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Ex President Bill Clinton missing for some time since skipping on a lecture in Scotland has been found. A Canadian newspaper found Bubba holding hands with a new friend. (Picture Included)

I didn't think anyone could irritate me more than Shepard Smith, the guy who hits people standing in his parking space. Now I tune in to the "Happy Hour" show on Fox Business Channel. And I see some guy named Cody Willard. What's up with that?

JAY LENO: On Tuesday my first guest won the Michigan primary in the Republican Presidential race. That makes him a real contender in an election that is pretty much anybody's guess at this point. Please welcome Mitt Romney. (Applause.) JAY LENO: Thanks for coming. I appreciate your making the trip. MITT ROMNEY: Thank you. Good to be here. JAY LENO: And congratulations on Michigan. That was exciting. MITT ROMNEY: Very exciting for me. JAY LENO: You got the gold. You almost took the silver. Got the gold. MITT ROMNEY: I got Wyoming, too; so two golds, two silvers. That's not...

Urges health council to bar infirmaries from opening in city Mayor Thomas M. Menino embarked on a highly public campaign yesterday to block CVS Corp. and other retailers from opening medical clinics inside their stores, an effort that exposed a rift between Menino and the state's public health commissioner, a longtime ally. Menino blasted state regulators for paving the way Wednesday for the in-store clinics, which are designed to provide treatment for sore throats, poison ivy, and other minor illnesses. The decision by the state Public Health Council, "jeopardizes patient safety," Menino said in a written statement. "Limited service medical...

Mitt Romney said last year that it would be “akin to a nightmare” to have to fund his presidential campaign out of his personal fortune. But I can think of worse things. One would be spending $20 million of your money . . . and then losing. Forget “akin to” - that would be the politician’s ultimate nightmare. So now Mitt Romney is about to find out how much it costs to buy - or fail to buy - an election in 2008. A lot more than the $6 million it cost him to buy the Massachusetts governorship in 2002,...

The great burden of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's presidential campaign is that he is the sole Republican competing in all of the key early contests that begin with next Thursday's Iowa caucus. That could also prove Romney's great opportunity. Both Iowa and New Hampshire remain within his reach, something no other Republican can say. One by one, each of Romney's competitors has retreated to a regional stronghold strategy. Mike Huckabee, an ordained Baptist minister, is running hard in Iowa and in South Carolina -- two states where he benefits from the large presence of evangelical conservatives -- but is...

(CNSNews.com) - Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney was asked about his "retreat" on gun control Sunday, just one of the issues raised in his appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press." Host Tim Russert asked Romney about his earlier support for strong gun control laws, noting that in his 1994 Senate race againt Ted Kennedy, Romney backed two gun-control measures -- the Brady Bill with its waiting period on gun sales; and the renewal of a 1994 ban on "assault" weapons. At the time, Romney said he didn't "line up with the NRA." But when he decided to run for president,...

In the race for the Republican Presidential Nomination, Rudy Giuliani continues to lead nationwide with 24% support. Surging Mike Huckabee now attracts 15% of Likely Republican Primary Voters nationwide, Fred Thompson earns 14%, John McCain is the top choice for 13% and Mitt Romney remains in double digits at 10%. Ron Paul attracts 5% of Likely Republican Primary voters nationwide and no other Republican candidate reaches 2% (see recent daily numbers). Results for the Presidential Tracking Poll are obtained through nightly telephone interviews and reported on a four-day rolling average basis. Roughly half of the interviews for today’s update were...

Among the top tier Republican candidates, Rush says that only Fred has been a consistent conservative. You have been given your marching orders. Now you know who to vote for. RUSH: …the genuine moderate as opposed to conservative aspects of three of the top-tier, four of the top-tier candidates were on full-fledged display last night. There was one candidate who did not display any moderateness or liberalism or have any of his past forays into those areas displayed, and that candidate was Fred Thompson. … …we have a campaign now where most of the candidates are not genuine conservatives. They...

ST. PETERSBURG -- Mitt Romney bought himself a victory in the straw poll for Republicans at a rain-shortened barbecue in Vinoy Park. Romney got 893 votes, besting second-place Ron Paul's 534 -- despite Paul's shuttling in supporters on a rented trolley and shuttle. The campaign had a plane sporting pro-Paul slogans and a boat touting him, too. In fact, Paul supporters dominated the crowd, which reached an estimated 1,000 people. Tickets for votes cost $20 each. So how did Romney do it? "I voted 20 times," Derek Gyongzois, 38, of St. Petersburg exclaimed after casting ballots. He said he works...

The colorful brochure from Mitt Romney's presidential campaign looks like many of the political fliers flooding Iowa mail boxes this time of the year. But there is a difference. The piece is Romney's first to single out his rivals by name, a shift that shows him becoming more aggressive in the final weeks before the Jan. 3 caucuses. The mailing juxtaposes photos and quotes from Romney showing his support for a federal constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman with photos and quotes showing Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and Fred Thompson all oppose...

I believe I represent the average Republican voter, or at least a significant slice of the R base. My positions - in no particular order - are as follows: Immigration - Amnesty is a deal breaker. If they are here illegally and we come into contact with them, send them home. Iraq - We were winning, we are winning, and we will win. The various pitfalls and difficulties that we have had do not equal defeat. We need a President to stand firm, and to fire all the traitors(I am not using this word lightly) in the State Department and...

Thompson skids while Romney, Paul climb in N.H. pollCNN 19 November 2007 WASHINGTON (CNN) – Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson has skidded into sixth place in a new CNN/WMUR poll of likely Republican voters in New Hampshire, edged out by ex-Libertarian and anti-war congressman Ron Paul and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney topped the poll, widening a lead he has held for months in neighboring New Hampshire, while Arizona Sen. John McCain and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani were running close in the second and third spots. The CNN/WMUR poll was conducted by...

In September, I posted another vanity (linked below) in which I observed that the historical trends in this election favored Fred Thompson. Since then, his RCP average has dropped from about 22% to 16-17%. In the more volatile Rasmussen daily tracking poll, he has also dropped to 16%, about a 10 point drop from his post announcement high. In light of the above poll numbers, is it time for me to issue a mea culpa? No. This is not at all inconsistent with the hypothesis of my previous post. Neither of the successful insurgent candidates in modern times, Reagan or...

Romney puffs up his record. Summary Mitt Romney casts himself as tough on illegal immigration in a new ad in which he says that, as Massachusetts governor, "I authorized the State Police to enforce immigration laws." He doesn't mention that his order never took effect. It came in the closing days of his administration and was rescinded by his successor, as we wrote back in August. He also promises, "As president, I'll . . . cut funding for sanctuary cities." Maybe so, but as governor he took no action against several such towns in his state. We find Romney misleading...

COLUMBIA, South Carolina — Maybe Mitt Romney should study his family tree. Surprised to see a distant relative in the front row at a campaign stop Wednesday, the Republican presidential hopeful interrupted his education speech at a children's museum to introduce her. "In the front row over here is my niece, Heather Glenn," Romney said. "That's probably not your last name anymore, Heather. But Heather is a school teacher. Are you a school teacher?" "No. I'm a pediatrician," she responded. "She's a pediatrician," Romney said, to laughter. "Deals with kids. I haven't seen Heather in, um, 20 years. Good to...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 — Visitors to Gay.com can sign up to find the perfect dating partner, advice on sex and how-to articles on same-sex marriage and parenting. Over the course of at least two days in August, they may well also have seen banner advertisements about the Republican presidential candidacy of Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, according to an analysis of campaign Web advertising provided by the Nielsen Online, AdRelevance, monitoring service. At least 32,000 times over those two days, users clicking on the site got a Romney ad like one saying “Mitt Romney for President — Join Team...

Former Ambassador Thomas Melady Endorses Governor Mitt RomneyTuesday, Nov 06, 2007 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Kevin Madden (857) 288-6390Boston, MA – Today, Governor Mitt Romney announced that Ambassador Thomas Melady, the former U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican from 1989 to 1993, has endorsed his candidacy for President of the United States. Making today's announcement, Ambassador Melady said, "In Governor Mitt Romney, I have found a candidate who represents the family values that are so important to me. His appreciation for the value of a strong family is clearly exhibited in his vision for America. He understands that every decision he...

Kathryn thinks Thompson's answer on abortion was muddled. (Between the muddiness and meandering, he's the Mississippi River of political rhetoric.) But I'll just note that for wary pro-lifers, Fred Thompson can say something that Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani can't, which is, "look at my record." Maybe that won't be enough for some people; maybe they'll conclude that Romney is speaking more boldly and making more credible promises. But it seems that one way or another, pro-lifers are going to have to compromise with a less than ideal candidate this cycle. Besides Giuliani's obvious flaws and Romney's conversion on the...

WASHINGTON — Influential conservatives said Wednesday that Mitt Romney’s naming of Sen. Jim DeMint as a national chairman of his presidential campaign will help the former Massachusetts governor woo bedrock Republicans in South Carolina and beyond. Romney named DeMint one of three national co-chairmen, along with Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire and Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt. Romney, who has moved into the top tier of GOP White House candidates, said the three men “bring an incredible depth of knowledge and experience to our campaign to build a stronger America with a stronger military, stronger economy and stronger families.” David...

The big news on Fred Thompson's site is the endorsement of Tom McClintock, a popular and conservative state senator. Nothing on Hillary's comment in the debates last night, although his immigration and border security plan is still high on the front page. I think this is another example of Thompson's strategy of choosing to not do the things the media think he should be doing. Romney and Giuliani were quick out of the box to jump on Hillary's statement and denounce driver's licenses for illegal immigrants. Today, that'll show up in every story; the dominant story of the day is...

The Boston Globe’s lead: "The eight Republican candidates for president held a fiery debate last night filled with charges and confrontations about who is a true conservative and "real Republican" as they defended their stands on issues such as abortion, gay marriage, and taxes." The Los Angeles Times headlines the Thompson-Giuliani skirmishes. And it adds, "With groans and cheers, more than 3,000 spectators in the convention hall punctuated the scrappy back-and-forth among the candidates." The New York Times: “The debate stood out for the intensity and personal nature of the exchanges, as Republicans tried to distinguish themselves — a tactic...

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and his rivals for the Republican nomination will face a tough crowd when they address the religious conservatives at the Values Voter Summit starting Friday. “I think what we can expect is a lot of folks talking about how dissatisfied they are with the choices they have,” former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) said. Giuliani’s positions on abortion and gay rights continue to dog him as he looks for support within the leadership of the religious conservative movement, and those leaders say they want to hear more from the former mayor this weekend than...

Although there are hundreds of ways to look at the fight for the GOP presidential nomination, increasingly it looks as if the South Carolina primary could end up as the pivotal contest. Right now, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's early focus on Iowa and New Hampshire appears to have paid off: He sports a big advantage over former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Sen. Fred Thompson in Iowa, but recent polling suggests that Giuliani may have closed some of the gap in New Hampshire. At least for the moment, neither candidate seems to be on the verge...

Like every great sales pitch, Mitt Romney's case for Mitt Romney is low on the hard sell. At the Sheraton Hotel here one recent morning, the boasting is handled by a former governor of South Carolina, who opens this "Ask Mitt Anything" session with a precis of the candidate's career. This includes academic achievements (Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School "in four years!") and election as governor of Massachusetts in 2002, which is described in a tone befitting a miracle. "He ran for governor in the bluest state of all blue states," says James Edwards, "the bluest state you...

Public support for Mitt Romney increased dramatically in the Palmetto State, according to a poll by American Research Group. 26 per cent of Republican Party supporters in the South Carolina would vote for the former Massachusetts governor in the 2008 United States presidential primary, up 17 points since August. Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani is second with 23 per cent, followed by Arizona senator John McCain with 15 per cent, and actor and former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson with 10 per cent.

When Mitt Romney appeared last week (via closed circuit from California) before the Council of Retired Chief Executives meeting in Washington, he faced kindred souls: rich Republicans who had managed big enterprises. Yet the second question from the audience inquired whether Romney's Mormon faith was hurting his quest for the Republican presidential nomination. He replied that about the only people who brought up his religion were members of the news media, an answer that simply is untrue. Romney is asked about Mormonism wherever he goes. In my travels, I find his religious preference cited everywhere as the source of opposition...

For the past nine months, Mitt Romney has had a clear and explicit strategy: win Iowa, win New Hampshire and hope the momentum from those victories would carry him to the Republican nomination. For eight months, that strategy appeared to be working. But there are now signs of trouble in New Hampshire. Romney has experienced a September slide in the Granite State. At the beginning of last month, his standing in New Hampshire hovered around 30 percent. Today, it's closer to 25 percent. Three polls in the past week have recorded a decline in his support, with Rudy Giuliani and...

Mitt Romney is debuting a new ad in which he challenges Republicans to get back to their historic principles: "If we're going to change Washington, Republicans have to put our own house in order,” warns Romney, as he walks towards the camera. “We can't be like Democrats – a party of big spending. We can't pretend our borders are secure from illegal immigration. We can't have ethical standards that are a punch line for Jay Leno.” Romney adds, “When Republicans act like Democrats, America loses. It's time for Republicans to start acting like Republicans. It's time for a change and...

Ever since before it was arguably complete, there has been an "upper tier" of candidates for the Republican nomination. If the top tier is determined by early polling in States with early nominating contests, the upper tier would be Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, and Fred Thompson. If the top tier is determined by national polling, the upper tier would be Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, and John McCain. Fundraising? It would be Rudy (and Romney, if you include self-donations). Well, there is a sort of early revolution going on in the GOP with this upper tier nonsense. The candidate who cavalierly...

SALEM, N.H. - Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney in an interview Monday dismissed concerns he's too nice to be a viable candidate in a vicious race, proving it by taking a swipe at yet-to-announced GOP rival Fred Thompson. "We all get the chance to go on the talk shows. But it's not the sort of questions you get in the debates or the town meetings that I've had," Romney said in an Associated Press interview, alluding to plans by Thompson to formally announced his candidacy during a planned Wednesday night appearance on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno." "The talk show...

Hillary Clinton's aides have launched a characteristically withering attack against two long-expected biographies of the Democratic presidential front-runner. Bill and Hillary Clinton. Mrs Clinton's senate spokesman referred to the upcoming biographies as 'cash for rehash' They have dismissed one as "totally discredited" because of a single disputed anecdote, and claim that both simply rehash old ground. The former First Lady's battle-hardened war machine is suspected of leaking at least one of the books so that it could launch a co-ordinated rebuttal campaign and take the steam out of the revelations before their official publication next month. In a suspiciously well-prepared...

Suppose the GOP candidate in ‘08 were a conservative who communicates better than George W., has excellent executive experience, knows how to appeal to a wide range of voters, and runs on constructive conservative ideas? Of all the current candidates, only Governor Mitt Romney fits that bill. With Hillary heading the Dem pack, a strong GOP candidate is essential. We live in dangerous times, and the Dems are still hiding their heads in the sand—so a strong GOP president in 2008 may turn out to be crucial for national security. Romney is a personally attractive candidate, but he’s more than...

<p>FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON ON NOT CAPTURING BIN LADEN: 'At least I tried. That's the difference between me and some, including all the right wingers. They ridicule me for trying. They had eight months to try, they did not try. I tried. So I tried and failed'...</p>

A man walking his poodle near the Public Garden detects his Dog acting strangely and looks down to discover it has snatched up a rat in its jaws.Down the block, a couple on an evening stroll among the shops and bistros on Newbury Street encounter several of the gray rodents congregating under a bush.Michael Ross, the district city councilor, visits a friend in the Back Bay and looks out the living room window. "I saw seven rats the size of small children," said Ross with a tremor of disgust.........

Tuesday, May 16, I was wakened from a deep sleep at 5:30 am by something biting me, I leapt out of bed and turned on the closet light to see a large rat run under the covers. I was later informed by a lady two streets over that we are under a sudden rat invasion. I had never seen a trace of a rat in my home. I took my bloody thumb to the sink and washed the wound throughly and put alchol on it, then repeated about ten mins later. I called my physician who told me to go...

WASHINGTON (AP) - The impeachment of former President Bill Clinton is in a gray area of history, too long ago to be a current event, too recent to be judged in perspective. Yet history is already judging Clinton in the place where millions of students get their information about him - textbooks. Seven years after he was impeached in a scandal of sex, perjury and bitter politics, Clinton has become a fixture in major high school texts. The impeachment is portrayed in the context of his two-term tenure, a milestone event, but not one that overshadows how Clinton handled the...

Foster: The problem today is that evangelism has reached the point of diminishing returns. I talk with people and they say, "What am I to be converted to? I look at Christians and statistically they aren't any different." You want to be able to point to people who are really different. Willard: … and people who are running a bank or a school, or functioning in government, maybe even in the military. What we need is more examples of people who actually have character that is Christlike. Isaiah brought up this problem of people whose lips are "near me" but...

Your Place In This World -- Dallas Willard Not so long ago, you have participated in commencement. I don’t altogether like the word commencement that suggests beginning. It doesn’t do justice to what you have already done. Nevertheless, there is a certain point to the word. You’re going through a change; you are commencing. I think perhaps the words that best capture the change are words like responsibility, effectiveness, and opportunity. You’re going out and will be on your own in a way you haven’t been before. That is what we were made for. Consider the wonderful words in Ephesians...

“Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, God will honor.” Jesus (John 12:26) In July, 2002, Dallas Willard spoke at the Washington, D.C. Servant Leadership School. In conversation over lunch one day, Gordon Cosby asked Dallas, “Why do churches and ministries so often lose the essence of their founding vision, to the point that the resulting institution, years later, is quite unlike the original dream? What happens along the way?” This essay is Dallas’s response to that question. We are grateful to him for his gift of words...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 30 - Planners for President Bush's inauguration next month have scheduled a full lineup of exclusive parties and receptions for top Republican fund-raisers. But some of those V.I.P.'s say the perks come with a price tag they cannot afford. Attending the entire slate of events during the three days of inauguration festivities could easily top $10,000 in tickets and other expenses for a fund-raiser bringing a spouse or guest. Some who helped bankroll the president's campaign, particularly young fund-raisers or those participating for the first time, are looking for ways to economize or are just planning to skip...

Interviewed by Andy Peck for Christianity + Renewal magazine, a United Kingdom publication, May 2002. Kingdom Living AP: In your first book, Spirit of the Disciplines, you pose the question "are we disciples of Jesus or merely Christians by modern standards?" Clearly you are concerned about the state of discipleship in the American Church. What alarms you most? DW: That the issue of discipleship is thought of as totally irrelevant to being a Christian which carries over to obedience to Christ’s teaching. The basic question ‘will I obey Christ ’s teaching?’ is rarely taken as a serious issue. For example,...

President Clinton was born William Jefferson Blythe IV on August 19, 1946, in Hope, Arkansas, three months after his father died in a traffic accident. When he was four years old, his mother wed Roger Clinton, of Hot Springs, Arkansas. In high school, he took the family name. He excelled as a student and as a saxophone player and once considered becoming a professional musician. As a delegate to Boys Nation while in high school, he met President John Kennedy in the White House Rose Garden. The encounter led him to enter a life of public service.

The best parts of Bill's new book are right here. Bill Clinton’s $10 million autobiography, My Life, comes out this month. While the book will cover the accomplishments of the best president we’ve had since the last Bush disaster dragged us into recession and war, 99 percent of its readers will buy it for the three pages devoted to Monica Lewinsky. To save you plowing through acres of nostalgic wonkery (and $21), here they are: "Come in Ms Lewinsky," I said. It was a bright morning in the fall of 1995. I had no idea that this would be a...

How To Be a Disciple by Dallas Willard Dallas Willard is a professor of philosophy at the University of Southern California. This article is adapted from The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God, by Dallas Willard. Reprinted by arrangement with HarperSanFrancisco, a division of HarperCollinsPublishers. This article appeared in The Christian Century, April 22-29, 1998, pp. 430-439. Copyright by The Christian Century Foundation, used by permission. Current articles and subscription information can be found at www.christiancentury.org. This article was prepared for Religion Online by Harry W. and Grace C. Adams. ------------------------- Being a disciple or apprentice of Jesus...

Spiritual Formation in Christ: A Perspective on What it is and How it Might be Done ----------------------------------------------------- "... until Christ be formed in you." (Gal. 4:19) "Spiritual formation" is a phrase that has recently rocketed onto the lips and into the ears of Protestant Christians with an abruptness that is bound to make a thoughtful person uneasy. If it is really so important, not to mention essential, then why is it so recent? It must be just another passing fad in Protestant religiosity, increasingly self-conscious and threatened about "not meeting the needs of the people." And, really, isn't spiritual formation...

The Absurdity of 'Thinking in Language' This paper has been read to the University of Southern California philosophy group and the Boston 1972 meeting of the American Philosophical Association, as well as to the Houston meeting of the Southwestern Philosophical Society. Appeared in The Southwestern Journal of Philosophy, IV(1973), pp. 125-132. Numbers in "<>" refer to this journal. Among the principal assumptions of major portions of philosophy in recent decades have been: (1) That philosophy somehow consists of (some sort of) logic, and (2) that logic is a study of and theory about (some sort of) language. There, of...

Fast Food Scraps Threaten Rat Plague? Aug 1, 10:38 am ET LONDON (Reuters) - Britain is facing a sharp rise in its rat population as growing numbers of people leave fast food scraps in the street, an environment group warned on Thursday. Keep Britain Tidy said the rodents were abandoning their traditional haunts underground and were roaming the streets, enticed by discarded remnants of burgers, pizzas and crisps. "The rat population is on the rise and soon it'll be as common to see a rodent on our street as it is to see a dog or a cat," said group...

Australian blonde bombshell TV star Charlotte Dawson is denying she had sex with ex-President Bill Clinton after the two were spotted slipping away together at a speaking event for what one New Zealand newspaper described as a "date." "Dawson looked stunning in an outfit flown over from Sydney, (Australia) for her date with former American president Bill Clinton," reported New Zealand's Sunday News. "He was a really nice bloke, and very charming, but nothing went down," insisted the buxom Dawson, after New Zealand's "Women's Day" reported that the couple had a "secret, late-night rendezvous" while Clinton was down under for...

Rats chewed on a dozen bodies being stored in a refrigerated, converted garage behind the coroner's office because the main lab was full, officials said Monday. Some of the 61 bodies had been inside the storage unit since 1995 but the rat infestation was not discovered until late February, coroner's spokesman David Campbell said.