Kerry's Christmas Goose Is in the Bag
Sorry, PETA; Sen. John Kerry really does hunt--and not just when the campaign cameras are whirring. Remember that scene in late October of last year's presidential election when Kerry emerged from a muddy Ohio field in a new camo jacket cradling a shotgun but not his dead goose? The one that prompted critics to giggle that the photo op was ginned up to show that the Boston brahmin was a regular guy?
Well, sources tell us that Kerry is an avid bird and deer hunter, and a good shot to boot. The proof: Early last week, he traveled to Nebraska for a waterfowl hunt. The senator and some friends, including old Swift Boat pal Jim Wasser, bagged 10 mallards, some smaller widgeons, and two Canada geese. We hear "J.K." and Wasser met near Decatur, Neb., by the Missouri River, huddled in a bunkhouse, grilled some steaks, popped a few beers, and watched the Colts-Steelers Monday-night football game on a 14-inch TV. They were out by 4:45 a.m. Tuesday. Temperature: 19 degrees. Wind: 30 mph. Kerry, armed with a Benelli shotgun; Wasser, and six others set the decoys on a pond and jumped into two blinds. At sunup, three ducks screamed in and the crew nailed 'em with their 12-gauges. Nearly a dozen more fell by lunchtime, all retrieved by the host's black lab, Bo. "Not bad for a few hours' hunting," said a Kerry buddy, who added that the birds will probably be served for Christmas dinner.
Not Enough Yet to Overturn Roe
Even though President Bush has picked two conservatives for the Supreme Court, abortion foes say it will take one more right-leaning justice to overturn Roe v. Wade. "We may be looking at the next one," says former Attorney General Edwin Meese. Meese says that even with new Chief Justice John G. Roberts and nominee Samuel Alito, if he's confirmed, the court will duck the controversial issue until the conservative majority can be expanded. Robert Bork, the Reagan high court nominee rejected in contentious hearings, agreed, suggesting that there is no way pro-abortion-rights Sen. Arlen Specter, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, would consider Alito if he thought it meant overturning Roe. Still, say Meese and Bork, look for the Roberts court to OK greater limits on abortion.
Wanted: a Few Good War Dentists
It's not big bellies or poor training that stops many reservists from being deployed to Iraq. It's their teeth. Military officials said that since there are so few dentists in the battlefield, troops with bad teeth are sidelined until their dentist gives the OK. It's a lesson from the Gulf War, when those with toothaches either suffered or were sent out of the area for treatment at other U.S. bases.
Kennedy :)'s on Political Bloggers
At 73, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy is a big supporter of information technology, but he's not very wired. He doesn't carry a BlackBerry. He doesn't use a computer. But he's fast becoming a huge fan of Internet blogs. Every week he gets a memo on what progressive blogs, especially Daily Kos and MyDD.com, are saying on key issues. He likes being interviewed by bloggers--on the phone, of course. And he's even started writing blogs, like his Huffington post.com blast at Wal-Mart last month. "It's more than just curiosity," says spokeswoman Laura Capps. "He's excited about how engaged the bloggers are."
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