A SAD LOSS

Army major found dead in national cemetery[d]

______________________
GOOD MORNING FLINT!
BY Terry Bankert 6/6/08
You are invited to join me at Face Book http://www.facebook.com/people/Terry_Bankert/645845362 ___________________________
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REFLECTIONS; As our country prepares to realign itself politically we are daily reminded of the two front war with our troops at risk. That risk is physical on the battlefield and emotional later. With respect we express the loss of Major Lance Waldorf.[TRB]

SUICIDE IN THE MILITARY The roll call of Iraq and Afghanistan vets who have committed suicide... continues to grow in an utterly disturbing and rapid manner. [h] We, on the out side of the military hope that there are programs in place for troubled soldiers.[trb] "The war had a great deal to do with this," said Lana Waldorf, about her husband's death. Waldorf said her husband suffered from post-traumatic stress and increasing depression after returning home from serving as a civil affairs specialist in Afghanistan. [d2] "We see a lot of things that are going on in the war which do contribute -- mainly the longtime and multiple deployments away from home, exposure to really terrifying and horrifying things, the easy availability of loaded weapons and a force that's very, very busy right now," said Col. Elspeth Ritchie, psychiatric consultant to the Army surgeon general.[A]

MILITARY SUICIDE IN OAKLAND COUNTY The body of an Oakland County U.S. Army major, an apparent suicide, was found about 2 p.m. Monday by a Great Lakes National Cemetery caretaker.[d] "Anyone coming back from a war where they have seen killing, where they have seen death, where they have feared for their own life, is going to come back with emotional wounds," she told the AP. "Those wounds need to be treated with loving care -- through a church, through the Veterans Administration, through their families. And the government needs to orchestrate this."[h]

A NOTE LEFT Michigan State Police Detective Sgt. Gary Muir said Lance Waldorf, 40, of Bingham Farms, dressed in his military camouflage fatigues, left behind a suicide note and then drove to the 544-acre veteran's cemetery off Belford Road. Waldorf sat down under a tree within view of a lake and ended his life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. [d] "It is a sad, tragic story," said Muir. "He left behind photos and notes to his wife about what he planned to do but with no explanation for his actions or what prompted them. [d] WHY Lana Waldorf, 51, said her husband of seven years suffered from depression as a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder. She only learned of it when she found a document on their printer he had prepared for an appointment at a Veterans Administration hospital.[A] "My husband kept all of this from me," she said. "I read it and was stunned because I had no idea what he was going through."[A]

SCHEDULED FOR DEPLOYMENT "He was scheduled for a deployment to Iraq but there was no indication it -- or anything else for that matter -- played a role in his suicide." [d] Family members could not be reached for comment Wednesday. He is survived by a wife and stepson. [d] Waldorf said her husband, who served with the 414th Battalion out of Southfield, never wavered in his support for the military's mission. She said as a civil affairs officer in Afghanistan, he was responsible for rebuilding roads, schools, hospitals, villages and orphanages.[A] "One of his favorite things was when they would visit the orphanage," she said. "Children just clung to the soldiers. They would hold onto their hands for hours."[A]

20 YEAR COMMISSIONED OFFICER Waldorf was a chartered financial consultant with Merrill Lynch's Auburn Hills office and spent 20 years as a commissioned officer in the United States Army and Army Reserve. He returned home in 2007 after having served two tours in Afghanistan as a civil affairs officer coordinating humanitarian assistance and as a diplomat to the Afghan government. Waldorf was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious service for his accomplishments. [d]

SUICIDE IN THE MILITARY Military officials said last week that Army soldiers committed suicide in 2007 at the highest rate on record. The toll is climbing ever higher this year as long war deployments stretch on.[A] The 115 confirmed suicides among active-duty soldiers and National Guard and Reserve troops who had been activated amounted to a rate of 18.8 per 100,000 troops -- the highest since the Army began keeping records in 1980.[A] The 115 confirmed suicides in 2007 among active-duty soldiers and National Guard and Reserve troops activated amounted to a suicide rate of 18.8 per 100,000 troops, the highest since the Army began documenting such statistics in 1980. And the numbers are growing higher this year with extended deployments.[d2] Visitation for Waldorf will be from 1-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Friday at the McCabe Funeral Home, 31950 W. 12 Mile in Farmington Hills. Services will be 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the NorthRidge Church, 49555 N. Territorial in Plymouth. [d]

MILITARY SHOULD BETTER TREAT THE EMOTIONAL WOUNDS Lana Waldorf believes her husband's depression kept him from aggressively seeking help. She would like the military to institute monthly evaluations for returning soldiers.[A] "Anyone coming back from a war where they have seen killing, where they have seen death, where they have feared for their own life, is going to come back with emotional wounds," she said. "Those wounds need to be treated with loving care -- through a church, through the Veterans Administration, through their families. And the government needs to orchestrate this."[A]

HE SERVED HIS LORD, FAMILY AND COUNTRY "He was a diligent worker and he was a servant of the Lord and always sought to do the right thing," she said. "It is a tremendous loss to my family, to my friends and to my country, and it is a tremendous gain for heaven."[h]
–END

Posted here by Terry Bankert ...
6/03/08 5 Family Mediation and Divorce Practice. http://attorneybankert.com/
Join my political party of preference, http://www.michigandems.com/join.html
Join me in creating a new voice in The Michigan Democratic Party, become a Precinct Delegate. You are invited to join me at Face Book http://www.facebook.com/people/Terry_Bankert/645845362
---
[d] Detroit News http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080604/METRO02/806040451/1361
[D2] Detroit News http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080605/METRO/806050384/1409
[a] AP http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/06/soldiers_wife_says_husband_cou.html
[h] Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-mitchell/another-shocking-vet-suic_b_105255.html
[trb] Comments of Terry Bankert http://attorneybankert.com/
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TAX ON LIVING HUMAN FAT PROPOSED!

Human fat tax discussed!
______________________
GOOD MORNING FLINT! BY Terry Bankert 6/5/08
You are invited to join me at Face Book http://www.facebook.com/people/Terry_Bankert/645845362 ___________________________
Full article at http://goodmorningflint.blogspot.com/
Flint Talk http://flinttalk.com/viewtopic.php?p=29750#29750 __________________________
BLOGGING FOR MICHIGAN http://bloggingformichigan.com/
Great information from caring people in Michigan USA
__________________________

Amid calls for unity, politics divide UN food conference[b]
At stake in crisis: 1 billion hungry across globe[b]
"The enemy is hunger," Ban said, and the international community is "duty bound to act, to act now, and to act as one". [al]

REFLECTIONS: It is a well established economic theory that if cost is increased it will reduce demand. [trb]
Then why not impose a targeted tax or arbitrary increase in cost for the over consumption of food to reduce demand. Since the market economy is in shambles we must do something. [trb]

Of special importance is to reduce demand in those countries or individual people who practice over consumption. [trb]

Specifically why not impose a special tax on those with over 20% body fat and use these funds to feed the hungry in Africa. [trb]

Now heres a topic that Sharpton and Jackson can sink their teeth into. Since the rise of Obama they now have little to talk about or profit from.Take the song ‘ Short People” and substitutre fat for short. Now we have a theme song! What do you think? [trb]

YOU FAT PEOPLE ARE KILLING US The high cost of food has already sparked protests and riots around the world.[al] Shades of solent green, where is Heston when you need him.[trb] On Tuesday, the United Nations food agency chief told delegates that billions of dollars are being wasted on feeding obese people in the West while millions face starvation. [al] "No one understands... how over-consumption by obese people in the world costs $20bn each year," Jacques Diouf said.[al

A FAT PERSON IN A SUV, NOW THERES A TERRORIST BENT ON DISRUPTING THE WORLD ORDER! "No one understands... how over-consumption by obese people in the world costs $20bn each year," Jacques Diouf said.[al]

ON EARTH THERE ARE COUNTRIES THAT CANNOT FEED THEiR PEOPLE! FAO has listed 22 countries that are particularly vulnerable owing to a combination of high levels of chronic hunger - defined as more than 30 per cent undernourishment - and being net importers of both food and fuel. [m] Countries such as Eritrea, Niger, Comoros, Haiti and Liberia are particularly affected. [m]

REINVEST IN ARGICULTURE NOT THE MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX? "Today some 862 million people are suffering from hunger and malnourishment and this highlights the need to re-invest in agriculture. It should be clear now that agriculture needs to be put back onto the development agenda".[aa]

WE HAVE TOO MANY PEOPLE AND THE FAT ONES ARE EATING TOO MUCH, SAYS AMERICA, ...SORTA.. “We are anticipating this year an over 40 percent increase in food price inflation globally, 43 percent approximately. Of that we can identify two to three percent of that price increase that is driven by biofuels. A majority, of course, is energy and the second largest piece or about equal piece is the increase in consumption around the world, which is using up the production stocks,” he said.[V2]

HUMAN FAT TAX PROPOSED Well actually one has not been mentioned any where but here, but it sounds like a good idea to me. What do you think?[trb] What will this look like... we have to attach a statement from our Doctor or community weigh in station to our taxes.[trb]

FORGING AHEAD FOR FOOD Delegates to a U.N. summit on rising food prices worked late into the night Wednesday trying to forge a compromise on a strategy to combat a crisis that is increasing hunger worldwide.[a] It was supposed to be an emergency conference on food shortages, climate change, and energy. At the opening ceremony Tuesday, the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, noted that there were nearly one billion people short of food and called upon countries gathered here to act with "a sense of purpose and mission."[b] U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Wednesday that dealing with the current global food crisis is a fight the international community cannot afford to lose. The U.N. chief is attending a world food security summit at the Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome. For VOA, Sabina Castelfranco reports.[v] U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer said Tuesday the world’s leaders have a responsibility to allow markets to provide food efficiently, without obstructing access to it or limiting safe technologies to produce it. Schafer leads the U.S. delegation to the U.N. summit on Food Security and Climate Change in Rome. The summit is being held at the headquarters of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.[v2]

R&D FOR BIOFUEL The proposed final declaration would call for stepped-up food production, reduced trade restrictions and more research on the contentious issue of biofuels.[a] Using prices corrected for inflation, the report stated that over the next decade rice and sugar prices will increase by less than 10 per cent, wheat by less than 20 per cent, butter coarse grains and oilseeds will rise 30 per cent, and vegetable oils over 50 per cent.[aa]

A PLEDGE TO NOT DESTROY OUR ABILITY TO SUSTAIN OURSELVES A copy of the draft obtained by The Associated Press ended with a pledge to alleviate the suffering caused by the price crisis, stimulate food production, increase investment in agriculture, address obstacles to food access and use resources in a sustainable way.[a] Hunger degrades everything we have been fighting for in recent years and decades. Recent riots and protests show that hunger and the threat of hunger breed unrest and instability. We are duty bound to act, to act now, and to act as one."[v] The FAO and OECD also cited growing demand for biofuel as another factor forcing up prices, saying that world ethanol production has tripled between 2000 and 2007 and is expected to double again in the next decade. Climate change, low stock levels and speculation could also add to price volatility.[aa]

U.N. SUMMIT Delegates pushed positions on wording for the final document at a closed-door session, less than 12 hours before the summit at the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization was to convene for its third and final day Thursday.[a] Tough Choice: What to Put On Menu at Hunger Summit[w] But when the microphone was opened to the powerful politicians who had flown in from all over the world, they spoke mostly about economics and politics.[b] Delegates at the summit in Rome have been divided over the role bio-fuels is playing in driving up food prices to the point of provoking riots in some countries.[v]

CORN BASED BIOFUEL TO BE 10% OF MARKET BY 2020...BIOFUEL GOOD! Biofuels made from sugar cane, corn and other crops have been seen as a way to combat climate change and rising oil prices. The U.S. has been subsidizing corn-based ethanol production, and the 27-nation European Union endorsed a plan last year calling for biofuels to make up 10 percent of the fuel for road vehicles by 2020.[a]

BIOFUEL BAD....! But environmentalists, aid groups and some countries are becoming increasingly wary of biofuels, which they say could accelerate global warming by encouraging deforestation and contribute to soaring commodities prices by diverting crops from food to biofuel production.[a]

ESSENTIALS VS OPPORTUNITIES The draft appeared to seek a balance between both sides, saying it was "essential" to address the "challenges and opportunities" posed by biofuels.[a] "In-depth studies are necessary to ensure that production and use of biofuels is sustainable," it said.[a] Ahmadinejad accused unnamed "powers" of profiteering from high food prices through subsidies and market manipulations.[al] The draft echoed U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's call at the summit to minimize the use of restrictive trade measures. He has urged nations to revisit export restrictions and import tariffs as a way to ensure food security during the price rise.[a]

LIBERATE TRADE?...A FOOD NAFTA? The draft calls on the international community to continue efforts to liberate global trade in agriculture by reducing trade barriers and market-distorting policies.[a] The US secretary of agriculture, Ed Schafer, talked about the benefits of biofuels and how genetically modified crops could ease world hunger. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil spoke for half an hour about how Brazilian biofuels were superior to the US offerings. The president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, talked about how colonialism had created the food crisis. And President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran spoke of the need to inject religion into food politics.[b]

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA PLAN At a news conference Tuesday, Schafer said, “The United States is implementing an integrated a three-pronged strategy to combat rising global food prices. First, the president has committed an immediate and expanded humanitarian response that targets the most critical needs globally and supports those individuals who are most vulnerable to rising food prices." [v2] “Second, we support urgent efforts to address the underlying causes of the food crisis in developing countries that have the potential to become major producers in their regions. Longstanding issues of improving agriculture productivity, alleviating market bottlenecks and promoting market-based principles remain and therefore require immediate attention. Third, we ask all countries to allow the free flow of food and the safe technologies that produce that food,” he said.[v2]

PLANT CROPS ON YOUR CITY VACANT LOTS? The document also echoes Ban's call to increase food production by 50 percent by 2030.[a] Since 2004, food production in China has increased for four consecutive years and the total grain output exceeded 500 million tons last year. [c] Sun said China's grain reserves are currently abundant and there is enough supply of major farm products to offset the effects of the two natural disasters. [c] 'Food production needs to rise by 50 per cent by the year 2030 to meet the rising demand,' the UN secretary general said. [m] However more urgent measures were also needed, for example to ensure the success of next year's agricultural harvests, Ban said. [m] Farmers in the northern hemisphere needing to plant their crops by the end of July required immediate supplies of seeds and fertilizers, FAO Director General Jacques Diouf, told the same news conference. [m]

POLITICAL WILL WITHOUT RESOURCES... "There's a lot of consensus on the way forward," said John Holmes, the U.N. humanitarian affairs chief who is coordinating a special task force on the food crisis. The summit "has shown that the political will is there, but the resources need to be found" for funding.[a] At the three-day conference held by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, there was a lot of argument about whether the high food prices were caused by the rush to biofuels, protective tariffs, the soaring price of oil, or the distortion of subsidies.[b] The highest food prices in three decades have exacerbated a crisis in developing nations where 850 million people were already facing food shortages, Ban warned delegates at the opening on Tuesday. [m]

GUNS OR BUTTER? Ban predicted that as much as $20 billion may be needed each year to increase food production. [a] Sun said as a huge, developing country with 1.3 billion people, China has always paid great attention to food and agricultural development. [c] The Chinese government will continue to adhere to the food security policy of basic self-sufficiency, complemented by imports and exports to readjust surplus and shortfalls, he said.[c] "We believe the problem is much more political than everything else," said Walter Poveda Ricaurte, the Ecuadorean agriculture minister. "We have to differentiate between the countries who are really affected by the food crisis and those who are seeing it as an economic opportunity."[b] According to the report, rice, a staple for more than half the earth's population, will remain in short supply on global markets, and poor countries that rely on food imports could see food bills up 40 percent this year after a similar price hike in 2007[aa] See the above discussion on taxing overconsumption.[trb]
–end
Posted here by Terry Bankert ... 6/03/08 5
(If you like this article please forward to your friends, if not just keep it to yourself.)
Family Mediation and Divorce Practice. http://attorneybankert.com/
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---where did this stuff come from---
[a] AP http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iwx4bYD140egrMPye_3RBhOxE6IgD913HML00 [c] China View http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-06/05/content_8314807.htm
[b] Boston.com http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2008/06/05/amid_calls_for_unity_politics_divide_un_food_conference/ [trb] Comments of Terry Bankert to include unattributed Cap headlines http://attorneybankert.com/
[v] Voice of America http://voanews.com/english/2008-06-04-voa14.cfm
[al] Aljazeera.Net http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/FD716E05-777C-4831-9C1F-FA151EDD05FC.htm
[m] Monsters and Critics http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/business/news/article_ 1409299.php/Global_fight_against_hunger_&quotcannot_fail%22_UN_chief_says__Roundup_ [aa] All Africa http://allafrica.com/stories/200806040651.html
[v2] Voice of America http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/2008-06-03-voa22.cfm
[w] Wall Street Journal http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121252256452242329.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

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SALUTE TO HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON

SALUTE TO HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
______________________
GOOD MORNING FLINT! BY Terry Bankert 6/3/08
You are invited to join me at Face Book http://www.facebook.com/people/Terry_Bankert/645845362 ___________________________
Full article at http://goodmorningflint.blogspot.com/
Flint Talk http://flinttalk.com/viewtopic.php?p=29618#29618 __________________________
BLOGGING FOR MICHIGAN http://bloggingformichigan.com/
Great information from caring people in Michigan USA
__________________________

REFLECTIONS; Its now the time for all good Democrats to come to the aid of their Party. What a moment in history, a black man beats a woman to become the Democratic Party nominee...we are a great diverse county. There is plenty of room at the Democratic party table, join us. Politics is a contact sport in the USA and this internet blogging,.. just another form of political activism. We seeded from the chat rooms and boards with a slamming/ attacking style that many of us are trying to gravitat away from. Please all Democrats, Corporate and little “d” if from my little corner if you have taken offense at my small words accept this as a blanket apology. As for the Republicans...stay tuned there is more to come. To the Great Democrats that lead this country , Grandholm, Levin, Stabenow, Dale and Dan Kildee, Pelosi, Conyers, Barrack Obama and most of all to Hillary Rodham Clinton count me in as a private in your army. Within the context of party unity and the doctrine of “My enemies enemy is my friend”, it is my pleasure to introduce my new best friend Mr. Mark Brewer chairperson on the Michigan Democratic Party. It's your move Mr. Brewer.[trb]

HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, AN AMERICAN HERO Hillary Rodhamn Clinton gave it the good fight, we are proud of her effort and style and now grace.[trb] Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton heaved toward the finish line in their exhaustive Democratic presidential odyssey with Obama poised to claim victory and Clinton facing the prospects of having to abandon a quest that once seemed a sure shot but became one of long odds.[a]

A FIGHTER UNTIL THE BELL RINGS! A running theme of Clinton's campaign for president in recent weeks has been her vow to keep fighting for the Democratic nomination even as the odds grew longer. On Monday, that theme dominated her travels once again -- this time on the eve of the South Dakota and Montana primaries that will close a five-month marathon of Democratic contests.[l]

HILLARY CLINTON IS PART OF OUR POLITICAL FUTURE "Hillary Clinton, bless her heart," added Leona McElvene of Warren, Mich., an Obama supporter who snapped photos of him from the stands. "They have to work out something where they can cooperate so we can make the country work better."[l]

WHO IS HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
During the 1992 presidential campaign, Hillary Rodham Clinton observed, "Our lives are a mixture of different roles. Most of us are doing the best we can to find whatever the right balance is . . . For me, that balance is family, work, and service."[w]

Hillary Diane Rodham, Dorothy and Hugh Rodham's first child, was born on October 26, 1947. Two brothers, Hugh and Tony, soon followed. Hillary's childhood in Park Ridge, Illinois, was happy and disciplined. She loved sports and her church, and was a member of the National Honor Society, and a student leader. Her parents encouraged her to study hard and to pursue any career that interested her.[w] As an undergraduate at Wellesley College, Hillary mixed academic excellence with school government. Speaking at graduation, she said, "The challenge now is to practice politics as the art of making what appears to be impossible, possible."[w]

In 1969, Hillary entered Yale Law School, where she served on the Board of Editors of Yale Law Review and Social Action, interned with children's advocate Marian Wright Edelman, and met Bill Clinton. The President often recalls how they met in the library when she strode up to him and said, "If you're going to keep staring at me, I might as well introduce myself." The two were soon inseparable--partners in moot court, political campaigns, and matters of the heart.[w]

After graduation, Hillary advised the Children's Defense Fund in Cambridge and joined the impeachment inquiry staff advising the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives. After completing those responsibilities, she "followed her heart to Arkansas," where Bill had begun his political career.[w] They married in 1975. She joined the faculty of the University of Arkansas Law School in 1975 and the Rose Law Firm in 1976. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter appointed her to the board of the Legal Services Corporation, and Bill Clinton became governor of Arkansas. Their daughter, Chelsea, was born in 1980.[w]

Hillary served as Arkansas's First Lady for 12 years, balancing family, law, and public service. She chaired the Arkansas Educational Standards Committee, co-founded the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, and served on the boards of the Arkansas Children's Hospital, Legal Services, and the Children's Defense Fund.[w]

As the nation's First Lady, Hillary continued to balance public service with private life. Her active role began in 1993 when the President asked her to chair the Task Force on National Health Care Reform. She continued to be a leading advocate for expanding health insurance coverage, ensuring children are properly immunized, and raising public awareness of health issues. She wrote a weekly newspaper column entitled "Talking It Over," which focused on her experiences as First Lady and her observations of women, children, and families she has met around the world. Her 1996 book It Takes a Village and Other Lessons Children Teach Us was a best seller, and she received a Grammy Award for her recording of it.[w]

As First Lady, her public involvement with many activities sometimes led to controversy. Undeterred by critics, Hillary won many admirers for her staunch support for women around the world and her commitment to children's issues.[w]

She was elected United States Senator from New York on November 7, 2000. She is the First Lady elected to the United States Senate and the first woman elected statewide in New York.[w]

ALL THAT’S LEFT IS THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF VICTORY AND CONGRATULATIONS Contest between Clinton and Obama goes on -- for now[l] And although Tuesday's primary-season ending contests in South Dakota and Montana won't decide the Democratic nomination, the closing of the polls could open the floodgates to dozens of superdelegates — members of Congress and other party leaders — long anxious to throw their support to Obama.[a] That could decide the nomination in a matter of days.[a]

DEMOCRATIC UNITY WILL AMAZE THE WORLD "Once the last votes are cast, then it's in everybody's interest to resolve this quickly so we can pivot. We're less than three months away from our convention. So we've got a lot of work to do in terms of bringing the party together," the Illinois senator said in an interview with The Associated Press on Monday as he campaigned in Michigan, a general-election battleground.[a]

OBAMA CONTINUES TO BE A CLASS ACT... On the precipice of winning the Democratic nomination, Barack Obama today shared a phone conversation he had with rival Hillary Clinton about uniting the party. [b2] "I emphasized to her what an extraordinary race that she's run and said that there aren't too many people who understand exactly how hard she's been working," he told reporters in Waterford, Mich., relating their talk Sunday when he congratulated her on her victory in Puerto Rico. [b2] "I'm one of 'em because she and I have been on this same journey together, and I told her that once the dust settled I was looking forward to meeting with her at a time and place of her choosing. The sooner we can bring the party together, the sooner we can focus on John McCain and taking back the White House."[b2]

THE SUPER DELEGATES NEED TO FALL IN LINE... Obama said there were a lot of superdelegates who have been private supporters of his but wanted to respect the process by not endorsing until the final primaries were done.[a] And while both candidates forged ahead on Monday in full-bore campaigning, neither Obama nor Clinton planned to be in either primary state on election night.[a]

THE GUNS TURN TO THE REPUBLICANS, AND MCCAIN In a defiant shot across the GOP bow, Obama, who returned to hometown Chicago late Monday, planned to hold his wrap-up rally in St. Paul, Minn., at the arena that will be the site of the Republican National Convention in September.[a]

SHE GIVES DIGNITY, RESPECT AND MEANING TO THE TERM “LADY” Clinton returned to New York, the state she represents in the Senate, planning an end-of-primary evening rally in Manhattan after a grueling campaign finale as she pushed through South Dakota on Monday.[a] The former first lady has given no hint of quitting the race, and she has said repeatedly she may continue her candidacy even beyond the end of the primaries.[a] "I'm just very grateful we kept this campaign going until South Dakota would have the last word," she said at a restaurant in Rapid City in one of her final campaign stops. Polls suggested Obama would win both South Dakota and Montana.[a] She still sounded buoyant. Her biggest booster and most tireless campaigner, husband Bill Clinton, didn't. "This may be the last day I'm ever involved in a campaign of this kind," the former president said somberly as he stumped for her in South Dakota.[a]

RECONCILIATION PREDICTED WITHIN THE WEEK. Ahead of Tuesday's concluding primaries, Obama sought to set the stage for reconciliation, praising Clinton's endurance and determination and offering to meet with her — on her terms — "once the dust settles" from their race.[a] "The sooner we can bring the party together, the sooner we can start focusing on John McCain in November," Obama told reporters in Michigan. He said he spoke with Clinton on Sunday when he called to congratulate her on winning the Puerto Rico primary, most likely her last hurrah.[a]

DREAM TICKET..OBAMA/CLINTON...!!!! That fueled speculation for a "dream ticket" in which Clinton would become Obama's running mate — but neither camp was suggesting that was much of a possibility.[a] In the AP interview, Obama was asked when he would start looking for a running mate.[a] "The day after I have gotten that last delegate needed to officially claim the nomination, I'll start thinking about vice presidential nominees. I think it's likely to come this week," he said. "It's a very important decision, and it's one where I'm going to have to take some time."[a] Robert Gibbs, a top Obama aide, said late Monday the seemingly endless Democratic contest could be resolved "in the next 24 to 48 hours."[a] "You're going to have a lot of superdelegates come out," he said.[a] Clinton left South Dakota for New York late Monday, the final leg of a whirlwind four days that took her from New York to Puerto Rico, to South Dakota and back. For a campaign pushing against long odds, it was a show of determination.[a]

MOST DO NOT REALIZE THE SACRIFICE A CANDIDATE HAS TO MAKE The former first lady, suffering from a recurrent cough, had to cede the microphone to her daughter twice during the day as she struggled to recover her voice. Chelsea promptly took the opportunity — to discuss health care.[a] Meanwhile, Obama's aides prodded uncommitted lawmakers and other superdelegates to climb aboard quickly — as Clinton struggled to hold back the fast-rising tide.[a] Democratic officials said that if Obama failed to gain the needed 2,118 delegates by Tuesday night, one possibility under discussion was for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker Nancy Pelosi to issue a statement on Wednesday urging superdelegates to state their preferences as soon as possible. [a]

HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, OUTSTANDING Barack Obama praised rival Hillary Clinton as “an outstanding public servant” and said he hopes to meet with her sometime after the final Tuesday vote.[r]“I told her that once the dust has settled, I was looking forward to meeting with her at a time and place of her choosing,” he(OBAMA) said.[R]

MICHIGAN LEADERS STAYED LOYAL TO CLINTON AND UNIFIED THE PARTY In the end, the Michigan Democratic Party, and a leading Clinton ally in the state, Governor Jennifer Granholm, as well as Senator Carl Levin, who is uncommitted, all agreed to the controversial 69-59 split of Michigan delegates, Roosevelt said, even as the Clinton presidential campaign continued to dispute the attempt at compromise. Clinton partisans attending the meeting at the Washington hotel booed and heckled frequently during the public, televised morning and evening sessions.[B]

THE USA WILL UNITE BEHIND OBAMA WITH THE NEEDED HELP OF HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON! I wonder how all the “Hillary or McCain, but never Obama” folks will justify their position when Hillary endorses - and actively campaigns for - the Democrat nominee? How will they reconcile their determination against the video of Hillary giving one of the most powerful speeches of the election season (as she is certainly capable of doing) in support of Barack Obama at the convention in prime time in August, with shots of her holding his hand high amid the confetti and balloons? Don’t think it will happen? Just wait and watch, my friends….[ R), POST BY ajboop]

DEMOCRATIC UNITY BY WEDNESDAY, ALL GUNS TO BE AIMED AT MCCAIN. If Obama indeed clinches the nomination after the Montana and South Dakota primaries Tuesday, that meeting could conceivably come as soon as Wednesday in Washington, where both are scheduled to address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference.[b2]

--end Posted here by Terry Bankert ... 6/03/08
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–WHERE DID THIS STUFF COME FROM [a] AP http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i23h4XqvR0Ph96aWYyZ4PgI54YCwD912ESTO0
[W] The White House http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/firstladies/hc42.html
[L] The Los Angles Times http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-campaign3-2008jun03,0,3190762.story
[TRB] Comments of Terry Bankert to include CAP headlines http://attorneybankert.com/
[b] Boston.com http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/06/03/deal_on_mich_fla_delegates_was_emotion_charged_affair/ [R] REUTERS http://blogs.reuters.com/trail08/2008/06/02/obama-offers-to-meet-with-clinton-once-the-dust-settles/
[B2] Boston.com http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/06/obama_invites_c.html 59160

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