Heartache: Fred Out

Ace has the scoop.

Forget everything bad I ever said about Mitt.

(Sigh).

*Highly coveted Al D’Amato  endorsement moves from Fred! to McCain.

*Just kidding, nobody cares.

Hot Air has more.

Embattled Francis Semler Resigns

Well, you can chalk this one up as a victory for the forces of Socialism. The poor woman has had enough.

From the Kansas City Star:

In a statement faxed to area media outlets, including The Kansas City Star, Semler writes “ENOUGH, I am resigning.” In the letter (text, here) she cites repeated and ongoing personal attacks against her character as a reason, and blasts her most vocal opponents and levels her own criticisms at Kansas City Police Chief Jim Corwin and unnamed City Council members, saying some on the council have made “vicious, false and irresponsible claims about me.”

Like:

“This is one step from the KKK,” said city council member Beth Gottstein.

Another member made this mind numbing statement: “They [the Minuteman Organization] are a vigilante group, an extremist group. They are far outside the extreme.”

*ahem* Outside the extreme?

Also apparently, in recent days, Semler has taken issue with comments made in published reports by Mayor Mark Funkhouser and his wife, Gloria Squitiro.

“I do believe I have been a positive asset. There are many projects I eagerly wanted to pursue,” Semler writes. But after reading quotes from Funkhouser in the The Star last week, “I feel BETRAYED.”

In case this story is new to you, this “controversy” erupted last year when the 73 year old Semler, a member of the Minuteman Organization, was appointed to the Parks Board by the newly elected Mayor Funkhouser. Background here.

Semler had offered to resign last year when controversy first erupted over her appointment, but Funkhouser declined the notion and publicly backed her appointment.

Before launching into her criticisms of city officials, Semler writes “as a United States citizen I have always felt able to express my views freely. Out of respect for the Mayor, I have allowed my voice to be stilled. No longer.”

While referring to illegal immigration as a “well-organized invasion of illegals,” she defends the Minutemen as an unjustly attacked group dedicated to the enforcement of immigration laws.

The woman had more support than she knew. It looks like most of the commenters so far at the KC Star website strongly support her.

Local Radio talk show host, Darla Jay said basically the same thing on her show, this morning. She was being flooded with calls and emails from people who were disappointed, calling today a “sad day”.

I’ve yet to hear what the mayor and his wife said that has upset her so, but a report on the radio, this morning indicated that Funkhouser himself, is disappointed that she has resigned.

What more:

If all this isn’t grating enough, local radio station KMBZ reported that some media outlet (not sure which – KMBZ?) immediately called (the very liberal) Southern Christian Leadership Conference to see if they’ll reconsider their decision to hold their convention in New Orleans instead of KC, now that Semler’s gone.

Who @#$%&* CARES?!

Ughhh.

More on Funk’s Reaction:

In a release, Funkhouser said: “I am disappointed that Ms. Semler has stepped down from the Parks Board. I thought she was doing a good job. She says she didn’t feel supported. I think the record shows differently.”

Thanks, Bleeding Heart.

Mitt Romney Gets Punked By His Son

Watch the video over at Mesablue’s.

Here’s Matt Romney’s MySpace page. Hubba hubba.

Woman’s Jesus Statue Hijacked Over Dog Poop

Yes, I’m taking a break from politics, at the moment…can you blame me?

This is pretty interesting, though. No really:

Jean Mansel says her 80 pound cement Jesus statue was taken from a pedestal in her front yard, and a ransom note was left in her mailbox. Anonymous residents on Lindy Lane claim Jean Mansel isn’t picking up after her dogs, so to entice her to do so– they took something close to her heart.

Mansel says she cherishes her statue as a memento from late uncle. Last Thursday she found the statue missing.

“There were footprints behind it, and footprints in front of it,” she says, pointing out where the statue used to be. My husband got a phone call and a real raspy voice over the phone said ‘check your mailbox’.”

In the mailbox was a ransom note.

“The note basically said they were holding Jesus for ransom.”

The note reads: “We are holding Jesus ransom until you clean up the poopie from your wieners and trust us we see you take your wieners for long walks w/out picking up their poopie in our yards. This has upset us dearly so please clean up all the weiner poopie, if you want to see Jesus unharmed. Sincerely, Lindy Lane Residents.”

Anyone else’s b.s. detectors going off? Would a coalition of neighbors really send such a note?

“It has to be a young person because they put these lines around Jesus, no adult is going to waste their time doing that,” says Mansel. “And referring to weiner poopie…my gosh.”

Jean has four wiener dogs and admits there was a complaint last year about their leavings. But she says she’s cleaned up every pile since.

“I take my dogs for walks; I carry a plastic bag with me and pick up anything that they do. I thought something like that would be safe in our yard, it wasn’t, it wasn’t.”

Sunday night, Jean told WZZM 13 News the statue had been returned, taken not by neighbors but by a family member. She declined to explain further, only that this has now become a family situation.

Oh.

Move along folks, nothing to see here….

Hat tip: Jungle Jim at Crime Scene KC.