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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Mexico City today warned North Korea that a Taepodong missile launch would have consequences.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday a potential missile launch by North Korea would be a provocative act that would have consequences for talks on Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions.

Clinton’s comments came as a U.S. official said North Korea had positioned what is believed to be a long-range ballistic missile on a launch pad in what could be a preparation for a launch.

“We have made it very clear that the North Koreans pursue this pathway at a cost and with consequences to the six-party talks which we would like to see revived and moving forward as quickly as possible,” she told reporters on a visit to Mexico City.

“This provocative action … will not go unnoticed and there will be consequences,” she said.

Flap previously noted that North Korea was readying the Taepodong-2 missile for launch and that the missile threatened Alaska, Hawaii and parts of the Western continenetal United States.

Japan has threatened to shoot down the North Korean missile but the United States does have Aegis missile defense assets in the region.

As for US intercept plans, the Navy left two Aegis missile defense ships behind from the armada sent to the Sea of Japan for war games. Could the US shooter be the USS John S. McCain?

Now that Hillary has issue the warning of consequences will the United States deploy its missile defense assets and shoot down the missile or will they merely suspend the 6-party talks should they launch?

The scheduled test is due in the April 4 – 8 time frame.

Will this be President Obama’s fitst major test as President?

Well, the LEFT continues its relentless attack against Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

The second ethics complaint in a week against Gov. Sarah Palin alleges a conflict of interest when she wore Arctic Cat logo gear during this year’s Tesoro Iron Dog snowmachine race.

Arctic Cat sponsors Palin’s husband, Todd, in the world’s longest snowmachine race, Big Lake to Nome to Fairbanks.

But Palin, in a statement sent to news media this afternoon under the headline “Latest Bogus Ethics Complaint,” said the criticism is unjustified.

“Yes, I wore Arctic Cat snow gear at an outdoor event, because it was cold outside, and by the way, today, I am wearing clothes bearing the names of Alaska artists, and a Glennallen Panthers basketball hoodie. I am a walking billboard for the team’s fundraiser! Should I expect to see an ethics charge for wearing these, or the Carhartts I wear to many public events? How much will this blogger’s asinine political grandstanding cost all of us in time and money?”

Linda Kellen Biegel, a Democrat who blogs under the name “Celtic Diva,” said in her complaint that Palin “improperly used her position and state resources to serve her personal financial interests by being a walking billboard for Arctic Cat, a private for-profit company and family business sponsor.”

What a bunch of crap – just like many of the FLAP’s regarding Palin.

Sarah must continue to be a big threat to the LEFT for them to continually promote this nonsense.

North Korea is preparing a Taepodong-2 ICBM missile which could threaten Alaska, Hawaii and the Western United States for testing within a few weeks.

North Korea has positioned a Taepodong-2 missile on the launchpad at its facility in Musudan in the east of the country, U.S. officials told NBC News on Wednesday.

Pyongyang has said it intends to use the missile to launch a satellite into space. The North Koreans issued an international notice that the launch may occur sometime between April 4 through the 8th.

According to the U.S. officials, while two stages of the missile can be seen, the top is covered with a shroud supported by a crane.

But now that the missile is on the pad, the launch itself could come within a matter of days, a likelihood that has sparked a flurry of diplomatic activity as the event would be in violation of a U.N. ban prohibiting the country from ballistic activity. Some fear the launch is a cover for the test-fire of long-range missile technology.

North Korea has described the pending launch a “peaceful space launch,” but U.S. officials and experts say it would employ the very same technology used to launch ballistic missiles, and if successful it would be the first proof that North Korea would have the ability to launch a ballistic missile against at least Alaska or Hawaii.

Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair testified before Congress that a successful test of a three-stage rocket would demonstrate North Korea’s ability to reach the continental United States with a ballistic missile.

Japan has threatened to shoot down the North Korean missile but the United States does have Aegis missile defense assets in the region.

As for US intercept plans, the Navy left two Aegis missile defense ships behind from the armada sent to the Sea of Japan for war games. Could the US shooter be the USS John S. McCain?

And, what was the Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff saying the other day:“Ballistic missiles are about as passé as sea mail. Nobody does it anymore.”

The Democrats, including President Obama have never been big fans of the missile defense agency or the concept of national missile defense that accelerated its work under President Bush. But, why now, with an imminent threat would the United States begin to scale back its program and eliminate deployments of interceptors.

How stupid……

The latest polling is not favorable to incumbent Pennsylvania GOP Senator Arlen Specter.

Sen. Arlen Specter’s decision to come out against the Employee Free Choice Act might have come at just the right time.
 
The Pennsylvania Republican trails former Rep. Pat Toomey by double digits in the first head-to-head poll of their ensuing primary match-up.

The Quinnipiac poll, released Wednesday, shows the embattled Specter behind Toomey, 41-27, even though 73 percent of Republicans say they don’t know enough about the challenger to form an opinion.
 
The poll comes on the heels of Specter’s announcement Tuesday that he would vote against cloture on the union-organizing Employee Free Choice Act, or card-check. Specter’s decision will likely kill the bill for this Congress, as he was a pivotal vote, and should help his standing with some conservatives.
 
The Quinnipiac poll was conducted before Specter’s announcement Tuesday afternoon. It echoes a Susquehanna poll from last month that showed 66 percent of GOP voters want someone new and only 26 percent would vote to keep Specter.

Obviously, Specter is moving RIGHT to shore up GOP primary support. First, it is the Card Check announcement and today Specter will be meeting with Grover Norquist’s weekly conservative meeting. Norquist has supported Specter in the past.

But….. those photos of all of the Democrats back slapping Specter for his vote on the Obama Economic Stimulus Bill (only 1 of 3 GOP Senators to do so) will be coming back to bite Specter in the ass come primary election time.

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Senator Arlen Specter: I AM Running as a Republican on the Republican Ticket

GOP Senators Collins, Specter and Snowe: COMRADES of the Month

Pat Toomey to Challenge GOP Senator Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania Primary Race?

Well, Senator Strickland won’t be joining the Los Angeles Lakers but he will be joining the professional Los Angeles Lightening professional basketball team.

State Sen. Tony Strickland will join the Los Angeles Lightning for its season debut, May 2, against the Edmonton Energy in the Gilbert Sports Arena at California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks.

“I’m excited about it,” said the Moorpark Republican, who stands 6-feet-5 and played hoops at Whittier College nearly two decades ago. “I’m as serious about my basketball as I am about my politics.”

Strickland said he knows the Lightning’s owner, Mark Harwell, who was aware of the legislator’s love for basketball and invited him to join the team for one game, perhaps more.

“It didn’t take me long to say yes,” Strickland said.

The Los Angeles Lightning is a member of the professional International Basketball League, which began play in 2005.

Flap supposes this is a healthy hobby for the near 40 year old Strickland and certainly will relieve the stress of State Capitol machinations. And, since the home games are here in Thousand Oaks, Ventura county voters will know where their Senator is on the weekends – on the Cal Lutheran court.

The Lightning will play 14 of their 18 games at Cal Lutheran, starting on May 2-3 against the Edmonton Energy of Alberta, Canada. Games will start at 7 p.m. on Saturdays and 5:30 p.m. on Sundays. In the next two weeks, tickets will be available online at Ticketmaster.com, at all Ticketmaster outlets or to charge tickets by phone, call 800-745-3000.

The Los Angeles Lightening schedule is here.

More symbolism over substance and Bush bashing from the Obama Administration.

The end of the Global War on Terror — or at least the use of that phrase — has been codified at the Pentagon. Reports that the phrase was being retired have been circulating for some time amongst senior administration officials, and this morning speechwriters and other staff were notified via this e-mail to use “Overseas Contingency Operation” instead.

“Recently, in a LtGen [John] Bergman, USMC, statement for the 25 March [congressional] hearing, OMB required that the following change be made before going to the Hill,” Dave Riedel, of the Office of Security Review, wrote in an e-mail.

“OMB says: ‘This Administration prefers to avoid using the term “Long War” or “Global War on Terror” [GWOT]. Please use “Overseas Contingency Operation.’”

Riedel asked recipients to “Please pass on to your speech writers and try to catch this change before the statements make it to OMB.”

President Obama recently ordered an additional 17,000 troops to Afghanistan to fight in this war against Islamic extremists.

“This increase is necessary to stabilize a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, which has not received the strategic attention, direction and resources it urgently requires,” Obama said in a written statement.

“The Taliban is resurgent in Afghanistan, and al Qaeda supports the insurgency and threatens America from its safe haven along the Pakistani border.”

This “OPERATION” sounds like a WAR to me. Has the mission changed or do you want to change the name to show disdain to President Bush?

So, what gives, Mr. President?