Looks like the boys at CNN have been putting back a few with Ted Kennedy.

NEW YORK — CNN apologized Tuesday for mistakenly promoting a story on the search for Osama bin Laden with the headline “Where’s Obama?”

Naturally, everyone is terribly sorry and copious apologies are flowing. A spokesman for Illinois Senator Barack Obama was magnanimous about the whole thing.

“Though I’d note that the ‘s’ and ‘b’ keys aren’t all that close to each other, I assume it was just an unfortunate mistake, and don’t think there was any truly malicious intent,” Vieto said.

Come now, Mr. Vieto, this is CNN. The “B” and “S” can often be found fraternizing under Mr. Turner’s approving eye. Or perhaps the “typo” was simply the slip of a Hillary Clinton supporter unimpressed with Obama’s rising star.

See Klassic Kennedy “Osama Obama” eloquence here.

It’s a new year, readers. Unfortunately, the same old problems are still around.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad scorned U.N Security Council sanctions imposed against Iran, telling a crowd Tuesday that Iran had humiliated the United States in the past and would do so again.

He said the United States was the main power behind the [United Nations] resolution, and warned Washington: “I want you to know that the Iranian nation has humiliated you many times, and it will humiliate you in future.”

Of course, Mahmoud has worked harder than he ever has in his life to avoid conflict with Western nations.

Ahmadinejad said Iran had done everything it could to prove that its nuclear program is peaceful, but the West — in the name of opposing nuclear weapons — was trying to thwart Iran’s development.

“We have tried all legal, wise and logical ways to convince these corrupt and selfish powers,” he said.

So what is the big deal? After all, according to Mike Wallace, Mahmoud is just a harmless, loveable, little fuzzball. All that Jew-hating, nuke-chasing, ‘Death To America’ chanting stuff is just bad press.

Just another day in beautiful Houston:

After racking up 379 homicides in 2006, Houston made it through the first day of 2007 without a homicide–but just barely.

It was at about 1 a.m. today when two east Houston youths heard gunshots outside their bedroom window in the 300 block of Super.  Police minutes later discovered a man dying in from gunshot wounds in their back yard.

The name of the year’s first homicide victim was not released.  He died at Ben Taub Hospital, police said.

If you missed this one, don’t worry. There will be plenty more. On a totally unrelated note, I’d like to welcome HPD Chief Harold Hurtt back to town. I trust his Arizona Christmas was restful and uninterrupted by hails of gunfire.

Longtime LST readers will recall the Iraq journal entry by Edd Hendee describing the death of Cpl. Jonathan Bowling and several of his fellow Marines.

We’ve received word that tonight on CNN (9 PM Central), Anderson Cooper’s 360 program is going to have a special called “Ambush at the River of Secrets,” which is about the attack in which Cpl. Bowling lost his life.

Tune in.

Ever wonder what would happen if Edd Hendee lived in Israel?

No, of course you don’t.

But if you did, and he did, I’m betting he’d have his hands in something like this [hat-tip: IsraelMatzav]:

Fifty residents of the Southern Israeli city of Sderot have petitioned the District Court this morning to declare them exempt from paying taxes in light of the State’s refusal to provide adequate military protection to their community. The plaintiffs claim that the Government’s policy of restraint against the on-going Palestinian rocket attacks has endangered their families’ lives and encouraged the terrorist organizations to escalate their attacks. They are demanding that that until Sderot is given the same level of military protection provided by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to all other cities in the Jewish State that they not be obligated to pay taxes to the Israeli government.

In addition, the Sderot residents are requesting that they receive a tax refund for all the amounts paid to the State since June 2004, which is the month that the deadly Palestinian missiles claimed the first civilian life in Sderot. As the plaintiffs’ court papers state: “From this date the State of Israel was on notice that the Qassam rockets began to seriously endanger the lives of the Sderot residents and nevertheless refused to provide the appropriate military response to the terrorists.”

The law suit draws a connection between the historic obligation of a citizen to pay taxes to the government and the duty of the State to militarily defend the lives of the taxpaying citizen from foreign aggressors. According to the plaintiffs, this social contract, which is the basis of any political framework, imposes civic obligations on the citizens of the state in exchange for the government acting to protect their natural rights including their physical safety. Citizens, they claim, only are obligated to pay taxes when and if the government is under a similar duty to defend them. The State of Israel has breached its duty to employ the IDF to defend the residents of Sderot from the Palestinians.

The Sderot residents are represented in the petition by Shurat HaDin - Israel Law Center Director Nitsana Darshan-Leitner. According to attorney Darshan-Leitner: “The Government’s immoral decision to neglect the safety and rights of the residents of Sderot and it surrounding communities to further its diplomatic relations with the United States and Europe must be opposed. The State’s first obligation must be to safeguard its citizens and to utilize all its military might to destroy the terrorists firing rockets from Gaza. The State cannot impose tax obligations on the residents of the Negev even as it abandons them to the Palestinian terrorists’ attacks. We are asking the District Court to declare that the residents in the Negev areas under continuous Qassam attacks, who the State has told to `fend for themselves,’ are no longer obligated to pay any taxes to the State of Israel. If the IDF won’t fight, Sderot residents aren’t going to pay.”

Heh.

… today’s headline would read:

TEXAS TAXPAYERS HAVE LESS MONEY, FEWER OPTIONS

Instead we get this:

LoneStarTimes.com–Subverting the dominant paradigm by drawing attention to the seen and the unseen!

Texans head coach Gary Kubiak, quoted in this morning’s Houston Chronicle:

“We’ve got to find some playmakers,” he said. “We have got to find a way to make some big plays. It’s so hard to just march 3 and 4 yards a play. We didn’t score enough points, either. Somehow, we’ve got to find guys that can make big plays and score points, because we definitely didn’t do that this year.”

Sure, that’s easy to say in the abstract–but how often do you actually get the chance to snag guys who can make big plays and score points?

Of course not.

But here in Texas, tax-eaters do, as discussed by Edd Hendee and Pat Gray.

The official press release from Gov. Rick Perry’s office:

Gov. Rick Perry is declaring Tuesday, January 2, an official day of mourning in remembrance of President Gerald R. Ford.

“President Ford was a humble leader with a gentle spirit who restored honesty and candor to government during turbulent times,” Perry said. “It seems fitting to publicly set aside a day of mourning so all Texans can reflect on the life and person of Gerald Ford.”

“Adios, mofo,” Perry concluded.*

The governor’s executive order encourages Texans to pay their respects through appropriate ceremonies in homes, businesses, public buildings, schools, places of worship or other suitable places for public expression of grief and remembrance.

To allow state employees to attend such observances, Perry is directing state agencies, offices and departments to close on Tuesday – except those agencies, offices, and departments that the heads thereof determine should remain open with a sufficient number of employees for reasons of public safety and essential public business.

On Wednesday, Perry directed all flags to be flown at half-staff for 30 days in honor of President Ford.

The governor’s directive applies to all U.S. and state flags under the control of the state. Flags will be at half-staff on the state Capitol Building and on flag displays in the Capitol Complex, and upon all public buildings, grounds, and facilities throughout the state until sunrise on Friday, January 26. Individuals, businesses, municipalities, counties, and other political subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff for the same length of time as a sign of respect.

*OK, he didn’t actually say “adios, mofo” in the press release, but we just thought that was too funny not to add.

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