Essential Estrogen

There are simply times when a writer has so much to discuss that she doesn't quite know where to start. As I peer over my shoulder into the latest Missouri happenings, I do well to allow my lips to form "wow" much less try to make sense out of it all.

It seems that last spring a Missouri State employee - Heather Elder - brought to Gov. Matt Blunt's attention a complaint of sexual harassment against Agriculture Director Fred Ferrell (her boss). In Missouri, the Director of Agriculture is a gubernatorial appointed position.

Gov. Blunt decides to keep the whole mess hush-hush and instructed the state police to quietly investigate. When that investigation provided validity to the original complaint, the state agency (with the Governor's blessing?) cut a check for $70,000 for the complainer. She, however, refused the payoff.

Ten months later (Feb. 23) -- after the complainer had been placed on leave and other such nonsense happened -- the complainer filed official court papers and half the state of Missouri exploded. (Well, not literally of course.)

The blushing and apologetic governor requested his appointee resign while the state treasurer and state auditor caught a whiff of possibly misappropriated monies.

In midst of all the uproar, state legislators in Jefferson City are considering a bill to legalize sexual harassment in Missouri. (Yup, you read that correctly.) The legislation in question currently resides in state committee and would have made it much more difficult for Elder to sue Ferrell. Basically the bill changes the state definition of discrimination by deleting "any unfair treatment based on" such things as race, religion, gender or disability and inserting "an adverse action motivated by" those factors. Repeated words would mean nothing under the new law since an action such as demotion or firing would be required to prove the case.

The bill is actually so bad the Missouri Commission on Human Rights has come out in opposition, claiming the proposed changes could put the state in violation of federal law and cause the agency to lose federal funding.

Republican Sen. John Loudon, author of the bill, says he wrote it in response to a age discrimination suit against the University of Missouri - St. Louis and that it had nothing to do with the current mess. The university was found guilty in the discrimination case and was ordered to pay stiff compensation to former baseball coach James Brady (well over $1 million). The university argued they should not have been forced to pay punitive damages since those would come from taxpayer pocketbooks. The appeals court allowed the verdict and damages to stand.

The legislation addresses the definition of harassment, refuses punitive damages to a taxpayer-based entity, and would allow an employer already facing a discrimination lawsuit from a fired employee to come up with new evidence explaining why the employee was fired.

In a further plot twist today, state veterinarian Shane Brookshire submitted his resignation. Brookshire went with Elder to the governor's office to report the sexual harassment complaints, according to the Missouri Highway Patrol's report.

Also according to the MHP's report, Ferrell referred to his secretary as a "show dog" and told Elder he'd be the first in line to see her in a wet t-shirt contest. He also told another department head not to promote Elder since "we shouldn't have women supervising men."

But as disgusting as all of this is, perhaps the most telling thing about it is Gov. Blunt's own double-standards. While keeping the charges against his male appointee on the low-down, Blunt quickly and publicly ousted Dept. of Health and Senior Services Director Julie Eckstein for essentially making payments out of the wrong checkbook -- and then named his own lawyer as Missouri's new health director.

I don't care how much warmer the winters might be in Missouri, this girl would rather freeze to death in Iowa than join Missouri's sexist circus.

Yesterday, the following ended up in the email boxes of two out of the three EE women:

Dear Friend:

As we begin the 110th Congress, I am writing to ask you for your thoughts, ideas and opinions. This e-mail is being sent to women across the state of varied backgrounds and geographic locations.

As you know, I have been a long-time advocate for issues relating to the fair treatment of women in the workplace and our society. I am always looking for new and innovative ideas from those most directly involved. This is where you come in. I need your suggestions. If you would please respond to this e-mail with any suggestions you have, I would greatly appreciate it.

...

Again, I want to hear from you. Please take some time to respond to this e-mail and let me know what your priorities are.

Kudos to Sen. Harkin!

Women who were not included in the initial mailing, but would like to receive future information can contact us -- webmaster@essentialestrogen.com -- and we'll forward the subscription information to you.

Here's a quick rundown of some of the bits and pieces you've might have missed:

Upcoming Peace Rallies

The folks over at Century of the Common Iowan have a nice list of the upcoming peace rallies in Iowa.

Clinton to headline for Boswell

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is scheduled to headline a fundraiser to kickoff Iowa Rep. Leonard Boswell's re-election campaign. The fundraiser is slated for April 21 in Des Moines, according to the Clinton camp. No other details are yet available.

Judge appointed to national council

Iowa Lt. Gov. Patty Judge was appointed to serve on the State, Local, Tribal and Territorial Government Coordinating Council for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The appointment is for one year and Judge said she plans to keep rural areas a focus of the group as well as major population centers.

Judge was also earlier named by Gov. Chet Culver as the Homeland Security Advisor for our state.

Fair Share bill waits for another day

There were not enough votes in the Iowa House for Democrats to want to debate Fair Share this week. And, according to the Des Moines Register, Rep. Dawn Pettengill (D-Mt Auburn) was seen by Republicans leaving the Democratic meeting with tear-stained cheeks.

The bill will sit throughout this week and is anticipated to come to the floor the week after.

Jacoby steps in for Petersen

Rep. David Jacoby (D-Coralville) was named interim Chair of the House Commerce Committee while Rep. Janet Petersen (D-Des Moines) is out on maternity leave.

The committee regulates business, financial institutions, insurance, utilities and real estate. It is one of the most powerful in the Iowa House.

In addition to his new assignment, Jacoby also serves on Appropriations, Human Resources and State Government committees. He is also a member of the Administrative Rules Review Committee.

It could be worse

According to Reuters, a Finnish member of parliament is aiming for re-election by campaigning with a translation of his web site into Klingon, used in the television series "Star Trek."

While we sometimes wish candidates spoke in obscure languages so they couldn't dominate every new cycle, Klingon is extreme even for us. Further the foreign politician said there have been translation difficulties since Klingon doesn't have words for tolerance and many colors (such as green, the party under whose banner he is running in the national elections tomorrow).

Of course, non-warriors can access his site in English, Swedish and Finnish.

A Women for Hillary Power Lunch has been scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. tomorrow, March 28. At that time, there will be a live web chat with Campaign Manager Patti Solis Doyle, Senior Advisor Ann Lewis, Director of Policy Neera Tanden and Senior Policy Advisor Leecia Eve. More info available on the Clinton web site.

While everyone knows we Iowans are all about the warm fuzzies, yesterday's Vilsack endorsement of the Clinton Campaign may have been less about the fuzz and more about the dough.

According to a post at the NY Times, the Clinton Campaign has agreed to help 'erase' at least a portion of the $430,000 debt Tom Vilsack accumulated in his own Presidential bid. The politicians are pointing to past personal connections (Christie Vilsack's brother, Tom Bell, served with Clinton on the Watergate Committee), but the public doesn't seem to be convinced.

A random poll of four people on the streets of downtown Cedar Rapids this morning showed that while all believed the endorsement was done for monetary gain, none found it shocking. "It's politics," said one woman while she laughed and walked away. "What do you expect?"

Another gentleman lamented the irony of Vilsack's recent calls for clean elections and grassroots politics while planning to back "one of the largest political machines in the world."

Iowans still remember when Vilsack took employment opportunities with MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co. as a consultant on renewable energy and Drake University Law School as a visiting professor. In short, Iowans know their former Governor was not left penniless when he walked out of Terrace Hill two months ago.

While it will still be interesting to view the financial papers filed by the Vilsack and Clinton campaigns at the end of the month (made available April 15), don't expect any big revelations as to where the money came from and where it went. Chances are, the strategists have already decided not to let loose any funds until after the March 31st deadline, ensuring nothing will be reported until the next cycle. Even then, it will probably be buried under salaries, with Vilsack then paying his vendors from his private pockets. (Wonder how much a national chairman and Iowa Co-Chairwoman make?) The campaigns are no doubt hoping that most will forget by mid-summer and no one will take the time to dig deep enough to make the connections.

Those interested may also wish to view the two letters Tom Vilsack signed recently. The first requests money for his own campaign and the second requests the same for the Clinton campaign. The first letter went into the mail late last week and the second was an email blast by the Clinton Campaign just moments after the endorsement was official.

Be sure to read the second and let us know your thoughts on this statement:

Today, Christie and I made a contribution to Hillary's campaign, and we did it for two reasons.

Does that say/read what I think it says/reads?

A military recruiter has come under scrutiny following a heated email exchange which she initiated. According to reports, a male civilian placed his resume on Careerbuilder.com where it was noticed by Army Recruiter Marcia Ramode. Ramode sent an inquiry email to the civilian who responded that he was not interested in a position and that he was gay.

What followed was a three-day email exchange in which Ramode, using her official military account, labeled the civilian as "disgusting and immoral" and tells him to "migrate to another country." (All the while using some of the most horrible grammar I've ever seen. When I first read the emails, they were so horrible I thought it must be a joke. Sadly, it isn't.)

In one email the recruiter states (capitals and all): "YOU GO BACK TO AFRICA AND DO YOUR GAY VOODOO LIMBO TANGO AND WANGO DANCE AND JUMP AROUND AND PRANCE AND RUN ALL OVER THE PLACE HALF NAKED THERE AND PRACTICE YOUR GAY MORALS OVER THERE THAT'S WHERE YOU BELONG."

More information available at The Frontlines and Pam's House Blend.

The good folks over at IowaPolitics.com (We just discovered today that EE is included in their blogwatch -- THANKS!) have the full text of Sen. Staci Appel's comments on Election Day Voter Registration.

Here's a taste:

...While access to participate in our democracy is important, it is equally critical that we maintain the integrity of every vote.

This proposed legislation is quite strict. It requires an individual to provide proof of residence with a photo id in order to register and vote on Election Day. It also requires the individual to sign a written oath testifying that they have not already voted in any other precinct.

This legislation I believe with the proper safeguards and training is an effective way to improve voter access and participation...

Marie Wilson and all the great people at The White House Project have finished up training sessions in Minnesota.

The sessions were held over a three-day period in Chaska at the Conference Center. For those interested in running for office (soon or someday) the information provided is extremely valuable. There are two more training sessions planned this spring. The next will be April 27 to 29 in Mableton, GA and the final will be May 19 and 20 in Denver, CO. Applications are being accepted for both sessions.

For those who want a sneak peek of the program, several video clips have been posted.

If you haven't already, head over to Crooks and Liars and check out the video of Ann Althouse and Jessica Valenti. Wow.

Planned Parenthood has formed a Pill Patrol and needs volunteers to sign up and check local pharmacies for emergency contraception.

This afternoon, a very historic event took place in the Russell Senate Office Building. U.S. Senators Ted Kennedy and Barbara Boxer joined with U.S. Representatives Carolyn Maloney, John Dingell, Lynn Woolsey and Jerrold Nadler to announce the reintroduction of the Women's Equality Amendment. The group of legislators were joined by Ellie Smeal, President of the Feminist Majority and strong leader on the fight for women's equality.

Originally introduced in 1923, the ERA passed Congress in 1972, but fell three states short of ratification. Of course, Concerned Women for America (not to be confused with women who are actually concerned for women) have already come out swinging.

(Historical Note of Interest: Sen. Kennedy and Rep. Maloney introduced ERA bills in the 108th Congress (2003-04) -- SJ Res 11 and HJ Res 37, respectively.)

For those who either never knew or have forgotten:

Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.

Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.

This I know: On May 19, 1995 I had a medical procedure known officially as dilation and extraction. I was 26 weeks into a pregnancy (with a son, Dakota) which was never meant to be.

This I know: At 22 weeks I learned the child I so very much wanted suffered from terminal neural tube defects, the worst of which was anencephaly. In the most simple terms, this means the child has no brain… although some have a rudimentary brainstem.

This I know: Some anencephalic children die pre-term, some die during birth, some die a short time after birth. There is no question as to if an anencephalic child will die. The question is when he or she will die.

This I know: Had it not been for the medical procedure known officially as dilation and extraction, I would not be here typing this today. I would be dead after a horrible struggle with infection.

This I know: Had it not been for the medical procedure known officially as dilation and extraction, my husband would be without a wife and my daughter would be without a mother.

This I know: If somehow either of my daughters, or even a future daughter-in-law, has the terrible misfortune of experiencing a similar pregnancy, our family will grieve the loss of not only a grandchild, but a daughter.

This I know: If my daughter suffered an anaphylactic reaction to a bee sting, or any other of numerous potentially life threatening situations, no medical professional would hesitate to provide the needed treatment to save her life.

This I know: No court in our land would uphold the decision of a medical professional to purposefully withhold life-saving treatment – until yesterday.

This I know: If you happen upon an automobile accident and find a victim with a crushed skull, a victim with spurting blood and a victim with a slow oozing wound, you should first seek to help the victim with the spurting blood. There is little, if anything you can do to help the person with the crushed skull. The person with the slow-oozing wound might be in pain and/or shock from the injury, but it isn’t immediately life-threatening. The person who is shooting blood, however, has cut an artery and is most definitely in a life-threatening situation.

This I wonder: Tomorrow will the Supreme Court mandate those of us who come upon an accident wait to see what God’s will has in store for the victims before we act?

This got long so go grab yourself a frosty beverage and settle in.

There has been a great deal of hub-bub lately regarding the need for and/or the possibility of tightened gun control as a response to Seung-Hui Cho's rampage at Virginia Tech. Unfortunately, there aren't nearly as many people willing to discuss the correlation between psychiatric drugs and massive acts of violence.

Cho was one of many school shooters found to be under the influence of psychiatric drugs. These are drugs which have been documented by the Food and Drug Administration to cause suicidal behavior, mania, psychosis, hallucinations, hostility and “homicidal ideation.” Further proof of documentation is available on the Citizens Commission on Human Rights site where they have a video of a 1991 FDA hearing on the connections between psychiatric drug use and harm to self and others -- as well as class action lawsuit protection for the manufacturers.

For those who doubt this nation needs to have a serious discussion on this topic, here is a list of other shootings where psychiatric drugs were a common factor (links to online materials have been provided when available):

1986: 14-year-old Rod Mathews beat a classmate to death with a bat in the woods near his Massachusetts home. He had been prescribed Ritalin since the third grade.

1988: Laurie Dann walked into a Winnetka, Illinois second grade classroom carrying three pistols and began shooting, killing on and wounding five others before taking her own life. Subsequent blood tests revealed she was on a psychiatric drug.

1988: 19-year-old James Wilson went on a shooting rampage at Greenwood Elementary School in South Carolina. He killed two eight-year-old girls and wounded seven others. He'd been on Xanax, Valium and five additional drugs.

1989: 25-year-old Patrick Purdy opened fire on a school yard filled with children in Stockton, Calif. Five children died and 30 were wounded. Purdy had been treated with Thorazine and Amitriptyline.

1993: Steve Lieth walked into a Chelsea, Michigan school meeting and shot and killed the school superintendent and wounded two others. He was on Prozac.

1996: 10-year-old Tommy Becton grabbed his three-year-old niece as a shield and aimed a shotgun at a sheriff's deputy who had accompanied a truant officer to his Florida home. He was being medicated with Prozac.

1997: 14-year-old Michael Carneal opened fire on students at a high school prayer meeting in West Paducah, Kentucky's Heath High School. Three students died and one was paralyzed. Carneal was reportedly on Ritalin.

1998: 11-year-old Andrew Golden and 14-year-old Mitchell Johnson faked a fire alarm at Westside Middle School in Joseboro, Arksansas. They then shot students as they exited the building. Four students and one teacher lost their lives. The boys were reportedly on Ritalin.

1998: 15-year-old Kip Kinkel murdered his own parents in Springfield, Oregon and then proceeded to school where he opened fire on students in the cafeteria, killing two and wounding 22. Kinkel had been on Prozac.

1999: 15-year-old T.J. Solomon was being treated with a mix of antidepressants when he opened fire on and wounded six of his classmates in Conyers, Georgia.

1999: Todd Smith walked into a high school in Taber, Alberta, Canada with a shotgun. He killed one and injured a second student. He had been give a psychiatric drug following a five-minute phone consultation with a psychiatrist.

1999: Steven Abrams drove his car into a preschool playground in Costa Mesa, Calif., killing two. He was on probation and required to take Lithium.

1999: 18-year-old Eric Harris was on the antidepressant Luvox when he and his partner, Dylan Klebold, killed 12 classmates and a teacher and wounded 23 others in Littleton, Colorado. The pair took their own lives in what was considered the bloodiest school massacre until Virginia Tech. The coroner confirmed that the antidepressant was in Harris' system through toxicology reports; Klebold's autopsy was never made public.

1999: 15-year-old Shawn Cooper fired two shotgun rounds in his school in Notus, Idaho, narrowly missing students. He was taking a mix of antidepressants.

2000: 13-year-old Seth Trickey of Fort Gibson, Oklahoma was on a cocktail of prescriptions when he opened fire on his middle school class, injuring five.

2000: 14-year-old Elizabeth Bush was on the antidepressant Prozac when she blasted away at fellow students in Williamsport, Penn., wounding one.

2001: 16-year-old Cory Baadsgaard took a rifle to his high school at Wahluke, Washington and held 23 classmates and a teacher hostage while on a high dose of the antidepressant Effexor.

2001: 18-year-old Jason Hoffman was on two antidepressants Effexor and Celexa when he opened fire at his El Cajon, California high school, wounding five.

2005: 16-year-old Chippewa Native American Jeff Weise was under the influence of the antidepressant Prozac when he shot and killed nine and wounded five people at Red Lake Indian Reservation, Minnesota. He then committed suicide.

2006: 53-year-oldDuane Morrison entered Platte Canyon High School in Bailey, Colorado. He shot and killed one girl, sexually assaulted six others and then took his own life. Antidepressants were found in his vehicle.

If these aren't enough, visit SSRI Stories for over 1,500 news stories, mainly criminal in nature, that have appeared in the media and/or were a part of FDA testimony in either 1991, 2004 or 2006 in which antidepressants are mentioned.

On March 22, 2004, the FDA issued Public Health Advisory entitled Worsening Depression and Suicidality in Patients Being Treated With Antidepressant. This was followed by an additional advisory in June of 2005 entitled Suicidality in Adults Being Treated with Antidepressant Medications. This second advisory discusses a "comprehensive review" involving "many hundreds of individual clinical trials and many thousands of adult patients" to be completed in roughly one year. It was anticipated to take so long because of "the large number of trials and the thousands of adverse events that must be checked for possible evidence of suicidality." Unfortunately, the FDA has either not completed such a review or has not made the findings public (as promised in the public health advisory from June 2005).

Of course, when considering a cause and effect for actions, it is important to be able to determine if the cause is true. That is, would the person with or without the stimulus have made the same choices which would result in the same action/outcome. It's part of the whole "which came first: the chicken or the egg" argument. As usual it appears our government may be planning a program which will provide an answer to that question in this instance.

Despite all the testimony and evidence building links between psychiatric drug use and violence toward self or others, in April of 2002 the Bush administration established the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health and gave it the directive of identifying policies to be enacted at all levels of government for both adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbance. The 22 Commissioners met between June 2002 and April 2003 and presented their final report to the President on July 22, 2003.

The Commission, using the Texas Medication Algorithm Project (TMAP) as a blueprint, recommended screnning both American adults for possible mental illness and children for emotional disturbances. It reported that "despite their prevalence, mental disorders often go undiagnosed" and, therefore, it recommended comprehensive health screening for "consumers of all ages," including preschool children.

For those who are unaware, TMAP was founded in 1995 under then-Gov. George W. Bush as a collaborative effort between individuals from the University of Texas, the Texas Corrections System and the pharmaceutical industry. The project was funded by a Robert Wood Johnson grant and by several pharmaceutical companies. TMAP, which advises the use of newer, more expensive antipsychotics and antidepressants, has been the subject of controversy in Texas, Pennsylvania and other states where efforts have been made to implement its use. In particular, Allen Jones (PDF file), an employee of the Pennsylvania Office of the Inspector General, revealed that key officials with influence over the medication plan in his state received money and perks from pharmaceutical companies with a stake in the medication algorithm. After making his concerns public, Jones was fired.

In July 2004, Illinois became a "testing ground" for the NFC's recommendations. The Illinois Children's Mental Health Partnership was created and it issued a plan with a priority of having all children receive periodic social and emotional screens for and that all women be screened for depression during pregnancy and for up to one year postpartum. Chairperson Barbara Shaw told Psychiatric Times, "What is happening in Illinois is a testing ground for the President's New Freedom report goals." When asked about opposition to the plan she added, "These are people who feel the schools have no place futzing with their children's mental health. They also distrust psychotropic medications."

Indiana became a battleground in September of 2005 when the Rutherford Institute joined with parents Michael and Teresa Rhodes to file a lawsuit (PDF file) challenging a school for subjecting a teenager to a mental health screening test (TeenScreen) without her parents knowledge or consent. Following the short, yes or no test the 15-year-old was informed that based on her responses (i.e., "she liked to clean and didn't like to party very much") she suffered from at least two mental health problems, obsessive compulsive disorder and social anxiety disorder.

(Author's note: I promise to follow-up at a later date with more information on TeenScreen, but this is getting long and the particulars aren't important for the present discussion.)

Whether or not all of these dots are at some future point connected is secondary to the real and immediate need of our nation.

• Do the benefits of such pharmaceuticals outweigh the risks?
• Is there a link between harm to self and others and the use of prescription medication?
• Is there a reason why so many of these SSRI medications are prescribed without accompanying therapy?
• Finally, why isn't anyone in a position of authority asking these questions?

Meet Chuck Muth:

• Carson City, Nevada resident
• President and CEO of Citizen Outreach
• Political Consultant
• Former Executive Director of the American Conservative Union
• Former GOP County Chair
• Former State party Executive Director
• Former GOP State Legislative Candidate
• Professional Campaign Trainer
• Volunteer National Field Instructor

Today Mr. Muth added one more 'former' to his biography: FORMER MEMBER OF THE GOP

Citing the loss of true conservative policies (as well as too much Kool-Aid), Muth cut up his GOP membership card and registered "non-partisan" on this very day.

To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, I’m not leaving the Republican Party, it left me. And Reagan. And Goldwater. If it ever returns to its limited-government roots, maybe I’ll return, too. But I don’t see that happening anytime soon. The Big Government Republicans rule the roost.

That being said, I will continue to work with certain good Republican candidates, especially in GOP primaries. And I’ll continue to do campaign training seminars and will absolutely help incoming Nevada GOP Chairwoman Sue Lowden in any way I can. I’ll also continue to give money to selected Republican candidates who actually know what they believe in, believe in the same things limited-government conservatives believe in, and are willing to defend such beliefs.

What I won’t do any longer is listen to all this censorship crap about a Republican not being allowed to criticize Republicans who don’t act and vote like Republicans. If I can’t criticize these “bad” Republicans as a Republican, then I guess I’ll just criticize them as a “Non-Partisan.”

Like Elvis, I have left the building…and I don’t think I’ll be the last to go. Let the exodus begin…

Muth hasn't been loved in GOP circles for quite some time. Still, it's always a shock to see someone so previously active bow out. Best wishes, Muth.

Numerous news sources are reporting the loss of Iowa's third female soldier in the Iraq War.

According to reports, 19-year-old U.S. Army Pfc. Katie Soenksen graduated only two years ago from Davenport North High School. Press announcements are being made by her father, Ronald Soenksen, who says Army officials delivered news to him yesterday.

She was part of the 410 Military Police based in Fort Hood, Texas and, according to her father, died while conducting a security mission in Baghdad when her convey was attacked.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Soenksen's death follows that of Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jaime Jaenke on June 5, 2006 and Sergeant Major Marilyn Gabbard on Jan. 20.

As always, our deepest condolences and heartfelt thanks to the family.

Today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid received letters from Pres. George W. Bush stating his intent to veto any legislation produced by Congress designed to protect a woman's right to medical treatment.

The letter comes just days after pro-choice members of the U.S. Congress responded to the Supreme Court's decision to uphold a federal law restricting abortion without an exception to protect a woman's health by reintroducing the Freedom of Choice Act. If passed, the legislation would permanently establish the tenets of Roe v. Wade in federal law.

The passage of this law would effectively prevent any level of government from passing laws that would outlaw abortion before the fetus is viable or if the woman's health or life is endangered. The bill would also help protect women from new restrictions on reproductive rights passed at the state or local level that are likely to result from the Supreme Court's ruling.

Bills have been introduced in both the Senate and the House, with both being referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

This bill was originally written over a decade ago and was most recently introduced into Congress Jan. 22, 2004 when Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) did so in recognition of the 31st anniversary of Roe v. Wade. This reincarnation of the bill was also introduced into Congress by Boxer and Nadler.

According to the Washington Post, House and Senate Republicans have urged the president to warn the majority Democrats not to add abortion amendments to spending bills and other legislation.

"I will veto any legislation that weakens current federal policies and laws on abortion, or that encourages the destruction of human life at any stage," Bush wrote in the letter.

Delaware Sen. Joe Biden is proud of the fact that he hasn't changed much since 1994.

"If I could wave a magic wand," he told the standing room only crowd in Cedar Rapids Sunday night, "the one thing in world politics I would do would be the empowerment of women."

Biden was responding to an audience member who questioned what could be done about the declining status of women in Iraq.

"I don't want to empower women because they are sweet and nice," he added. "It needs to be done because that's 51 percent of the world's population and because it would better us all."

Although the primary topic for Sunday's stump speech was the Iraq War, the U.S. Senator and author of the 1994 Violence Against Women Act often answers audience questions or follows a train of thought which leads him to discuss women and/or women's issues. On his campaign site he states that writing the VAWA was the most proud moment of his entire career. The legislation helped set up shelters and a national hotline where women who are abused can get help. In addition, the courts were empowered to protect women being stalked.

Following his public remarks, Biden spoke privately about the recent Supreme Court ruling. Pointing to his opposition of Justice Samuel Alito and Chief Justice John G. Roberts (not to mention Robert Bork), he said, "As president I would be prepared to nominate individuals who would respect a woman's right to privacy."

Biden, during his speech, said the one thing that needs to happen in the coming months was the "pricking of the consciousness of the nation."

He walked into the audience and placed a coffee cup in the middle of a round table. "That's what we have to do," he explained. "A leader has to be able to listen to all of these people at this table, each of them with their own opinions and find that one common thread they all agree on."

He pointed to the coffee cup and added, "Once you have the thing they can agree upon, you start building around that to bring them together."

He agreed to expand on this thinking as well after the event.

"We need to stop saying 'red' and 'blue' and thinking in those terms," he said. "We also need to stop buying into the false divisions which have been put out there. We have to reach out to one another and work together."

A story out today on CNN discusses the arrest of five volunteers who are suspected of looting from Greensburg, Kansas.

No matter how "icky" we find the actions of these individuals, we must ask ourselves if this is the type of individuals we are attracting to serve in our armed forces now that we've lowered standards?

On Oct. 1, 2004, the New York Times reported the Army had lowered recruiting standards for the first time since 1998, when a strong economy was hurting recruiting efforts. Previously only eight percent of new recruits were allowed to have not graduated high school. The new standards allowed 10 percent to have skipped graduation. Also, more individuals who scored in the lowest acceptable range on service aptitude tests were to be allowed as new recruits.

In 2004 the Army National Guard missed its recruiting target of 56,000 soldiers by 5,000, according to the NY Times article. This marked the first shortfall in the Guard since 1994.

Deferred enlistments which typically account for 35 percent of the Army's recruiting goal each cycle, only amounted to 18 percent for 2005.

In June of 2005, the Guardian wrote about an internal memo sent to senior commanders about the growing dropout rate. The memo ordered battalion commanders to refer problem soldiers (drug abuse, poor fitness and pregnancy) up to brigade level before immediate dismissal.

This news followed an Army announcement that it was 6,659 soldiers short of its recruitment targets for year so far.

Then, in October of 2006, an Associated Press article ran in USA Today which announced the Army recruited more than 2,600 soldiers under new lower aptitude standards. The Army, under pressure for missing recruitment targets by the widest margin since 1979, lowered standards in an effort to ensure yearly totals for 2006 would have a better outcome. In addition to the lowered standards, the Army increased its number of recruiters and bonuses.

During the year, the Army recruited 7,000 more soldiers than in the previous year. Of the 80,635 total, roughly 70,000 were first time recruits who had never served previously. Of those new recruits, 3.8 percent scored below certain aptitude levels, according to the AP. Originally, the Army had only allowed 1.5 percent of recruits to score below those same levels. After the first standards lowering, this increased to 2 percent. After the recruitment shortfallings, however, this was increased to 4 percent.

An article which appeared this past February in International Herald Tribune brings it all home by announcing Defense Department records showed waivers granted to Army recruits with criminal backgrounds grew nearly 65 percent in the last three years, increasing to 8,129 in 2006 from 4,918 in 2003

During that time the Army offered larger enlistment cash bonuses, allowed more high school dropouts and applicants with lower aptitude scores to join. In addition, weight and age restrictions were loosened.

According to the article, the sharpest increase in waivers were those for serious misdemeanors, which make up the bulk of all the Army's moral waivers. These include waivers for aggravated assault, burglary, robbery and vehicular homicide. The number of waivers issued for felony convictions also increased, however, from 8 to 11 percent of the waivers granted in 2006.

It is of little wonder then why four volunteer soldiers would consider looting or other crimes. Chances are, it isn't the first time these individuals have broken the law in such a manner. The difference is this time they were able to use their military status and wardrobe to aid in the commission of the crime.

Perhaps more than anything else, the current state of our military speaks volumes on the status of our nation's foreign policy.

John Zogby conducted polls May 14 and 15 that included 511 likely participants in the Democratic caucus (margin of error is +/-4.4) and 478 likely participants in the Republican caucus (margin of error is +/- 4.6).

On the Republican side of things "I Dunno" continues to hold the lead at a steady 22 percent. While down a point in this poll (well within the margin of error), Sen. John Edwards continues to hold the lead.

The full results are: