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On the steps of the state capitol.

A crowd of about 600 attended the protest of congressional waste and Obama's agenda for the country.

The drizzle didn't seem to bother anybody.

About a hundred people marched from the state capitol building down to Congressman Cooper's office to voice their disapproval of his vote for Porkulus.

Cooper wasn't there, but the crowd spoke to the staffers for about 20 minutes.

Labels: congress, pork, protest

Spend time with George Mason University senior Ryan Allen and it's clear why he's a Big Man on Campus. He wears size 12 pumps.

Allen is now -- as of halftime at Saturday's sold-out basketball game against Northeastern at the Patriot Center -- the school's homecoming queen. He received more votes than the two women who vied for the crown.

Allen, who is gay and performs as a popular drag queen at local clubs, assumed the title of Ms. Mason. He was wearing a green-and-gold bow, sewn for him by the theater department costume's shop, that was visible even from the cheap seats, a sequined top, a black skirt and heels. Ricky Malebranche, a junior from Woodbridge, was named Mr. Mason.

Beyond the joyful tears and tiara, Allen's election exposed conflicting cultural currents at the sprawling campus in Fairfax County. Many see it as an expression of inclusiveness at a place where about one-third of the 30,000 students are minority. But others say it is an embarrassment at an inopportune time when Mason is trying to revamp its image from commuter school to distinguished institution of higher learning.

Labels: economic crisis, Obama

What happened next haunts her to this day, Williams said. "It was like everything inside was coming out at once."

Williams recalls grabbing the armrests of her chair and elevating herself to a squatting position, heels at the edges of her seat. The receptionist and staff kept telling her to sit down and close her legs, but she couldn't comply. "There was just no stopping it," she said.

Williams said she delivered her baby, Shanice, onto the recliner almost immediately after squatting. First amniotic fluid spilled out, then the baby dropped onto the cushion.

"When I saw that happen, I jumped off the chair and turned away, facing the wall," Williams said.

Shanice's body slid on the blood and amniotic fluids into the rear corner of the recliner because she was still attached to Williams by the umbilical cord. "When I jumped off I pulled her like into the back of the chair because she was still attached," she said.

According to Williams and the lawsuit, the receptionist and the staff began screaming and rushing, trying to figure out what to do. Williams said she stood against the wall, glancing in horror at her newborn baby. "She wasn't moving much. Twitching, gasping for air. She wasn't crying though, just hissing. Hissing sounds only."

The sight of a fully formed baby was a complete surprise to Williams.

"I thought it would be a blob thing, but bigger, not a baby," she said. "She looked like a Water Baby. Like those dolls you fill up with water. She was really little, like this," she said, holding her hands about 12 inches apart.

(Water Babies are sold in stores such as Toys "R" Us. A product description on the Toys "R" Us online store reads, "Water Babies are water-filled dolls that replicate the warmth, weight and feel of a real baby.")

According to the lawsuit and Williams' recollection, Gonzalez, the clinic's owner, who has no health care licensing, came into the waiting room, cut the umbilical cord, and scooped Shanice's body into a red biohazard bag, sealed it and tossed it into a trash can.

Williams said she was in shock. "It felt like a dream," she said.

She recalls begging God for help and trying to listen to the staff. They only gave her Motrin for her pain because Renelique had not yet arrived. "Everyone was panicking," Williams said.

According to the lawsuit, the doctor arrived about 60 minutes after Williams delivered Shanice. No one called an ambulance. The lawsuit also states that Renelique gave Williams a shot to put her to sleep: "She awoke after the procedure and was sent home still in complete shock."

She said while Shane was driving her home, she told him, "I don't think that baby was dead."

Labels: abortion, election 2008, Obama, pro life

Labels: congress, House, Poor Richards Originals, pork, Senate

Labels: abortion, pro life

"I will also institute an absolute gift ban so that no registered lobbyist can curry favor with members of my administration based on how much they can spend on a fancy dinner. I'll make our government open and transparent so that anyone can ensure that our business is the people's business. And Justice Louis Brandeis once said, "Sunlight is the greatest disinfectant." And as President, I'm going to make it impossible for congressman or lobbyists to slip pork barrel projects or coporate welfare into laws when no one's looking because when I'm President meetings where laws are written will be more open to the public. No more secrecy: that's the commitment I make to you as President. No more secrecy. And when there's a bill that ends on my desk, as President, you the public will have five days to look online and fine out what's in it before I sign it so that you know what you're government is doing. When there are meetings between lobbyists and a government agency, we'll put as many as possible online for every American to watch. When there is a tax bill being debated in Congress, you will know the names of the corporations that would benefit and how much money they would get. And we will put every corporate tax break and every pork-barrel project online for every American to see. You will know who asked for them and you can decide whether your representative is actually representing you."

~Barack Obama

1. Make government open and transparent.

2. Make it "impossible" for Congressmen to slip in pork barrel projects.

3. Meetings where laws are written will be more open to the public.

4. No more secrecy.

5. Public will have 5 days to look at a bill.

6. You’ll know what’s in it.

7. We will put every pork barrel project online.

Labels: broken promises, congress, House, Obama, pork, Senate, White House

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Labels: congress, pork, Senate

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Labels: abortion, pro life

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