speculation about how long they will stay in their jobs.

The former congressman uprooted his wife and three children from the Chicago area and left the House of Representatives in order to take the chief of staff position in Washington.

While in Congress, Emanuel served as the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee during the 2006 cycle in which the Democrats took control of the House. He was rumored to have coveted the Speaker’s gavel.

This story was originally posted at 2:42 p.m. and updated at 8:52 p.m.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39028828/ns/health-cancer/

David Axelrod: Republican Congress Could Be 'More Extreme' Than Bush (EXCLUSIVE)

First Posted: 09- 7-10 10:46 AM   |   Updated: 09- 7-10 10:46 AM

With polls and prognosticators predicting a massive Republican rout -- and the likely election of uncompromising, out-of-the-mainstream conservatives -- in the fall, the Obama administration has begun raising dire alarms in its pitch to voters. Remember the Bush administration, the argument goes. It could be worse.

"I saw that [Alaska GOP Senate candidate] Joe Miller said that he would abolish Social Security if he had the chance and he is not alone," said chief adviser David Axelrod. "This is akin to what [Nevada GOP Senate candidate] Sharron Angle has said in Nevada and also a number of these other Republicans. So, this could go one step beyond the policies of the Bush administration to something more extreme than we have seen."

In an interview with the Huffington Post from his West Wing office late last week, Axelrod's criticism of the president's Republican critics were some of the most sweeping to date. The senior adviser called the GOP strategy for scuffling Obama, "insidious" if not "clever." Republican leadership, he ventured, has "put emphasis on throttling things down... hoping that the mess that they created... would be so difficult to clean up that they could then blame us for their problems."

"I think realistically what you have is a Republican Party that is now thoroughly focused on one thing and they have been frankly from the beginning: which is to try and regain power," he said. "And their strategy is to lock everything down and not let anything happen."

The remarks suggest a White House that is frustrated at the hand it's been dealt, as well as increasingly concerned about the state of the electorate. Axelrod declined to place a marker on how November will play out. But he did note that history is not on the side of the president he serves.

By Monday, that history's repetition was crystallizing. Stu Rothenberg, editor of the Rothenberg Political Report, released new predictions, putting the number of Republican gains in the House at 37 to 42 seats. Forty-five to 55 seats, he added, are "quite possible." A poll released by ABC News and the Washington Post the night before, meanwhile, revealed that for the first time in more the four years, the GOP is running even with Democrats in terms of the confidence it earns from registered voters. Faced with the possibility of a major, historic sweep on Election Day, however, the Democratic base isn't showing signs of turning out in November.

"In a sense, we are a victim of our own success, of the expectations that the president aroused, and the fact that we have gotten so much done," Axelrod said, in attempting to explain the enthusiasm gap between Republican and Democratic voters. "Everyone who has a particular passion says, 'Well if you got that done why couldn't you get this done? If you got health care done why couldn't you get energy reform done? If you got financial reform why couldn't you get something else done?' The successes we've had have been a double-edged sword. I hope that at the end of the day, however, people will realize that this has been a period of enormous progress. I'm not begrudging people's desire to get more done. There is a lot of pent-up energy and aspirations and all these things are important. But objectively this has been an enormously productive time and everyone who helped elect the president should feel gratified at what's been accomplished because it wouldn't have happened but for their efforts."

The problem facing the White House is that there is little they can do at this point to significantly affect the type of economic or political changes that would appeal to voters of any or all stripes. The president, over Labor Day weekend, laid out a set of fairly robust proposals to spur business growth, including extending tax breaks for research and development as well as money for infrastructure projects. Axelrod, likewise, pledged to have a vote the first day that Congress is back in session on a $30 billion small business tax cut bill that Republicans had stalled in the Senate. But even those measures don't seem likely to change the trajectory of public opinion or electoral politics.

"The depth of the problem that was created, the irresponsible policies, is something we are going to live with for a long time," Axelrod acknowledged. "People are struggling and you want a silver bullet that will make that all better but there is no silver bullet."

And herein lies, perhaps, the point that causes the most introspection among the Obama communications team -- how could they allow so many of those voters looking for a silver bullet to believe that the party that caused the strife in the first place is the one to fix it? An NBC/WSJ Poll released on Monday, for instance, showed that 58 percent of the public thinks Republicans would have different policies than President Bush's.

"Perhaps this is where we have been failing to communicate," said Axelrod. "[A] large number of people [don't] believe that a Republican Congress would go back to the policies of George W. Bush, even though their own leaders have said as much in public. Pete Sessions said we want to go back to the same exact agenda that was there before this president took office. So our job in the next eight weeks is to make sure that people understand that, that they understand the stakes."

http://sports.yahoo.com/top/gallery?search=venus+williams#photoViewer=urn%3Anewsml%3Asports.yahoo%2Cgetty%3A20050301%3Aten%2Cphoto%2C79c5701365582dcb16f8a3c252629d34-getty-ten-us_open-peer-williams%3A1

Hagen for NewsYenny Valero says her son was attacked and sexually assaulted by fellow kindergarten classmates a week before the end of last school year.

The mother of a 5-year-old Queens boy claims her son was jumped inside his elementary school and sexually assaulted by four classmates - all of them kindergartners.

Mom Yenny Valero said the shocking attack occurred in the school's bathroom just weeks before the end of the school year.

"I'm very sad and disappointed," Valero told the Daily News. "You never expect this to happen to your child, especially in school. You expect them to go to school and come back safe."

The Astoria resident filed a notice of claim on Aug. 27 - the first step in suing the city - alleging her son was assaulted, sexually abused and raped.

The News is withholding the name of the boy and his school to protect his identity.

Valero said their ordeal began when her son went to the bathroom on June 11.

Four boys, all 6 or 7 years old, held him down, removed his pants and inserted at least one finger into his anus, according to the legal papers.

The young victim, who wears ankle braces because of balance issues, suffered physical injuries and posttraumatic stress disorder, the filing states.

"He's already started with a psychologist," said Valero's lawyer Sean Serpe. "He's having nightmares, gender identification issues."

The boy told his mother and her sister about the attack the next day, saying he had been bullied by the students in the past.

"I couldn't believe this was happening to my son," said Valero, 30. "I thought I was living a nightmare."

The mother called 311, which put her in touch with the city's Administration for Children's Services and an NYPD special victims squad detective, who investigated the alleged assault.

Because her son only had oneweek left of class, she kept him out of school, but said she spoke to the assistant principal on June 16 about the incident.

"They said they didn't know anything about it and that they would investigate," Valero said.

She said she still has not heard from the city Education Department about the outcome of the investigation, but the four alleged attackers were allowed to attend kindergarten graduation.

"They said they couldn't suspend anyone because the investigation wasn't over," Valero.

Her son didn't attend the graduation and has since gotten a safety transfer to another school.

According to police sources, detectives investigated the incident, but the criminal case was closed because of the young ages of the students.

The Education Department declined to comment.

Elizabeth Thomas, a spokeswoman for the city Law Department, said her agency has not filed any charges in Queens Family Court against the alleged attackers.

'Four monsters out there'

Serpe said he was shocked that none of the boys has been brought to justice.

"Basically, you got four monsters out there who are getting a free pass," Serpe said. "They haven't even been required to receive therapy for their actions."

One expert said she did not want to downplay the seriousness of the incident but said it is unlikely that children so young would realize the the full extent of what they were doing.

"It's a horrible thing to happen to any child, but it's not unheard of," said Dr. Susan Sherkow, a child psychiatric expert and instructor at the child and adolescent division of the New York Psychoanalytic Society & Institute.

"Why would they pick on him? They may see him as vulnerable," Sherkow said. "They may know that they're doing something humiliating, but typically they wouldn't really understand it as criminal intent, as sexual assault in the way adults do."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/09/07/2010-09-07_qns_mom_says_son_attacked_at_school_by_4_fellow_kindergartners_my_5yrold_sexuall.html#ixzz0ysECDjBg

Tuesday, September 7th 2010, 9:10 AM

Douliery/PoolHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Barack Obama must weather a growing tide of anti-Democratic sentiment from voters this November.

Two separate polls released Tuesday tell the same grim story for Democrats: Prepare to lose in the November midterm elections.

An ABC News/Washington Post poll gives the GOP a 53%-40% advantage over Democrats in this year's congressional races, the largest gap in that poll since 1981.

Republicans enjoy a 49%-40% lead in an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, with the GOP advantage swelling to 20 points among voters with the highest amount of interest in this year's elections.

Voters overall, however, are tied at 43% apiece when asked if they prefer a Democratic or Republican-controlled Congress in the NBC/WSJ poll.

"We all know that there is a hurricane coming for the Democrats," said Peter D. Hart, the Democratic pollster who conducted the NBC News/WSJ survey with Republican pollster Bill McInturff. "We just don't know if it will be a Category 4 or a Category 5."

Both polls show dwindling approval for President Obama's handling of the economy.

"That is a huge danger sign," McInturff said of the president's 39% approval rating on his work with the economy.

Not surprisingly, Republicans plan to hammer Democrats over the stagnant economy and current 9.6% unemployment rate all the way to the voting booths.

"Stay focused on the issue the public is concerned about, and that is the economy," Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), the number two House Republican, is telling fellow GOP candidates.

The numbers in Tuesday's poll mirror a Gallup Poll last month, which showed Republicans with a 10-point lead over Democrats.

In order to take control of Congress, Republicans need to win a net of 39 seats in the House and 10 Senate seats

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/09/07/2010-09-07_republicans_own_big_lead_over_democrats_heading_into_november_midterm_elections_.html#ixzz0ysBq6500

Sources: Trust to take Bush’s Heisman

Charles Robinson and Jason Cole

Yahoo Sports

September 7, 2010

9:38 AM

Bush, now a standout with the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints, could not immediately be reached for comment.

The Heisman trust has been conducting its own independent inquiry into Bush’s eligibility since the NCAA ruled in June that the USC star had committed multiple violations by accepting cash, gifts and other impermissible benefits while playing for the Trojans. Yahoo! Sports first detailed the extra benefits in September 2006. In its findings, the NCAA retroactively ruled Bush ineligible for part of the 2004 season and all of 2005. The NCAA also ordered the USC program to remove all references to Bush from its sporting venues and promotional materials and vacate his statistics from all games in which he was ineligible.

In July, incoming USC president C.L. Max Nikias announced that the university would be returning its copy of Bush’s Heisman to the trust, stating the Trojans would honor and respect athletes who “did not compromise their athletic program or the opportunities of future USC student-athletes.” New USC athletic director Pat Haden followed up in August, stating during an interview with the Dan Patrick radio show that Bush should also voluntarily return his Heisman.

While others pressed for a swift decision, the trust opted for a patient, meticulous effort. Sources said the trust did its own detailed investigation over the past three months, using a litany of resources and reviewing its information against the NCAA’s findings. The trust also offered Bush a chance to impact the decision.

The process apparently came with considerable debate – in part because of the trust’s quest for due process, but also because of the unique nature of the decision. Never in the history of the award has the trust been forced to retroactively rule on the eligibility of a past winner. That reality, along with the NCAA’s findings, created a tangled knot of deliberation regarding the trust’s place in the role of enforcement. Sources said the prominent issues discussed included accountability, on-field vs. off-field conduct, implications of retroactively stripping an award and possible impact on future athletes and the NCAA.

Two factors outweighed all others, sources said: The Heisman ballot necessitates candidates be in compliance with NCAA bylaws and concern over the Heisman’s reputation in the wake of the NCAA findings against Bush.

The status of USC’s 2004 Bowl Championship Series national title remains to be determined. BCS officials are awaiting the NCAA’s ruling on the Trojans’ appeal of the June finding.

THE DAY OF SUCCESS SEEKERS

  Novels could be written about September 7^th people and their never ending pursuit of personal success. That they encounter obstacles on their way is indeed an understatement. The road is generally long, the difficulties manifold and perilous, but these determined individuals will not give up until they achieve what they have set out to do, even if it takes their dying breath to accomplish it.

   The world is not quick to understand or to recognize those born on this day, but by sheer force of their willpower or the imaginative creative thrust of their ideas they eventually win people over to them. Strangely enough, September 7^th people who rise more easily to the top of their field, perhaps at a young age, may feel denied their need to struggle for success. Some of them can even give up everything they have accomplished and start all over again in another pursuit, much to the consternation of their family and friends.

     September 7^th people who work in technical or highly specialized areas will not rest until they have gained complete mastery over their materials. They exhibit great integrity in their work. Those who are involved in leading or ruling will fuse their subjects, followers or employees into a cohesive, smooth running unit, with no doubt whatsoever about who’s the boss or what the goal is. As family head, those born on this day provide direction and inspiration to their children and mates, but will tolerate no insubordination. Those born on the 7^th day of the month are ruled by the number 7. Those ruled by the number 7 traditionally like change and travel this agrees with their need for excitement.

Advice:  Find it in your heart to accept. Learn to enjoy yourself and then pass that gift to others. Don’t be so hard on yourself and those near and dear to you. An inflexible attitude plants seeds of rebellion.

Strengths:  Diligent, goal oriented and determined.

Weaknesses: Over competitive, insensitive and unforgiving.

Born on This Day:  Queen Elizabeth 1, Grandma Moses, David Packard, and Gloria Gaynor

This Day in History:  On this day in 1813, the United States gets its nickname, Uncle Sam. The name is linked to Samuel Wilson, a meat packer from Troy, New York, who supplied barrels of beef to the United States Army during the War of 1812. Wilson (1766-1854) stamped the barrels with "U.S." for United States, but soldiers began referring to the grub as "Uncle Sam's." The local newspaper picked up on the story and Uncle Sam eventually gained widespread acceptance as the nickname for the U.S. federal government.

Famous Inventions: 1948 Patent # 2,448,908 was granted to Louis Parker for a television receiver. His "intercarrier sound system" is now used in all television receivers in the world. Without it TV receivers would not work as well and would be more costly.

This is for entertainment only.

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