Heaven's Newest Angel: TAMMY FAYE BAKKER MESSNER

TAMMY FAYE LAVALLEY BAKKER MESSNER
1942-2007

The make-up counters in heaven are busy today.
And the angel choir now has its sweetest angel.

I feel much better today knowing that Tammy Faye LaValley Bakker Messner is walking with her Jesus and shining down with her loving and generous glow.

Early Friday morning, July 20, 2007, Tammy Faye Messner fulfilled her lifelong mission when she left her earthly vessel and traveled home, beyond the PTL satellite, to the golden streets of glory. She's singing with her Jesus, walking hand in hand, and only stopping long enough to dip from the rivers of milk and honey and mascara.
I know we should celebrate, as that is what she would want. But I can't help but feel somewhat saddened that this bubbly and genuinely sweet voice has been silenced.
I'm not what conventional religion would call a Christian. I believe there is something or someone that is a higher being but I am not sure what it is. I would like it to be Jesus; after all that is what I was raised to believe. And I know the bible and what it teaches, in all its contradictions, that is right or wrong. But the logic side of me questions, making me realize that I don't have the blind accepting faith one needs to be a true Christian. And in my 34 years on this planet, I've known or known of very few of those people, true Christians, who are here to serve the Lord, love others, spread generosity and their faith, and do not judge others or what others do, but love them and let Jesus do the judging. Tammy Faye was one of those people.
If there was ever someone that could make me or any supposed “non-believer” believe, it is Tammy Faye. Through all her troubles, from her marital problems with Jim Bakker, to the hostile and vicious takeover of their life work by Jerry Falwell, from Jim's topple from head of PTL and Heritage USA to his railroaded conviction, prison life, and their eventual divorce, from her struggle for acceptance in secular entertainment to her new marriage and his imprisonment, from her financial struggles and drug addiction to her brave battles in her war with cancer, she kept smiling, singing, praising the Lord, and having the optimism of a genuine saint. She was an angel well grounded by her faith in a world of faithlessness and turmoil.
I watched her reach out to those that she felt hurt her: the evil Paul and “I Wanna Be Like Tammy Faye So Much That I Wear Funky Wigs And A Lot Of Make-Up” Jan Crouch, who stole Jim and Tammy's Trinity Broadcasting Network in a boardroom scheme; Jessica Hahn, the woman with whom Jim had a one night stand in the early 1980s; Jerry Falwell, who had promised he would help Jim and Tammy through the PTL scandal and then hand the reigns back to them but then smeared them in the media, bankrupted the ministry, and then refused to speak with Jim and Tammy; and reporters who had written false and gossipy innuendo about the Bakkers and their ministry.
I watched her remarry a wonderful man and stand by him while he served his prison term and continue to share a wonderful life with him. I watched her enter briefly secular TV with Jim J. Bullock, thus further etching her mark in the annals, eh-hem, of gay divadom (a group who Tammy herself, in her last interview, thanked and told how much she loved because of the love and acceptance they had shown her since her fall from grace). Probably most remarkably I watched her join the cast of the VH-1 reality show “The Surreal Life” and stand firm on her convictions, all the while befriending such unlikely “stars” as porn legend Ron Jeremy (with whom she shared her last Thanksgiving dinner), former rapper Vanilla Ice, and Erik Estrada.
Her strength through it all made me believe in faith, if not inching me closer to God.
I will miss Tammy Faye. I expect many will. History always rewrites itself, but I think Tammy did a pretty good job clearing up many of the misconceptions about herself, her ministry, her marriage, and her religion and her God while she was alive. Somehow I think Tammy Faye knew that she was going home to Jesus on Friday morning. She requested to be on Larry King Live the night before. She stated that she talked to God every day and told him that her life was in his hands. Somehow, I thought that he would let her stay around a little while longer. I thought he would use her tremendous personality to show people that God does heal. But I think he knew she'd done enough already. She praised his name before she could speak, and, with the help of the same television with which she'd praised him her whole life, praised him right up until the day she died.
My guess is that in drag queen shows all over the world tonight Tammy Faye, in all her glamorous beauty, will live on. . .as she surely will forever. She's moved onto another echelon of dragdom-the dead divas wing, joining the likes of Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, Mae West, Anna Nicole Smith, Tammy Wynette, Patsy Cline, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, and on and on and on. . .

Love and prayers to her children, Tammy Sue Chapman, her son Jamie Charles Bakker of the Revolution Church in New York City, her husband Roe Messner, her grandchildren, her former husband and his wife, the Reverend Jim Bakker and Laurie, and all her friends, family, and fans the world over.


The next time a drop of rain falls from the sky above, I'll be looking for traces of mascara and then I'll know beyond a (eye)shadow of a doubt, that those are Tammy Faye's joy-filled tears dropping just a little bit of happiness onto our miserable world.

The Voice salutes Tammy Faye- standing on the everlasting rock!


Copyright Nicholas Yaekle, The Voice of the Disenfranchised, http://www.the-voice.blogspot.com
July 22, 2007

Wolfgang Parker

Found this singer on myspace and he's pretty good.

Baby Daddy

First Larry Birkhead.

Then shyster and slimeball Howard K. Stern.

And Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband?

Now, my announcement to the world!

I AM THE FATHER OF ANNA NICOLE SMITH'S BABY!

(I figured I'd throw my name in the hat before everyone in the world did. Hell, maybe Gerald Ford was too!)

Anna Anna Anna Anna Anna-Nicole: So Outrageous!

Like her idol, Marilyn Monroe, the buxom blond bombshell died young, distressed, and under suspicious circumstances alone in a bedroom all too soon. God bless her daughter, Dannilynn Stern, and God bless you Anna Nicole Smith Marshall Stern. God knows you once gave me plenty to think about!

Rosie and Donald; Democrats and Dean

Its time I sound off about a few things.
Rosie and Donald. Ok, I somewhat admire Donald Trump's unique ability to be successful, wealthy, and inspiring while also being obnoxious, self-appreciating, and his zealously over-inflated ego. I never have cared too much for Rosie O'Donnell, but I do agree with most of her views. I was particularly put off when she had Tom Selleck on her talk show and instead of being a gracious host, she attacked him for his position on guns and his affiliation with the NRA.
But Rosie, in her role as TV-journalist, commentator, and moderator of ABC's The View, was totally in the right on this. I don't care about what her opinion was or what the situation was with Trump's Miss America pageant. She has a responsibility per her role on the show to give her view. She gave it. If Donald doesn't like it, fine. But also, Donald needs to take into consideration Rosie's comments about his hair were nothing more than a thousand other comics and shows mention daily. They are something that I am sure he hasn't changed not because he particularly likes it, but because it has become a part of his flamboyant personality. Rosie was driving home a point she believed in, not personally attacking Donald. When Donald chose to address her remarks himself, he went for the jugular. His comments were rude, degrading, and hostile. Calling her fat is fourth-grade-level. And I believe that the degenerate comment was Donald trying to shore up some religious right support for another unsuccessful run for the presidency, not-so subtly alluding to her being a lesbian. So for this match, typically off my radar, I will weigh in favor of Rosie O'Donnell.
While this topic isn't of any remote urgency or actual relevance and acknowledging that writing this takes me to the same level as most all TV news shows and tabloids alike, I've weighed in.
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi-(D) California, is the new speaker of the House and the first female to hold this highly coveted position. With the constitutional line of succession written in the manner in which it is, Madame Speaker is now third in line for the presidency. (No Al Haig, you're still not in the top three!). I can't help but wonder, and wonder is all this is, given that countless meaningless and senseless murders that take place on a regular basis, why one of those crazies don't just shoot for the gusto. I mean, surely some of these murderers are Democrats and feel relatively strong about Bush's below lackluster presidency. And the thought of Shotgun Cheney being the president even scares W. I would think. But hasn't one of these lunies thought that they would be willing to risk their own life to get in the history books, rather than take the chance on getting caught and spending their life in jail or being executed, and just take out Bush and Cheney? Speaker Pelosi would then be president and I would assume she would pick a Democrat as her vice-president, although maybe to try to appease the Republicans she would choose one of them. Now wouldn't that just piss all in the collective bowls of Wheaties of all three thousand already announced candidates Democratic candidates? Pelosi would have the momentum and, judging from her impressive first month as Speaker and the agenda she has set forth and the accomplishments she has already made, she could sail right into the White House as the first female president of the United States. I think I heard Bush say in his state of the union address that Pelosi's father was a congressman, also. That's interesting. My best wishes and regards to Speaker Pelosi and while I wasn't in favor of her being the speaker when she was chosen, or when she was chosen as the House Majority Leader for that matter, I stand corrected and take my hat off to Speaker Pelosi.

While we're on the political front, its time I weighed in on my early thoughts for the Democratic candidate for the 2008 presidential election. I like Hillary Clinton. I think I've pretty much always liked her, save for the time she made a derogatory comment about Tammy Wynette's Stand By Your Man song (which, ironically, is exactly what Hillary turned out to do!). Senator Clinton is sharp, articulate, and savvy. But she's not very personable. She doesn't come across as genuine and friendly, like her husband and she might put off some undecided moderates or Conservative Democrats with her independent woman image. I like her, but I am not sure she can win the prize. And I say this assuming that the Republicans are going to pick Senator John McCain, a capable, well-liked, and decent guy, who I will have a lot of trouble trying to destroy. (Although after watching him this morning on CBS Sunday Morning he may be pushing his moderates away in his vain attempt to capture the Religious Right.) McCain is probably the best candidate the GOP will have had since Bob Dole, only McCain has the personality that Dole could just never seem to muster up. That said, I think if McCain doesn't pick Giuliani as his running mate, which he might but I'd rather he didn't because then it would look like the novel Politics, Pleasure, and Scandal that I have been writing since 1987 was a copy, with the presidential character being Nick Giuliani and all. But if he doesn't pick Giuliani, I'm going to go on record, especially if the Dems pick Clinton, that McCain will choose Elizabeth Dole as his running mate. He'll pull back some of the Republican feminists that might have voted for Clinton based on gender. Plus, while Dole has not been as good of a senator as I had thought she would be, I think she will do a decent job sitting in the VP's office and waiting for tragedy.

Now, my pick for the Democrats, while it may be as suicidal as a Clinton pick, is someone I said during the 2004 Democratic National Convention would be a candidate one day. That is Illinois Senator Barack Obama. Yeah, they've already started leaking the Obama name, with CNN alluding Obama bin Laden and they've dug up a book her wrote years ago about having tried cocaine, but come on. We're in a time now that it is going to be impossible to find a candidate that hasn't “lived” life and tried something. Whether its a hooker, pot, coke, whatever. I say this, at least he admitted. No regrets, no excuses. He inhaled, because he snorted. And his daddy didn't have that record cleared by his CIA cronies like a certain sitting president that I know. He did a line. So what. So have I. You know, they say cocaine makes you sharper and more alert. Perhaps Bush should go back to the snow.

Senator Obama has shown he is capable at being a leader. He has the leadership and the pizazz and the showmanship and the humor and the appeal that we look for in a leader. He has the charisma and the charm. He has the look and the oratorial skills that Bush lacks. The man is perfect. . .except he's black. Does that matter? To me, no. Should it matter? No. Will it matter? As sure as Ted Kennedy's a Democrat! The GOP won't say it but you can be your sweet testicles (or vagina) that they'll subltly remind people, particularly in the South and areas where they think it will matter. And while Obama hasn't been “overtly” black, that is, not on the lines of Louis Farakhan or my boy, Rev. Al Sharpton, and not out their pitching the “black agenda,” the fucking color of his skin is going to play a key factor in the decisions of many voters. I only wish there were enough black people in the US to go register if they hadn't already and vote so that it would perhaps off-set the votes he might lose.

The other candidates are well-qualified. Senator Kerry said he won't run again. Good thing. He wasn't my first pick the last time but he was decent. He didn't have the shazamm to go out and sell the Democratic values. Howard Dean has it, but with his success at being party chairman I don't think Democrats are going to let him get away. And they shouldn't. Bill Richardson seems like a nice guy, will pull some Hispanic voters, but in general, with his last name being Richardson, it may be a wash. Those who would be inclined to NOT vote for him because of his ethnicity won't know it because Bill Richardson sounds as American as. . .Bill Richardson. And since it doesn't sound Hispanic, any apathetic Hispanic voters won't know to vote for him. Plus, with all the border issues lately, the "silent" right scare machine will have a field day scaring their peeps into thinking if they elect a "Mexican" then its only a sign of things to come. I liked John Edwards before I liked Howard Dean in the 2004 Democratic primary, but soon tired of Edwards as he isn't very dynamic and seems to not possess the leadership skills needed nor the charisma sought by so many Americans. Joe Biden--he shit his nest this week by calling Senator Obama the first serious African-American candidate for president who is, and I quote here, ". . .clean and articulate." Just to show how happy the right was that Senator Biden made this statement, George Bush quoted that Obama was "articulate" (someone must have told him what it meant) later in the week. And poor old homestate boy of mine Congressman Dennis Kucinich. Nice fella, wouldn't take your lunch money at school. Spent more time in Hawaii than Kamehameha during the Democratic primaries (and he actually won this state!). But to quote the God of political consultants, James Carville (originally about the late-great Senator Paul Tsongas) "He ain't gonna win shit!" I think there are a couple of other Democrats but they're pretty insignificant.

So my money, all dollar and eighty-one cents of it, are on Senator Barack Obama. He's clean! (thank you Joe Biden.). He's articulate! (Which he actually is!). He well-respected. He's principaled. He's honest (hey, at least he admitted his one time use of cocaine). And he's youthful and energetic. If we could just revert, if but until the day after election day, back to black and white televisions, and perhaps silent movies, maybe America wouldn't see his color and would instead, base a vote for or against him on character, ideas, views, positions, track record, and principals.

The Voice enthusiastically endorses very early on the Honorable Senator from the great state of Illinois, Senator Barack Obama.

The Voice Weighs in On Bush and Dick

The Voice of The Voice: Candid and Probably Politically Incorrect Meanderings on President George W. Bush's 6th State of the Union address before a Joint Session of Congress.
By Nicholas Yaekle

Article II. Section 3. “. . .He shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in case of disagreement between them, with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper; he shall receive ambassadors and other public ministers; he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed, and shall commission all the officers of the United States.

I decided at the last minute (I mean, I was opening OpenOffice Writer as the Sgt.-at-Arms of the House announced to Speaker Pelosi that the President was coming) to write an “As-I-Watch” commentary on Bush's speech. There is no literary order to this, just some observations on what CBS aired.

Cool. He's giving Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi her props as first female speaker. Historic.

Who knew Nancy Pelosi was so hot?

Is it any news that Teddy Kennedy looked drunk, or at the least “drowning” in a pool of his own somber drool?

But John McCain too? He could barely stand-up. Maybe he thought he was back in 'Nam.

“No Child Left Behind” is good, sayeth Bush Jr? Yeah, unless you're the school district left to pay for its massive unfunded mandates.

Meet my needs with private health care insurance? My Cobra is $847.00 a month. That's a big chunk of change.

Too many figures with the income tax shit.

Barack and Teddy, sitting in a tree. . .

Dude, not sure who you are but lay off the tanning bed for a while.

Within my reach, on health care? Within my reach, would just out of my reach.

Jew Leiberman. Go to hell, Indy.

There's a picture of EOE. A black, a whitey, and a Asian.

Health plans. Health care. Reduce costs. I've been hearing this since at least 1988.

Junk lawsuits? Yeah, like when a doctor leaves a scalpel in your chest or accidentally gives a hysterectomy to a kidney transplant patient.

John Kerry: “I gotta stand, but goddammit, I should have won! I DID win! Fucking Ohio.”

Laws and border, borders and law. Double the size. So they don't sneak in. Terrorists? Yeah, like the switchblade toting Mexicans that pick avocados and then kill their “masters.”

Melting pot in the same section as closing the borders?

Are we saying, love the Mexis but send 'em home?

How is this not discrimination? “Give us your tired, your poor?” That sounds VAGUELY familiar.

Uh-oh. Here it comes. Give a shout out to your Texas oil baron buddies. Dependence on foreign oil too. . .there is was, time one for nucular. . .great. Yee-haw.

Ethanol? Gotta thank Iowa for their 3 electoral votes. Or 4, whatever.

Wind energy and solar energy mentioned. That'll be the last we hear of that until next year.

Reduce gas by 20%. I suppose by keeping the Mexicans out, we'll reduce gas.

Grassley giving the props for the Ethanol remark. Gotta keep the farmers happy.

Light trucks. Even a wanna-be redneck gots to get the trucks into the speech.

Double the SPR, he asks Congress. Where are we going to get the oil?

Better stewards of the environment? Global climate change? Did he just acknowledge global warming? Alaska?

Gimme a swig of that good old H2O, in unison, so say Bush and Cheney. Hit his defibulator there, Madame Speaker.

Federal bench. Prompt up or down hearing on the floor. Yeah, let's circumvent the Constitution.

Why not? The Patriot Act did it.

Here it is, September 11!

Huh? Terrorists live here, why aren't we attacking ourselves? Take the fight to the enemy?

Bush looks more comfortable with public speaking. While not good speaking. . .

Did someone smack Sen. Susan Collins ( R ) Maine in the face with a 1x6 or is she just a pug?

Stop yawning, Marine. You're sitting behind the First Lady of the United States. Although I perfectly understand the sentiment.

Cheney's having a heart attack! Oops, sorry. He just lifted his ass to fart.

Pelosi's saying, “My God, what did he eat?”

Nary? Did he just say “nary” instead of narrow? Sounds like my late grandmother.

Pelosi's suit is beautiful. Lovely and refreshing mint green. Kinda like having a Democratic led Congress.

Totalitarian ideology? Two big words? C'mon, you've been reading Reader's Digest word game, admit it.

Dominate the middle east? You talking to Israel? You should be.

Obama's giving someone the bird. I'd say Teddy but he knows Teddy'd probably jump at it.

Where's the Saddam mention? Give a dic(tator) his props. Maybe you'll get a quarter point bump off this. You need it, dude.

It is your duty to protect the American people. Protect us.

Max (my son) heard Bush say duty and thought Bush had shit his pants. (Doody?)

Society is where each man and woman makes his own choices, you say? Then how about letting gays and lesbians deciding whether they can marry.

Condi's thinking, “C'mon, you're doing fine baby. You don't make no mistakes and you can gets you a piece of this phyne black booty, Big B. Holla.”

Somebody in the audience just screamed. Teddy's grabbing some ass, again.

Or Bill Clinton's lurking in the wings. Waitin' to go back over to the White House and see what “damage” the Bushes have done and what they'll have to fix once they're back in the West Wing. (God, I miss President Bartlet, Leo, C.J., Toby, Josh, Sam, Donna, Margaret, Will, and the rest of the gang. Any other The West Wing fans ever wonder how President Santos and Josh are getting along?)

12 million Iraqis voted. How many are there in that country? I'm sure its getting lower. (Okay, I checked it after the “speech” and as of July 2006, the total was about 26,700,000. So about 44% voted. Just about as bad as those that vote in America. Jeez, didn't take them long to learn that their votes didn't count.)

Who's the black lady in front of Bush taking dictation? Isn't this recorded like in about a million ways? Why does she need to take it on a Dictaphone?

He hasn't messed up many words. . .except nuclear. If he said it right now, I think I'd be pissed.

Do the American people really give a shit about Iraq and Afghanistan and Lebanon? How about paying for college for those that need or want it or for those that wish to go back to school can and keep their job, house, family, car, or whatever else they would lose if they had to give up the money.

Iraq, Iraq, Iraq, Iraq, Iraq. Dum-diddle-diddle-diddle-dum-diddle-I.

Here is the troops resurgence. Democrats say they're going to be respectful. In fact, Madam

Speaker demanded it. A woman's place is in the House! True-dat! Let's be respectful to the men and women you're wanting to send into harm's way for whatever reason. You've already “avenged” your Daddy and killed Saddam and most of his violent family. Move on.

4000 more Marines.

Don't applaud General Pace. You want to lose more troops?

They know its not open-ended (Iraq)? Then they need to put a little wiggle in their ass.

Cheney's having another heart. . .never mind, he's just falling asleep. He must think he's Tip O'Neil.

Does Cheney have “the palsy?” Or did that dude shoot him back?

Success? Do we want success in Iraq? Tell me how grevious it would be. Extremists on all sides.

The whole region has been extremists for what, three, four thousand years? Bomb the fuck out of the middle east and let's move on (dot org.)

Biden. He's not taking notes. He's passing a tic-tac-toe game back and forth with Teddy Kennedy. But I think Teddy's drawing nipples on the Os.

Wipe that smirk off your face.

“You did not vote for failure.” No, but they DID vote for eliminating Saddam's weapons of mass destruction! Oops, he didn't have any. My bad.

I think Cheney's still back there letting off some weapons of ass destruction.

War on Terror? Let's get it on with Israel and Iran, then, while we're at it.

Show our enemies a broad? So now we're buying hookers for the Iraqis?

Weak applause. Or was it canned? Probably coerced. Republicans don't even look too happy with the guy representing them.

Increase the armed forces by 95,000 in the next five years? Sounds like he's gonna reinstate the draft.

The Volunteer draft sounds like a good idea. But why would an expert voluntarily leave the private sector at say $100,000 per year to go to the “Volunteer Draft” at $18,000 per year? Its no Peace Corps or Americorps.

Good job, Bush. Palestine needs their land. “Who got the Jews out, hoo-yah?”

LEARN THE GODDAMNED WORD- PENINSULA! Not Pen-in-shure-ler.

Cuba? Oh, Fidel's on his death bed and now you're wanting an olive branch.

Darfur's been doing commercials during the NASCAR race, huh?

Hunger. Poverty. Disease.

Fight AIDS in Africa where the “innocent” are dying but fuck the fags in America who got it from butt-fucking? Sounds about Bush-like.

Now malaria? In Africa.

Debt relief? Yeah, give foreign countries debt relief but tighten the bankruptcy laws in America so Americans can't get out from underneath.

Shout outs. Oh, here is the basketball player. Bush is sooooooo stuttering on his name. Laura comes to his bottom rib. He's happy he got a shout out from Bush. I'm happy for him. But that little Chinese lady's saying, “Don't step me, don't step me. Hurry up and buy.”
Baby Einstein lady. $200 million dollar business. From the works of others? John Walsh shout out. AMW Fifteen minutes of shame.

Julie-Aigner-Clark. Did your daughter get her shirt from T.J. Maxx? Sorry, shouldn't pick on the kids, but really. Lavender “silk-like” sateen poly?

Cool. Wesley Autrey. The jump on a dude on a subway guy. Is it just me or should Subway restaurants grab this guy for their advertising? This dude IS a hero. I can say I wouldn't jump on someone. He reached out to shake some hands and spread some love.

Pumping gas in Kentucky. Sgt. Reimen. Used his body as a shield. Chest and arm shots. Refused medical attention and stayed in the fight. Fired grenades. Silver Star. Indeed! Another hero. Too bad Bush was never a hero. The Joint Chiefs lookin' proud! He better get a call from Pete for that shit.

Decent and honorable country. It was, until that fateful day in December 2000 when the Supreme Court decided a presidential election.

State of our union is strong?

God bless (throw out the hands like you're doing yourself on SNL).

Cheney: “You missed thanking me for shooting that dude. I'll spank you later.” Scowling.

Bush's approval at 28%. All-time low. For a president or just for him? Methinks Nixon's in hell cheering him on, so that Bush will beat him for ratings levels.

You get what you vote for.

Man, Peter Pace has a big nose.

Bush working the crowd like a carnival huckster. Only not as smooth and convincing.

Did Condi just grab his dick?

Trent Lott : “Get this god damned nigger out of my face. Where's Strom?”

Who's asking for an autograph? Man, Liz Dole used to be pretty? Who's she helping down? That's not Bob. She scoping out a new man? The Viagra not working anymore? Personally, I think Bob Dole could fist her pretty damned good.

Bush needs to go to Clinton's LA hairdresser and get that wiry mess under control.

I think someone's telling Bush how to spell his name.

He needs a drink. He wants to get home and watch American Idol on the TIVO.

Getting her picture taken with the Prez. Man, she's got a strong hold on him. Then she kissed him. If that were Bill Clinton, Hillary'd be down there in a, a. . .New York minute! She's back again, grabbing the President and getting as much face time with him as she can. I guess she's a freshman Congresswoman from Minnesota.

All these people getting Bush to sign their programs. You watch, half these will be on eBay by midnight.

I think Senator Byrd looked like he was going to kick a little ass. As soon as he finds his white sheet and pointy-hat. And his grandpappy's still. But hey, West Virginia, despite its rugged terrain, has some of the best roadways in America, thanks for funding secured for them by their senior, senior Senator. And besides, are there really that many of "the blacks" in wild, wonderful West Virginia?

Someone needs to tell Bush he needs to get a new dresser. That tie was awful. And I've already mentioned the wiry mess on his head, but its worth mentioning again! A little dab-ll-do you!

Ok, the Democratic Response
Sen. Jim Webb (D) Virginia
Freshman – from the Mansfield Room

He looks like a character actor from some 80s crime-drama like Matlock.

7th time Bush has mentioned alternative energies in his speeches.

Look into the camera, Jim, not sideways.

Economy is good, for the rich. Average CEO makes 400 times more than an average worker. It takes the average worker a year to earn what a CEO earns in one day. I ask you, are they really worth that?

White collar professionals are beginning to understand what blue collar workers have been dealing with- job loss to foreign countries.

Good job Jim, quote Andrew Jackson. Father of the Democratic Party.

Mismanaged war. Unneeded. Iraq is dangerous.

Pulling out the props. His daddy in Germany. Nice story.

I wasn't so sure about this guy delivering the response, but he's pretty impressive.

Quoting Teddy Roosevelt, a Republican. Good move.

Shoes shined. Nice suit and tie. Well groomed. Possible presidential contender in the future.

Katie Couric, God bless her. She's just not credible. She looks like she should be talking about cosmetics with some gay hairdresser who has a new line on QVC.

Bob Schieffer, while he's older than Moses, is much more credible.

The Politico. http://www.politico.com/

All this, and no one mentioned what could be the most significant piece of history that died today: Perhaps one of the last remaining pieces to the assassination of President John Kennedy- a potential bum photographed at a train in Dallas on a certain day in November in 1963- who was later possibly identified as E. Howard Hunt, later of Watergate break-in fame, died today. He was 88, or so he says! The New York Times didn't mention it, but at least Reuters did.

And another thing. For years I've been microwaving my dish sponges to rid them of bacteria. Sometimes even boiling them in salt and vinegar water. Didn't know if it worked, but figured it wouldn't hurt. So now I see that today University of Florida researchers say that microwaving sponges helps to kill bacteria! Where's my scientific contribution notation?
In all, Bush's State of the Union wasn't the worst. It also wasn't the best. He wasn't too surprising and made no new policy initiatives or directions. Like the rest of his presidency, basically lackluster. All talk, no game.

Some interesting, and not so interesting facts concerning the United States State of the Union addresses:

-The first State of the Union message was given by George Washington in 1790. It was also the shortest message (833 words).
-The longest State of the Union Message was given in 1946 by President Harry Truman. It was over 25,000 words long!
-President Franklin Roosevelt gave 12 State of the Union Messages – more than any other President.
-President Calvin Coolidge was the first President to give a State of the Union Message over the radio (1923).
-President Harry Truman was the first President to give his State of the Union Message on television (1947).

And as a special treat, I've also looked up the approval ratings of all presidents since Truman as they left office. Its funny, that “moral degenerate” Bill Clinton ranks higher than Ronald Reagan!

End-of Presidency Job Approval Ratings

Bill Clinton (2 terms, D, 2001)
65% VP Gore (D) wins popular vote but Bush (R) wins electoral college vote
Ronald Reagan (2 terms, R, 1989)
64% VP Bush (R) defeats Dukakis (D)
Dwight Eisenhower (2 terms, R, 1961)
59% Kennedy (D) defeats Nixon (R)
John F. Kennedy(partial term, D, 1963)
63% (VP) Johnson (D) defeats Goldwater (R)
George Bush(1 term, R, 1993)
56% Clinton (D) defeats Bush (R)
Gerald Ford (partial term, R, 1977)
53% Carter (D) defeats Ford (R)
Lyndon Johnson(1+ terms, D, 1969)
49% Nixon (R) defeats Humphrey (Johnson did not run) (D)
Jimmy Carter(1 term, D, 1981)
34% Reagan (R) defeats Carter (D)
Richard Nixon(partial term, R, 1974)
24% Carter (D) defeats (VP) Ford

(Its funny to note from this official list of exit ratings that Carter's approval was so low. I wonder what his approval rating would be now?)

A note to readers:
Any racial epithets herein are observations as to what said person might be saying, thinking, or doing. These are drawn from past experiences or unsubstantiated rumors from these persons. No offense is intended. I'm not Michael Richards or Mel Gibson. Although I think that a person not in public office should be able to say what they want, whether they mean it or not. I think that's why I generally oppose hate crimes legislation.

A Year of Loss

Governor Ann Richards-Texas (D)

September 1, 1933 to September 13, 2006

The Voice has been absent from here for sometime now and a more thought out tribute it forthcoming, but I would be remiss if I didn't take a short second to remember the life of a woman who is sure to become one of America's most beloved political personalities, moreso posthumously than in life.



Governor Ann Richards provided spice, variety, wit, plain common wisdom, savvy, know-how, progressiveness, frankness, spirited leadership, and colorful national attention not only to the arena of politics, but to the courage of American democracy throughout the world.

While decidedly unfairly defeated by a Karl Rove George W. Bush political machine, Governor Richards went on to become a national player on the Democratic commentary scene appearing numerous times on Larry King Live and as a political analyst.

Governor Richards, we miss you already. What with the death of Lloyd Bentsen and you, where are Texans, and Americans for that matter, to turn when we need a firey Texas Democrat?

God bless you, Governor Richards.