This weekend we stayed at Roey's (my sister) house and attended the 2007 USDAA NE Regional. It went pretty well. The weather really cooperated, it was a little hot on Friday, but we have definitely been stuck in worse. Sassy was the only dog running this weekend. She did pretty well in her regular classes, but on Saturday she didn't make the cut for the Performance Speed Jumping regional qualifier. Sunday was Round 1 of the Performance National Standard regional qualifier. Sassy qualified in that run which meant she moved onto round 2 on Monday. She got a qualifying run there also, but they only take the the top half of all the dogs entered at that height. There were 19 16" dogs entered. Of the 16 that qualified, Sassy was 13th. Since they only took the top 10 qualifiers, she was cut out. There is still another regional in reasonable distance, but we haven't decided if we are going yet. It's not a total loss. Since she qualified on Sunday in round 1 she earned another important point towards her lifetime titles. Roey, Gene (her husband) and Jane (my niece) came to see it on Sunday and Roey took a bunch of pictures. When I get them arranged into an album, I'll post a link.
Staying at Roey's house was great. I haven't seen her, Gene and Jane in a long time and the kids loved visiting with their cousin Argus. It's nice to have an actual house to unwind in after a long day instead of the trailer or a hotel room. Unfortunately Zach (my nephew) was in Michigan visiting with his girlfriends family. Hopefully I'll see him soon. He just graduated High School and is heading to Buffalo in the fall for college. Gene is selling his house just down the block from the house they have (after getting married they decided to stay in Roey's house since it had more room). If you are thinking of moving to Oswego, check it out.
Well, it's july 4th and I used the holiday so I could stay in NY an extra day, so I guess I had better get to work.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
WTF!!!!
WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) -- In a risky move that has already led to political backlash, President George W. Bush has spared the vice president's former chief of staff -- Lewis "Scooter" Libby -- from prison by commuting Libby's 30-month sentence. In a statement, President Bush said, "I respect the jury's verdict. But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive."
The disgraced former aide was convicted in March of perjury and obstruction of justice following a probe into the leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity. Libby will no longer serve time in prison, but the president did not pardon him, or clear him from paying a fine and serving probation.
For top Democrats, the punishment is too lenient. "This is just the latest example of a White House that holds itself accountable to nobody," said US Senator Charles Schumer, (D) New York. "Not the judges, not the prosecutors."
"What we saw today was elevating cronyism over the rule of law," said US Senator and presidental candidate Hillary Clinton, (D) New York.
The president announced his decision just hours after an appeals court ruled that Libby could not delay his prison term. At his sentencing, the judge lectured him that no one was above the law. But after the president's intervention, critics charged this is an example of the white house taking care of it's own. "How many people are in prison today that would be able to call the president and say 'Hey, I don't think I'm being treated fairly?'" said Joe Cotchett, Valerie Plame's attorney.
But Libby supporters noted his years of public service and pointed to the consequences of a felony conviction as punishment enough, calling the prosecution a witchhunt. Libby's supporters, who raised millions of dollars for his defense fund, immediately renewed a call for a pardon.
"I hope it puts pressure on the president. He's a man of pronounced loyalties and he should have loyalty to Scooter Libby," said former Ambassador Richard Carlson, a member of Libby's defense fund. "It would be a travesty for him to go off to prison. The president will take some heat for it. So what? He takes heat for everything."
Nobody was charged with leaking Plame's identity but Libby was convicted of lying about his conversations with reporters regarding the outed operative.
Like Libby's trial judge, two of the three judges who ruled against him Monday were Republican nominees.
Updated by KO
The Associated Press and CBS News contributed to this report.
The disgraced former aide was convicted in March of perjury and obstruction of justice following a probe into the leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity. Libby will no longer serve time in prison, but the president did not pardon him, or clear him from paying a fine and serving probation.
For top Democrats, the punishment is too lenient. "This is just the latest example of a White House that holds itself accountable to nobody," said US Senator Charles Schumer, (D) New York. "Not the judges, not the prosecutors."
"What we saw today was elevating cronyism over the rule of law," said US Senator and presidental candidate Hillary Clinton, (D) New York.
The president announced his decision just hours after an appeals court ruled that Libby could not delay his prison term. At his sentencing, the judge lectured him that no one was above the law. But after the president's intervention, critics charged this is an example of the white house taking care of it's own. "How many people are in prison today that would be able to call the president and say 'Hey, I don't think I'm being treated fairly?'" said Joe Cotchett, Valerie Plame's attorney.
But Libby supporters noted his years of public service and pointed to the consequences of a felony conviction as punishment enough, calling the prosecution a witchhunt. Libby's supporters, who raised millions of dollars for his defense fund, immediately renewed a call for a pardon.
"I hope it puts pressure on the president. He's a man of pronounced loyalties and he should have loyalty to Scooter Libby," said former Ambassador Richard Carlson, a member of Libby's defense fund. "It would be a travesty for him to go off to prison. The president will take some heat for it. So what? He takes heat for everything."
Nobody was charged with leaking Plame's identity but Libby was convicted of lying about his conversations with reporters regarding the outed operative.
Like Libby's trial judge, two of the three judges who ruled against him Monday were Republican nominees.
Updated by KO
The Associated Press and CBS News contributed to this report.
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