Lylepink, The "purpose" of the Straw Poll is actually to raise money for the Iowa GOP, and they expect to raise somewhere around $1 million this year.

The another "purpose" is to test organizational ability, I guess the rationale being if you can't organize a campaign, how can you run a country. Rudy and McCain have weak organizations in Iowa, thus the dropping out of the event.

The last "purpose" is to winnow the field, something the GOP especially could use, at least in the debates as so many candidates make meaningful exchange difficult.

Of course, it is also a boost for the GOP in Iowa, something they need since the state has gone from a red, to at the very least, a purple state.

Hope this answers your question.

http://whathappenedtomycountry.blogspot.com

I am a little dumbfounded about this Iowa straw poll. As best as I can determine from reports, Mitt is paying "Volunters" to get folks to support him. Something about the $35.00 cost to vote is another thing I am puzzled by. Truth Hunter: Help me on this one. The old man is not above admitting when he knows little on a subject and seeks information. I just did.

This straw poll is a dud race, only an ego trip for Mitt Romney. Guiliani, Thompson and McCain are not interested in the poll and so the expected "victory" of Romney will be a joke. He has money to burn and thinks he can buy his way to the nomination through saturation advertising aimed at showing him as a conservative while his record at Massachusetts was ultra liberal - pro choice, pro gays, pro gun control, anti war; all anathema to the core Republican voter. He will get whipped by Guiliani or Thompson though neither can match the intellect or achievements of Romney.

"Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) has collected hundreds of thousands of dollars through the fundraising efforts of a supporter targeted by several lawsuits alleging child abuse.

In a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, 133 plaintiffs have alleged that Robert Lichfield, co-chairman of Romney's Utah finance committee owned or operated residential boarding schools for troubled teenagers where students were "subjected to physical abuse, emotional abuse and sexual abuse."

The complaint, which plaintiffs amended and resubmitted to the court last week, alleges children attending schools operated by Lichfield suffered abuses such as unsanitary living conditions; denial of adequate food; exposure to extreme temperatures; beatings; confinement in dog cages; and sexual fondling.

A second lawsuit filed by more than 25 plaintiffs in July in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of New York alleges that Lichfield and several partners entered into a scheme to defraud them by operating an unlicensed boarding school in upstate New York. The suit does not allege physical or emotional abuse.

These are two active lawsuits against Lichfield. Several others suits have alleged child abuse on behalf of dozens of plaintiffs, but judges have thrown out the suits for procedural reasons. As a result, the merits of the allegations have not been weighed. In some suits, plaintiffs have settled their cases for undisclosed amounts of money.

The allegations could force Romney to re-examine his relationship with his Utah finance co-chairman or put pressure on him to give away the contributions Lichfield helped raise.

Lichfield helped to organize a February event in St. George, Utah, that raised about $300,000 for the Romney campaign.
Romney has six finance committee co-chairmen in Utah. Since the beginning of 2003, Lichfield has given money to at least seven other Republican candidates and also to the National Republican Congressional Committee and Bush-Cheney '04 Inc.

Overall, Romney has raised $2.7 million in Utah for his presidential campaign, far more than any other candidate, according to data compiled by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has raised the second most in the state, $113,000.

"Mr. Lichfield is one of 6 Co-Chairman of our Utah finance team," said Romney spokeswoman Gail Gitcho in a statement.
"He has donated to numerous Republican candidates and committees. The Romney campaign will continue its policy to make our fundraising efforts as transparent as possible."

Lichfield did not respond to requests for comment made through the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS). WWASPS is his co-defendant in several lawsuits and Lichfield sits on its board of directors.

Plaintiffs represented by the Dallas-based Turley Law Firm claim Lichfield and WWASPS helped to run boarding schools where staff abused students and "acted in concert" to "fraudulently conceal the extent and nature of the physical, emotional, mental and sexual abuse occurring at its [member] schools," their complaint states.

The plaintiffs include former boarding school students and their parents.

The president of WWASPS, Ken Kay, said in an interview the lawsuits are a ploy to get money and dismissed the credibility of former students making allegations.
(If they are all liars, then my friends are liars too and must be crazy to point out evidence of torture and criminality, drug abuse, brainwashing, and nearly public beatings.)

"Most of them are ludicrous," Kay said of the claims made against his organization and the boarding schools. "A certain percentage of the kids [who participate] are never going to be happy. They weren't happy with public schools, they weren't happy with law enforcement, and they have a long history of lying, fabricating and twisting the story around to their own benefit.

( Oh REALLY? http://www.thestraights.com I think that THOUSANDS of students would feel differently, let the JURY DECIDE what COMPLAINTS are VALID OR NOT & BRING IT DOWN!!!!! )
"Many of them have done poorly and have filed suits [since leaving the schools]," he added. "They have had problem with their families, churches, public schools and outpatient therapy. A large percentage of these kids have been [in] other treatment programs."

The legal disputes shine light on the obscure world of boarding schools for troubled teens.

Years ago, parents set their troublesome teenagers to military schools. In recent years, boot-camp boarding schools, where staff emphasize discipline, have become popular. The schools affiliated with Lichfield and WWASPS fit this mold.

The parents suing Lichfield sent their kids to WWASPS-affiliated schools such as Cross Creek Center for Boys in LaVerkin, Utah; Majestic Ranch Academy in Randolph, Utah; and The Academy at Ivy Ridge in Ogdensburg after they got into trouble for insubordination, drug use or petty theft.

The parents learned of the boarding schools through Teen Help, a business owned by Lichfield that matched parents and their children with boarding schools around the country and in Mexico, Costa Rica, and American Samoa. Lichfield had consulting relationships with nearly all the schools, according to Kay . In some instances Lichfield rented property to the schools, said Kay, who did not name the properties specifically.

"And Marine One flew over twice last weekend for the visit to the bridge - seeing that bird in the air is still a thrill, no matter whom the occupant is."

bsimon - You, sir, are a great American!

That kind of pride, not the puffed-up kind, but the fiercely caring kind of pride in our country is what makes the U.S. second to none.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/07/25/many_punches_no_knockouts_yet_1.html

opps sorry thats dirt on Hillary and Obama.

Would you like a little dirt on Mitt Romney?

Would you like a little dirt on Mitt Romney?

Thanks, y'all, for the good wishes.

David Brooks laments that Romney is a smart man dumbing down his campaign. Interesting column.

drindl, I am not actually poised, a la Warren Buffett, to play vulture to a declining stock market, cherry picking bargains while unfortunate small investors nearing retirement panic. I phrased that yesterday as a tongue-in-cheek remark, but see that it may have unintentionally caused pain. I regret that.

Mark writes
"bsimon, how could you turn down the entertainment value of a "GOP thing-a-ma-jobber"?"

That's the way I'm leaning. We're not close enough to the St Paul site to be impacted adversely by traffic, but might be close enough to go take a look at things for entertainment value. And Marine One flew over twice last weekend for the visit to the bridge - seeing that bird in the air is still a thrill, no matter whom the occupant is.

Enjoy your 64th!

Happy B Day Mark.

Not that it matters. Recent polls here in Washington State show major support for Gore, with most Gore voters switching to Obama if he doesn't run, and with Sen. Clinton a distant second even then.

And in terms of funds raised, even Mitt is way way below half the money raised by Obama.

No congrats from me. Help me get FOx off the air. Then I'll back slap all day with you people. Until then. It's on. Don't blame me. I didn't start this war against the american people.

I'm much more concered with the r's than the terrosists. The r's have done much more damage then bin laden ever could. Treason or fear? You be the judge. Either way, we are in dire need of REAL LEADERS in this country. Not sell-out capitalists.

Country over party. World over country. Remember that

Yes, happy birthday, Mark. Enjoy your wine, and your swimming pool.

Btw, I LOVE state fairs -- we used to got to them every year when I was a kid -- nothing more American!

Yes to corn dogs, but fried oreos, not so much.

'I mean, we are all going to be buying stocks next week at bargain prices, right?'

Well, those of us who aren't struggling to pay for our medical expenses, mortgages and gas for our cars...

but happy birthday, Mark.. glad you are one of the fortunate ones..

Happy Birthday Mark!

So you see, old age is really not so bad. May you come to know the condition.
Cicero

Good jokes, everyone. And, for the record, Romney's advisors have already determined that 'flipping' is perfectly OK as long as it isn't followed by 'flopping.' This is a legal ruling derived from the well established "what is the sound of one hand clapping?" criterion.

bsimon, thanks for the kind of creepy information about the MN State Fair. I guess state fairs in general are intensely kitschy enough to generate that feeling amongst the uninitiated. Yes, you should rent out your house and get out of the state for a week. What's going on at the GOP festival is entirely predictable.

"On April 29, 2004, then-Maj. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commanding general of Joint Special Operations Command, sent a "Personal For" [P4] message to three Army commanders: Gen. John Abizaid, the head of U.S. Central Command; Gen. Bryan Douglas Brown, then head of the U.S. Special Operations Command; and Lt. Gen. Philip R. Kensinger, then head of the Army Special Operations Command. The message read:

"Sir, in the aftermath of Corporal Patrick Tillman's untimely yet heroic death in Afghanistan on 22 April 04, it is anticipated that a 15-6 investigation nearing completion will find that it is highly possible that Corporal Tillman was killed by friendly fire. This potential finding is exacerbated by the unconfirmed but suspected reports that POTUS [President of the United States] and the Secretary of the Army might include comments about Corporal Tillman's heroism and his approved Silver Star medal in speeches currently being prepared, not knowing the specifics surrounding his death. The potential that he might have been killed by friendly fire in no way detracts from his witnessed heroism or the recommended personal decoration for valor in the face of the enemy. Corporal Tillman was killed in a complicated battlespace geometry involving two separate Ranger vehicle serials traversing through severe terrain along a winding 500-600 foot defile in which friendly forces were fired upon by multiple enemy positions. Corporal Tillman disembarked from his vehicle, and in support of his fellow Rangers and demonstrating great concern for their welfare over care for his own safety entered the enemy kill-zone into which both enemy and friendly fire impacted. I felt that it was essential that you received this information as soon as we detected it in order to preclude any unknowing statements by our country's leaders which might cause public embarrassment if the circumstances of Corporal Tillman's death become public."

This is the reaction to the memo from Mary Tillman, Pat Tillman's mother:

"That memo is damming as hell. And yet, nothing happens to [McChrystal]. He is writing fraudulent language in that memo. He is giving examples of how they can script the Silver Star award, even though Pat was killed by fratricide. And he is saying we need to keep our leadership abreast of things so they don't embarrass themselves, if the circumstances of Pat's death should become public ... He should be saying 'We're going to have to put a hold to the silver star and we're going to have to notify the family [of suspected friendly fire].' That is what he would say if he was innocent, but he is not. He is trying to find a way that they can continue this false, elaborate story of theirs. And the fact that he is off the hook is atrocious."

"Kensinger's attorney in Tillman case lashes out at Army
By Mike Fish
ESPN.com
(Archive)
Updated: August 10, 2007, 4:53 PM ET
Comment
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The attorney for a retired three-star general censured last week for misconduct in the 2004 "friendly fire" death of former NFL player Pat Tillman has lashed out at top Army officials. Charles Gittins, Lt. Gen. Philip Kensinger's attorney, described his client as the "fall guy" of the investigation.

Gittins told ESPN.com that Kensinger has neither received a copy of the censure nor spoken about it with the Secretary of the Army, Pete Geren. Kensinger, 58, was censured by Geren after senior Army officers determined earlier this year that Kensinger lied to investigators about when he learned that Tillman's death was a suspected friendly fire case. Investigators determined that Kensinger had been alerted of those suspicions days before he attended a nationally televised memorial service for Tillman on May 3, 2004. At that time, the Tillman family and the public still believed the Army's initial report that he had been killed by enemy fire in Afghanistan 11 days earlier, on April 22.

Kensinger was unavailable for comment, but Gittins said he is baffled by the Army's handling of the censure and Geren's testimony at a congressional hearing last week.

"I explain it as extremely poor leadership," Gittins said. "Unconscionably poor leadership, in fact. For my client to find out on the news that he has been censured by the Secretary of the Army is disgracefully cowardly. ... I assume the Secretary of the Army wasn't lying on national television, but my client hasn't seen anything about it."

Department of the Army spokesperson Paul Boyce said the correspondence regarding the censure had been sent to Kensinger, but added, "Rest assured, if Mr. Gittins' client has not received the first letter, we'll get out another copy to him and the general most quickly."

Boyce provided a number of related documents to ESPN.com, including a memorandum signed by Kensinger acknowledging receipt of an April 25, 2007, administrative reprimand issued to him by Gen. William Wallace, who had been assigned by the Secretary of the Army to review the Department of Defense Inspector General's findings in the Tillman incident. Kensinger filed a rebuttal to the reprimand, but the Secretary of the Army formally censured Kensinger on July 30 on the same grounds.

"They are not true," Gittins said of the allegations that Kensinger had lied to the Tillmans. "Most of the sane people in the Department of Defense know they are not true, but somebody has to be the guy who gets left holding the smelly bag. And it is my client."

According to Army documents, Kensinger repeatedly contradicted other officers' testimony, and sometimes his own, during the Army's investigation. In one instance, Brig. Gen. Howard Yellen, deputy commanding general to Kensinger, testified that he told Kensinger friendly fire was suspected in Tillman's death on April 24, 2004 -- two days after the shooting.

A congressional committee, spurred by concerns from the Tillman family about the Army's handling of the death, has been conducting hearings in an effort to determine when senior defense leaders knew of Tillman's death and whether facts were purposely concealed for five or more weeks. The responsibility for the time lapse between the April 22 firefight and the public revelation in late May that friendly fire was involved, the Tillmans believe, goes well beyond Kensinger.

"I don't think Kensinger is the definitive bad guy," said Mary Tillman, Pat's mother. "I absolutely don't. I think he is the scapegoat. I actually told Secretary of the Army Pete Geren the same thing. I said that I did not believe that Kensinger was the ultimate culprit here. That there are a lot of people who played a role in this and they are getting off without any punishment."

Among the culpable Army officers, according to Mary Tillman, are Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal and Gen. John Abizaid, now retired.

One of the issues is the existence of an April 29, 2004, high-priority "P4" [Personal For] e-mail sent by McChrystal that suggested President Bush and Secretary of the Army be notified of the possibility of friendly fire in Tillman's death to prevent any embarrassing public statements. In the same memo, McChrystal spoke of the approval for an award of the Silver Star to Tillman, which typically has not been awarded to soldiers accidentally shot by their own men.

Kensinger was copied on that e-mail, which was sent days before the public memorial he attended for Tillman in San Jose, Calif. Kensinger, however, claims he did not become aware of the e-mail until he returned from the memorial.

The Tillman family wasn't told about the fratricide until May 28, 2004.

"My client's recollection is he didn't see [the memo] until after the service," Gittins said. "There is another officer on his staff who says he did see it before the service. But what the officer says he did with it is inconsistent with what my client then recalled and another officer reports happened. So it is just the timing of the thing. My client's recollection is he didn't know about the P4 until after the service. That is the lie that they said my client told. This is an important point.

"My client wouldn't have told the Tillmans, anyway. Even if he had read that message, he wasn't going to report information that was not confirmed and approved by the combatant commander."

Gittins suggested the responsibility for informing the Tillman family belonged to Abizaid, then head of the U.S. Central Command overseeing the Middle East and Central Asia. Abizaid was the primary recipient of the e-mail from McChrystal. During a congressional hearing last week, Abizaid testified that he didn't receive the e-mail until at least May 6 -- and said he never notified President Bush about it -- because of an unexplained mix-up at headquarters.

"His communications officer would have received it," Gittins said of Abizaid. "And it would be a P4 from another general officer, which would be the kind of thing he would probably get a phone call about. ... I think it is inconceivable that [Abizaid], as the combatant commander who ordered the investigation [into Tillman's death], would not have found out about that.

"My client was not the combatant commander. It was not his investigation. And he was not the person who would approve the investigation nor report the investigation's results to the family."

ESPN.com's attempts to reach Abizaid and McChrystal proved unsuccessful. Abizaid, however, denied any wrongdoing during his appearance before the congressional hearing last week, saying "I don't think there was a cover-up. I think people tried to do the right thing, and the right thing didn't happen."

Kensinger, commanding general of the U.S. Special Operations Command until his retirement in February 2006, has refused twice to appear voluntarily at hearings into the Tillman issue conducted by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Last week, Kensinger was a no-show after lawmakers said he couldn't be found to be served a subpoena to appear.

Gittins said Kensinger would not be available for public comment because he has nothing to gain. But the attorney said he has advised House committee leadership that Kensinger will appear voluntarily if he is granted testimonial immunity, a request that so far has not been granted.

"What they wanted was a public flogging of my client on TV," Gittins suggested. "No congressional hearing is going to resolve anything. They are just a bunch of blowhards that want to hear themselves talk. So I reject the idea that if he would have shown up for a hearing that anything would have been resolved. If it was going to be a fact-finding hearing with some competent fact-finder, not the members of Congress, I'm sure we would probably get to the bottom of it."

According to Gittins, Kensinger was in his North Carolina office at the time U.S. marshals sought to serve the subpoena. But Gittins said they didn't show up there.

Committee chairman Rep. Henry Waxman [D-Calif.] disputes that, saying "U.S. Marshals repeatedly tried to serve the subpoena on Gen. Kensinger, and I regret that he was able to evade service. The committee remains interested in questioning him about this matter."

A committeeman representative said additional hearings on the Tillman incident are likely when Congress returns from recess after Labor Day. "

Thanks for the light touch, everyone.

It was good to look up from my work and think about my 64th birthday tomorrow, dinner with my wonderful wife, my pool, a glass of wine, and life being just great.
I mean, we are all going to be buying stocks next week at bargain prices, right?
And none of my silly grin was wiped away by my favorite blog.

Blarg, you captured the irony of the moment.

bsimon, how could you turn down the entertainment value of a "GOP thing-a-ma-jobber"?
Unless you have something better in mind!

'pork producers' --should a candidate readlly want to align himself with anything to do with 'pork'? especially flipping the pork? sounds unseemly.

I'm surprised the heat didn't melt his $400 mortician makeup job.

Thompsons' right about this:

'Republicans have got to be the party of ideas. The party's lost it.""

"Clinton emulates Bush campaign tactics"

http://www.politico.com/

Fox contributions. Murdoch raising money for her.

Are you listening lylepink?

Not good. not good at all. If she wins the republcinas are running against themselves. There's one way to win an election

cHRIS CHRIS CHRIS. I'm surprised. I read YOU of all people broke the Romney fundraiser indicted. Is that true?

If so, right on. Thank you for reporting REAL poltical news. I for one appreicaite that. Now, keep the real stroies coming. Whether dem OR rep. Let's not waste time talking about that which has no bearing, like hair make-up or the republcian CANDIDATES :), and talk about that which is relevant.

Blarg that was hilarious. Tell me someone has that on YouTube PLEASE!!!!

One of the dumbest questions reporters ask during campaigns is "What if you lose?"

EVERY candidate is goign to answer they don't centemplate losing. If they did gie an opinion on losing, reporters would immediatly take it as a concession that the candidate expects to lose. It's a question designed only to try to make the candidate feel uncomfortable, and not to gain any useful information.

That's the sign of a good presidential figure...

Bob Borosage on Political Buzz Radio at 5 PM EDT today
http://political-buzz.com/

"Mitt Romney: Not A Blah Cook"
(And By 'Cook,' I Mean 'Candidate.'
And By 'Blah,' I Mean, Well, You
Know What I Mean, Don't You? My
Staff Just Thought It Would Be
'Cooler' To Have A Cute Little
Saying On My Apron, So As To Attract
A 'Folksy' Demographic And Cause
Iowa Voters To Forget I Was The
Governor Of... Wait! Wait! Where
Are You Going? Aren't You Hungry?
Come Back And Let Me 'Pork' You!)

what if Mitt's chop lands pro-choice, secular side up? will he flop it?

over at The Trail blog, they have a predictive piece on T Thompson's likely demise (as a candiate) tomorrow. A guy can't help but wonder why his candidacy hasn't caught on though, as he's got his finger on the pulse. From the article:

"In Thompson's view, Republicans are in no better shape today than when they lost the midterm elections last November. "We're still fumbling around," he said. "Republicans have got to be the party of ideas. The party's lost it.""

re: "The Fix's food intake so far at the fair: 2 pork chops (one on a stick)
1 fried Oreo,
On deck: a corn dog, a turkey leg and a funnel cake"

Dude, you need a lipitor chaser with that.

Good thing he is putting chops on a grill instead of hot DOGS on a RACK

Sorry... Blarg's was way better.

I remember a picture of Ronald Reagan in a chef's cap flipping pancakes at some county fair back in the day.

My bet is that the cooking thing helps Romney and that he wins the straw poll.

Sounds like the fix really is covering the Straw Poll for the food and not the politics.

Good one blarg! Hahahahha LOL... man, if I was one of those pork guys, I'd have hit him upside the head with my spatula...he can't even listen to the experts! No, no ...just plow ahead with whatever he thinks is right...what a bufoon.

I guess he figures he bought all those pork chops, so he can throw them on the ground if he wants.

Judge Crater opines
"Do they do the butter cow-thing at the Iowa State Fair? Can't miss seeing that. Or maybe it's a cheese cow instead. Ah, Americana!"

I believe the cheese likenesses are carved next door - at the WI state (and county) fair(s). Here in MN, we use butter as well - in which the likeness of Princess Kay of the Milky Way is carved. Princess Kay being the royalty of the state fair.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Kay_of_the_Milky_Way

The Iowa State Fair record at the wiki has info on the butter cow (including a picture!).

Considering how much Romney has been attacked for changing his mind, should he really be flipping things?

Posted by: Blarg | August 10, 2007 03:18 PM

Most clever line I've seen this week

Why does Mitt lamely set himself up for silly jokes like this. Jeepers. Mitt has no sense of humor.

And for desert, Romney will "debate" with another working man or woman and clearly not understand a thing they say and still appear to be a hemeroid on Bush's butt. The Republicans will blather about welfare and not wanting to spend money on others. The Democrats will blather about Iraq and the economy, but will do nothing about either and will continue to take money from the same corporate swine the Republican's feed off.....and nothing will change. Except, we can all hope and pray that all of the fat will case Romney to die from an early heart attack, one less worthless bit of protoplasm taking up space on an already overcrowded planet. Please, Mitt, offer a porkchop to Hillary!

Blarg, he flipped today. The flop comes tomorrow.

Blarg - not just flipping something, flipping in a completely incompetent way that everyone knows is phoney.

Definitely rent out the house. Just make sure the lobbyists renting it don't stomp barbecue sauce into the carpet.

"Not a Blah Cook"? What does that even mean? If I were a presidential candidate wearing an apron, I'd go with "Vote For the Cook".

Considering how much Romney has been attacked for changing his mind, should he really be flipping things?

"Asked whether he needed to finish first or second in the Straw Poll, Romney said: 'I want to win.' And what if he didn't? 'I only like to think about success.' "

Sorry, we've already had our fill of a shallow thinker in the WH over the past 7 years.

"seemingly unaffacted by the blazing heat."

Robot Romney, enter stage right. I am reminded of the Robot Mr. Krabs for some reason.

CC, may I recommend the fried Snickers bar for a complete gastronomical experience? Do they do the butter cow-thing at the Iowa State Fair? Can't miss seeing that. Or maybe it's a cheese cow instead. Ah, Americana!

" in case you were wondering, here's The Fix's food intake so far at the fair: "

I wasn't. But since you mention it, you should come up to the MN State Fair for more food on stick than you can shake a stic.. uh, forget it.

Speaking of which though, maybe we can get all the food on a stick out & available next year for the GOP thing-a-ma-jobber that's coming here. Which reminds me:

unofficial poll:

Should bsimon & family rent out there house during the GOP festival & take a vacation, or stick around & see what its all about??