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Tony Strickland for California State Senate, 19th District and Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca who has endorsed him.

Tony Strickland photo courtesy of Kevin Korenthal

From the press release:

Tony Strickland is pleased to announce that he has formed an advisory committee on public safety which consists of the top law enforcement officials in our community and will serve as a valuable resource for this important issue.

Members of the committee include Ventura County Sheriff Bob Brooks, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, Ventura County District Attorney Greg Totten, former Ventura County Deputy District Attorney Jeff Gorell, CHP District Director Shawn Stevens, Ventura County Fire Chief Bob Roper, former Santa Barbara Sheriff Jim Thomas and Thousand Oaks City Councilmember and former Chief of Police Dennis Gillette, all of whom support Strickland’s bid for State Senate.

“It is critical that we have representatives in Sacramento who understand the needs of law enforcement and will work to make our families safe. Tony Strickland not only understands this but has always remained committed to making public safety his top priority. The creation of the Public Safety Advisory Committee will strengthen Tony’s solid safety record by providing access to a wealth of public safety knowledge and experience,” said Sheriff Brooks.

Strickland has amassed a number of high profile law enforcement officials in his campaign for California Senate. They will provide an invaluable resource and advocacy to his candidacy.

Ventura County Sheriff Bob Brooks who also has endorsed Tony Strickland for California Senate

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Tony Strickland Watch: Precinct Walk Saturday April 19, 2008

Tony Strickland Watch: Upcoming Lompoc Campaign Event Tonight

Pennsylvania Radio Ad

Doesn’t Ron Paul REALLY have something ELSE to do with his life? Paul has lost the GOP nomination to John McCain why spend the money attacking him?

Ron Paul has TV ads too:

Well, the Paulites gave all of that money, Flap supposes Congressman Ron aims to spend it – even in a futile, self-aggrandizing way.

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Ron Paul Suspends His Presidential Campaign

US Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) takes the stage after her husband, former President Bill Clinton (L), to address a crowd of supporters in Market Square in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on April 21, 2008.

Controlled excitement is building inside of Clinton’s inner circle as closely guarded internal polling shows the former first lady with an 11-point lead in Pennsylvania!

Clinton is polling near to nearly 2 to 1 over Obama in many regions of the state, a top insider explained to the DRUDGE REPORT.

A strong coalition of middle-class and religious voters has all but secured a Clinton victory Tuesday, with headline-making margins, the campaign believes.

“It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of how much,” a senior campaign source said Monday morning.

When pressed if the dramatic internal polling numbers could somehow be flawed in a state as demographically complex as Pennsylvania, and with new voter registration surging to unseen levels, the campaign insider held firm.

“Senator Obama would be wise not to unpack his bags quite yet.”

With less than 24 hours to go until the beginning of the end of primary season voting, Obama has handedly captured Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, but has failed to dominate suburban sprawl, the campaign’s polling reveals.

An 11-point victory in Pennsylvania for Clinton would expand on margins scored in Ohio.

Clinton will quickly move to feverishly focus on Indiana starting Tuesday night, hoping to somehow convince superdelegates that she not only has superior stamina but has crucial swing state appeal.

Without superdelegate intervention, Clinton still faces impossible math to nomination.

And, Flap has been wondering why is Hillary up so much?

Hillary is being outspent, out campaign advertised and has high negative polling.

Could it be Pennsylvania voters have learned how RADICAL Barack Obama REALLY is? Did the recent revelation of Obama’s association with left-wing, anti-Vietnam War, Weather Underground bomber William Ayers and Obama’s comparison of Ayers with Dr. and Senator Tom Coburn have something to do with Obama’s fall?

Probably.

William Ayers, Tom Coburn and Barack Obama

Listen to John McCain on ABC national television yesterday criticizing the Obama-William Ayers relationship:

The bloom has come off of the Obama rose and the question for tomorrow and Pennsylvanians is how much?

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Barack Obama Watch: Comparing Bill Ayers and Tom Coburn

Hillary Clinton’s latest TV ad: Harry Truman said it best: if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Who do you think has what it takes?

Again, Hillary channels John McCain. Remember the 3 AM ad?

Obama thinks Hillary is copying Bush.

Spokesman Burton: “It’s ironic that she would borrow the president’s tactics in her own campaign and invoke bin Laden to score political points. We already have a president who plays the politics of fear, and we don’t need another.”

So, who do YOU think has what it takes?

Answer: John McCain

Heartland Dental of Effingham, Illinois

A whistleblower law suit was the start of Heartland Dental’s difficulties with the state of Illinois and the Feds.

An Effingham-based company that manages dental practices in Springfield, Lincoln, Litchfield and dozens of other Illinois communities will pay more than $3 million to resolve allegations of Medicaid fraud and improper prescription writing that arose from a federal whistle-blower lawsuit.

The settlement, involving Heartland Dental Inc. and Heartland chief executive officer Richard E. Workman, was announced Friday by the Springfield office of Rodger Heaton, U.S. attorney for the Central District of Illinois.

Heartland Dental denied any wrongdoing as part of the civil settlement, and Deborah Gersh, one of the company’s lawyers, noted that federal officials made no allegations that any dental procedures were performed unnecessarily or caused any harm to patients.

In the first of civil settlements to resolve the allegations, Heartland agreed to pay $1.65 million — $990,000 to state government and $660,000 to the federal government — to resolve allegations of improper billings to Illinois’ Medicaid program.

In a related settlement, Heartland agreed to pay the federal government $1.35 million to resolve allegations that newly hired dentists in Illinois and other states issued prescriptions for painkillers and antibiotics before those dentists underwent the required federal registration.

According to the U.S. attorney’s office, the first settlement resolved allegations that Heartland submitting claims to Medicaid for tooth restorations when the procedures performed were actually “crown buildups,” which don’t qualify for coverage.

It also was alleged that the company wrongly billed Medicaid tooth extractions as “surgical extractions” — procedures that resulted in higher payments.

Federal officials said the alleged improper Medicaid bills took place from 1999 through October 2005.

How difficult is it to obtain a DEA license? Not very but you have to be dentally licensed and pass the background check. Is Heartland’s credentialing that lacking? Or was it a deliberate oversight?

And, the issue of overbilling Medicaid always seems to be a continual problem for large providers of welfare dentistry. When the government pays, why not game the system? Illinois and Indiana have more generous welfare payments for dentistry as compared to California and other western states.

Under the terms of federal and state laws that encourage citizens to report fraud and allow them to be rewarded, former Heartland employee Lori Jamison will receive $412,500 from the federal government’s $660,000 settlement.

Jamison also will be paid an additional $325,000 by Heartland to take care of her attorney’s fees and related costs.

Jamison, who used to work for one of the companies that merged in 2006 to form Heartland, filed a whistle-blower lawsuit in 2003. That suit, which had been sealed, was unsealed and dismissed Friday in Springfield’s U.S. District Court.

Flap’s advice to dentists (particularly new graduates) is to know who you are working for and scrutinize the billing if you are a Medicaid provider. After all, it is your license to practice that may be affected.

Michael Ramirez on Jimmy Carter negotiating with Hamas

News Item: Carter: Hamas is willing to accept Israel as its neighbor

Hamas, a militant Islamic group that both the U.S. and Israel consider a terrorist organization, calls in its charter for Israel’s destruction. It has also traditionally opposed peace negotiations with the Jewish state.

Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, later said Carter’s comments “do not mean that Hamas is going to accept the result of the referendum.”

Carter’s comments came after his much criticized meetings with the top Hamas leaders in Syria in last week.

Former President Jimmy Carter has NO standing or credibility in these “talks” with the terrorist organization Hamas.

Shouldn’t Hillary and Obama repudiate him as Israel has?

Day By Day by Chris Muir

Flap understands there is new tatoo ink that is amenable to replacement/removal with a laser later in life or when you wish to change the design/location.

Very advisable for tramp stamp removal when older than 25, no?

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