Pa. Gov. to apologize to Marine's family

[Freddie Stubbs]

Associated Press


PITTSBURGH - Written apologies will be sent to the family of a dead Marine who was upset that the lieutenant governor appeared uninvited at his funeral last week, Gov. Ed Rendell said.

Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll went to the July 19 funeral of Staff Sgt. Joseph Goodrich, passed out her business card and made a remark about the state government being against the war, family members said.

"Whether you're for the war or against the war, to say something like that to a relative of someone who just died in combat was just repulsive," said Goodrich's sister-in-law Rhonda Goodrich.

Rendell, during an appearance in Pittsburgh on Sunday, said written apologies will be sent to the Goodrich family, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported. Rendell said he hadn't spoken to Knoll about what happened.

more: http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/news/local/12218257.htm

[Lerkfish]

1. I have to agree.

as much as I am against all war and this one in particular, I don't think the grieving family needs, at that particular place and time, to have to confront their own feelings or the feelings of politicians on the war that took their loved one.

very low class of the lt. governor, especially to hand out biz cards????

IMHO its the same as if the family were dems, and Cheney came and talked up the war at the funeral.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

3. Sounds to me like Rhonda Goodrich is picking a fight....

...for the sake of publicity.

[Changenow]

14. What isn't reported,

and what the governor must not know is that Goodrich is a Republican activist. That the statement attributed to Knoll was third hand. That the reporter didn't even bother to call the woman who supposedly heard the comment and worst of all there has been no verification that the funeral was invitation only.

This whole thing reeks to high heaven, it is just too bad that the Governor didn't check some facts before commenting.

[spooky3]

41. agree

[DemBones DemBones]

4. I think she gave her card to "an elderly aunt," saying to call her if

there was anything she could do for the family.

The lt. gov. apparently attends military funerals often. And the complaining relative is a RWer, according to posters last night.

But one thing I'm sure of is that it's stupid to say she was there "uninvited" as if invitations were sent to everyone else who was there.

[Changenow]

16. It wasn't campaign literature,

and it isn't unusual at all for a politician to hand a business card to someone with an offer for help.

It is respectful for public officials to attend funerals, something Bush doesn't know.

[DemBones DemBones]

2. Rhonda Goodrich is a RWer just looking for publicity.

NO ONE is invited to a funeral, except a private funeral.

If a funeral is announced in the newspaper, anyone has the right to attend.

Families wanting a private funeral have the newspaper announcement read "Services will be private."

[ElectricHermit]

5. So if

I am having a birthday party in park with family and friends that means anyone has the right to attend. I think you are somewhat misguided.

[DBoon]

6. Nope - The above stmt is true about funerals

Your birthday party in the park is a different type of evetn

[DemBones DemBones]

10. Exactly. If you want a funeral to be private, don't put

the time and place in the newspaper.

Just as a footnote, if there's a wedding being held in the church you attend, you're "entitled" to attend even if uninvited. But it's less common for people to do that, I think, than to attend strangers' funerals. Which is weird, isn't it?

Rhonda would have been delighted if a freeper flag and bugle corps had shown up at the funeral.

[ElectricHermit]

13. I don't agree

That if the time and date of the funeral is in the paper it gives everyone the right to attend.

[Hobarticus]

15. I can't remember the last time I got an invitation to a funeral

They print those in the paper so that people CAN attend, on such short notice.

I've shown up at funerals, unannounced, and people were happy to see me. I bet Rhonda would've gotten a warm fuzzy if the Lt. Gov. had been a Republican, or if ANY Republican official came, which apparently they didn't.

Her statements about the war, if true, were in poor taste, but offering to assist the family any way she could is hardly 'repulsive'.

Welcome to DU, BTW!

[Bridget Burke]

30. Etiquette experts DO agree....

The funeral may be either private for family members only or open to the public. If the hours and location are printed in the newspaper notice, it is a sign that all visitors are welcome.

http://entertaining.about.com/cs/etiquette/a/funeraletiquett.htm

[Changenow]

46. It doesn't matter whether you agree,

publication in the notices makes it open. Wishing it had been invitation only does not make it so.

[proud2BlibKansan]

53. Do you understand

who Rhonda Goodrich is and have you heard of her activism on behalf of republican causes in the past?

[WinkyDink]

89. Your opinion

You might not LIKE strangers attending your funeral, but they have a right to, if it's publicized in the manner others are noting.
And it is also true, as has been noted, regarding wedding ceremonies.
Best get that preference for a private funeral in writing now!

[Changenow]

17. Huh?

If you publish the time, date and location in the paper where such notices are made for the purpose of inviting public attendance, everyone would have a right to attend, yes.

If you send out private invitations, then no, the whole world is not welcome.

You do know the difference between a birthday party and a public funeral, don't you?

[SoCalDem]

45. Bzzzzt wrong-o

Birthday parties are NOT listed in the obituary columns. The REASON that obituaries are published, is because a DEATH is a public records thing, like marriage, name changes, births.. If a family is having a private ceremony it will say so..otherwise the publication of the event is to notify the general public, so that people who may not have found out otherwise (in a trying time, people often leave out people accidentally), can find out and contact the family.. and
a Lt Gov would be acting as a legal representative of his/her boss, the Gov. Governors routinely pay respects at a funeral.

Missy Freeper is itching for her 15-minutes of fame with her knuckle-dragging Chickenhawk buddies, and has swift-Boat-Liared this poor young soldier's funeral.

No facts are even necessary..just a puff of faux-outrage slathered online at FR is plenty to start cranking out the astro-turfed nonsense. Then turn up the echo-slime machine to warp speed...and they're off..

Miss Piss-face herself (Michele Malkin) is only too happy to regurgitate the oozing pus into print..and of course Rush & his butt-boy Sean will be plastering the airwaves with the latest OUTRAGE..

It won't distract most people in the know from President Beavis' scandal du jour...Try again :)

[iamjoy]

57. Cut The Woman Some Slack

she just lost a loved one.
I don't think she thought of personal tragedy as an opportunity to smear Democrats.

I do think it possible that the right wing filter through which she sees everything caused her to see a genuine expression of sympathy by Knoll as a political move. Because she already has so much anger for any one who isn't a neo-Con, that compounded by her grief caused her to become completely outraged. She can't get at the ones who killed her son, and her mindset won't allow her to blame the administration who sent him there, so she finds another target, one she can blame and hate with no guilt or discrepancy.

That's my five cent psychology.

[Changenow]

61. It was not her son.

It was her brother-in-law and she is exploiting that man's memory! How much lower than a snake's belly can she get?

You don't think she thought of it as an opportunity? She is using it as a way to attack Democrats, she is right wing political activist, she knows how to play it for maximum exposure. She went to the press. Come on.

[iamjoy]

70. Sorry, Misread The Article

maybe I give these people too much credit anyway.

[SoCalDem]

71. The way I heard it on CNN was that the woman who complained

was NOT the mother..

[Lex]

48. No--are you equating a BIRTHDAY party to a FUNERAL? Not the same.

.
Birthday parties ARE usually by invitation only. The person who it's for is ALIVE and can make invitations.

A FUNERAL is different because it anticipates that there are people that the deceased might've known that the family might not know of, who might want to attend.

I'm sure you can see the difference?

[0007]

85. Let's get the oranges and apples in the right bin...

Just another freeper squawking. I'm sure the governor meant no harm.

[goforit]

7. This was not a political forum.......Yet apology was gracious.

[Changenow]

18. Bullshit

PUBLIC OFFICIALS SHOULD ATTEND FUNERALS! IT IS THE VERY LEAST THEY CAN DO! Attendance at public funerals is a gesture of respect from a public official. There is absolutely no doubt that if the family weren't hyper political they would have been honored by it.

If the aunt comes forward and repeats the comment and provides context, my opinoion may change, but only as to the alleged comment. At this point the lame piece of reporting are just the rantings of and angry Republican trying to squeeze some bad press for a Democrat out of an horrific tragedy.

[Plausible]

8. Bush should apologize for another unnecessary death

I think that newspaper is owned by rightwing Scaife.
Sounds like someone was making a tempest in a teapot for political gain.

Baker Knoll is a nice lady.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

22. Bingo!

He should attend the funeral of every man and woman who died because of him.

[DemBones DemBones]

9. Here's the link to the previous thread in GD-Politics

with info about Rhonda as RW activist.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=1953293#1953442

[Lerkfish]

11. ahh. I did not know the full parlocking story.

thanks. However, what I said still stands, that its poor class to use a funeral to further a political goal, whether its the lt. governor or the parlocking complainant.

[DemBones DemBones]

12. Yes! "Parlocking" is a most excellent description.

I had forgotten about that yahoo -- thanks for the laugh. :rofl:

[Supersedeas]

88. the depths Freepers will steep to in order to support a bad decision by

their Glorious Leader

[Changenow]

20. It is poor class to avoid them

It is responsible for elected officials to attend such events for those who have given everything for their country.

[Lerkfish]

24. you misunderstand.

I'm referring to the alleged statement made by the lt. governor, for which the apology was issued.

I'm not referring to her attendance.

However, it has since come to my attention that this may be a parlock incident, so the alleged statement might not even have been made, for all we know.

[Changenow]

28. Yep, I misunderstood.

What is a parlock incident, I've been away for a while.

[Lerkfish]

29. parlock was a slimey republican who suffered political munchausens

in other words, he would fake attacks on himself to elicit sympathy for the republican cause.
During the campaign, he forced his little girl to pretend her bush sign was torn up by a "liberal" kerry supporter -- who later turned out to strangely resemble his son, dressed up as a kerry supporter. It was then heralded throughout the blogosphere and through a RW friend who worked at AP as a perfect example of how nasty those democrats are.

The only thing was, he pulled the exact same stunt at Bush's previous election. Additionally, he claimed his RW political office was shot at...etc.


do a search on parlock here.

[Changenow]

31. Thanks. nt

[nookiemonster]

34. Thanks! I've always wondered what parlock was about.

n/t

[PA Democrat]

19. Also, consider the source- Richard Mellon Scaife is the owner of the

Pittsburgh Tribune Review which any local will tell you is an extremely biased "news" source. Reporters are told how to report, what to report, and if they fail to do so, they don't have a job. I've been told this directly by people who work there.

[Freddie Stubbs]

21. Actually, this was an AP article

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/news/local/12218257.htm

[Changenow]

23. The AP picked it up

they didn't report it in the first place.

It is just a low-grade partisan smear.

[Freddie Stubbs]

25. Then why is the DEMOCRATIC Governor apoligizing?

:shrug:

[Changenow]

27. Did you read the article?

In it Rendell states he has not spoken to Knoll about this. That means the DEMOCRATIC Governor may be under the mistaken belief that there is some credibility to the story. Yes, he should know that the media reports rumor as fact all the time, but it is possible that this smear was presented to him as researched and confirmed.

Assuming he believed the story, it's not as if partisan politics trumps any transgression, crime or abuse of power as it does for Republicans.

[Freddie Stubbs]

72. Knoll herself apologized

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05207/543820.stm

Perhaps she "may be under the mistaken belief that there is some credibility to the story?"

[Changenow]

73. That was a vindication, not an apology

But distort away, it must make you feel better. The "reporter" tries desperately to twist it as a real apology, but whenever they go quotes on the record the truth comes through. Also, what happened to the invitation only part of the story, it seems to be missing?

Knoll said she offered a business card to a Goodrich family member "as a sign of my willingness to help the family through this difficult time in any way I can. To do anything that was deemed insensitive was completely counter to my intent." That's an apology?

snip

Not so, Knoll insisted. "I will continue to support our troops in my role as lieutenant governor and support our president as an American," she wrote. "That I somehow conveyed an impression that was interpreted as other than that will forever be saddening and upsetting to me." Again, she doesn't sound sorry for anythig she did.

And this from a source hell bent on smearing her, I wonder how the whole letter read? Knoll had nothing to apologize for, and should not have accommodated the Freeper in any way. If that is in doubt notice that the vile human who started the rumor is still at it.

"If she wanted to offer the family help, why didn't she go talk to Joey's wife Amy or his parents?" Rhonda Goodrich said. "She handed a card and introduced herself just like a politician handing out fliers."

A single business card is morphed into a politician handing out fliers. But the most insightful line of all is that Goodrich isn't finished.

Rhonda Goodrich said Knoll's action showed "a big lack of judgment" and said she should apologize to the Marines also

As a jab at those who outed Ronda the paper makes a fake disclosure when it describes the Ronda as simply a "registered Republican", not a right wing political activist. Honest reporting is just impossible for these people. Then it prints the certifiably insane claim that Ronda wouldn't have been upset if the President or Santorum had attended the funeral. Surre Ronda.

[Freddie Stubbs]

77. Knoll herself used the word "apologize"

Dear Mrs. Goodrich,

I am writing to further apologize and clarify what happened at the funeral of your beloved husband, Joseph. As a wife and mother, I can only imagine how difficult it must be to lose your spouse so suddenly. As an adored member of your family and one of Pennsylvania’s sons serving with soldiers from across the commonwealth, SSGT Joseph Goodrich, is one of this nation’s heroes.

http://www.politicspa.com/FEATURES/05cbkapology.htm

[Changenow]

82. I apologize to you because don't understand the difference.

There's an apology for you. I'm sorry the reporter was trained at Al's Garage and Reporter's School, there's another.

She is saying that they misunderstood her, and she's just so sorry about it. It does seem likely that freepers are too stupid to tell the difference, this must make them feel all superior, but they were bamboozled. It's a hallow victory for the good guys, but we'll take what we can get.

[PA Democrat]

26. Looks like I was wrong about the original source

The story was picked up by the AP after it was originally printed in a local paper, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, not the Tribune Review, which is Scaife's paper. The Post Gazette is pretty balanced although the Republicans paint it as "liberal" because it is not openly biased like the Trib.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05204/542520.stm

[insane_cratic_gal]

32. Yup Goodrich is grandstanding

here is one comment I found by her.

"Rhonda Goodrich, a self-described stay-at-home mom from Indiana, was outraged when she heard "Fahrenheit 9/11" filmmaker Michael Moore was coming to Indiana University of Pennsylvania."

His movie is not a documentary," Goodrich said Monday. "It's a movie based on lies, rhetoric and propaganda


Hate much there Rhonda?

Stay out home mom .. yeeeeee right .. Stay at home Activist who just happens to shrill to the press.

Why is anyone taking her seriously?

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13224821&BRD=1078&PAG=461&dept_id=151025&rfi=6

[Changenow]

33. Please recommend for greatest page

This is a fantastic story about rumor substituting for news when the publication likes the rumor. Who needs fact checkers when the story without them will smear a political opponent?

It is also a perfect example of Democrats attacking each other, believing the worst and jumping to judgment. Republicans won't even condemn treason from another Republican, but we'll attack our own for an unverified rumor.

Finally, it captures the contempt one Republican activist has for the memory of a fallen soldier, that the soldier is also a family member makes this manipulation all the more despicable. The exploitation of this death for partisan political gain is definitely a new low, even for the Republicans.

This soldier's honorable death has been denigrated by despicable manipulation of an elected official who has done the right thing, she offered her respects for America's fallen.

[bluestateguy]

35. What the Lt. Gov did was wrong

Of course, the Right is going to shamlessly exploit it for all that its worth, but she did something wrong and her conduct ought not be defended.

[bspence]

36. Read the threads, man n/t

[bluestateguy]

39. Threads reread: position the same

I don't doubt that this Goodyear, Goodrich, whatever her name is, is a "Republican activist" (whatever that means), but the Lt. Gov. still did not conduct herself appropriately as would be expected from an elected official.

There were en ought fair minded people there to verify what happened.

As for this business of politicians attending funerals, I've never been on that bandwagon of demanding that Bush attend funerals. If a relative of mine was killed in the Iraq War there is no way I would want the man who sent him there attending the funeral. No way!

[comsymp]

74. In all seriousness, after reading the thread and related articles,

what do you find objectionable about the way the Lt. Gov conducted herself?

The only thing which would concern me (if I had more info) would be the allegation that she "conducted interviews" w/the MSM outside. Handing a business card (from all reports, the only one she gave out) to an elderly relative she was sitting next to / talking with doesn't seem particularly egregious, and after reading her response in the article linked above, I'm more than a little skeptical of Goodrich's characterization of Knoll's comments to the aunt.

As to your comment that "there were en ought fair minded people there to verify what happened," the only person I've seen quoted has been Goodrich. The aunt - the only one who actually heard Knoll's comment - has refused to say anything.

[Changenow]

43. Your standards for

making judgments are very low, decline jury duty if you're ever called.

[Changenow]

37. Knoll did the right thing.

in attending the funeral, which is unusual for a politican

[BrightKnight]

69. It is appropriate to have someone representing the State.

It is entirely appropriate to have someone representing the state at such an occasion. Sending the Lt. Governor is a way to demonstrate the full support of the State in a low key way. Sending the Governor might detract from the proceedings.

[stanwyck]

38. I'll be posting from prison

if any of the Bushies shows up at, God forbid, my son's funeral. I don't want a phone call. I don't want a letter. And I sure don't want some rightwing idiot at my son's funeral.

(My son is also a Marine.)

[Changenow]

44. God forbid

It is too awful to joke about even, but if the unimaginable should happen please make it clear that it is not a public funeral in the notice.

[spooky3]

40. Why would Rendell make a decision BEFORE talking to Knoll?

He should have verified that it actually happened and that no important facts had been left out of the story.

[Changenow]

42. Yes, he should have.

But he says he didn't, who knows why.

[Demit]

65. I'll bet he just figured to nip it in the bud.

Issuing the apology the woman clearly expects, yet pointedly not being interested in making the Lt. Guv explain anything. He's showing his support of his Lt. Guv that way, while placating the woman. I think it was a pretty clever solution.

[Changenow]

67. I wish Bush would start showing that

level of "support" to Rove. The statement lent credibility to the charge.

[Demit]

68. I think the seriousness of the two situations is not even comparable.

A charge that will be forgotten by this time next week. The complaining woman has nowhere to go with her complaints now. Rendell finessed her with the apology. I think it was an elegant move.

[Pacifist Patriot]

47. Two thoughts.

Knoll had every right to attend a publicly announced funeral.

If she handed out business cards, that's pretty tacky.

[Beaverhausen]

49. If she handed out the card saying "If you need anything contact me"

that isn't wrong.

That is what happened according to a post in another thread - can't find it right now. She handed an elderly aunt a card and said to contact her office is she needed anything. I don't see anything wrong with that at all.

[Pacifist Patriot]

60. I agree.

It's all a matter of how it was done.

[Pirate Smile]

50. Inside Politics did a bit on this. I think it was during the blog part.

They said the SIL posted about it on Free Republic and either used Military blogs to post the story or they picked up on it also.

They reported that the Lt. Gov. handed out the card and said the govt. was against the War.

They were talking about using this story as an example of how stories get started on the blogs and pick up steam and get into the Corp Media that way.

I wish the Lt. Gov. had just said she was sorry for their loss and not said the state govt. was against the war. Her attending the funeral was nice but she shouldn't have brought being pro or anti-war into the equation.

edit to add - It makes me think of Cindy Sheehan's son's funeral. If a state govt. official attended to show their respect, that would be nice BUT if they then told her the state govt. supported the war, etc. and pushed politics into the funeral, I would have thought that was wrong.

[checks-n-balances]

51. I caught that on CNN as well, and is it FOR SURE that the Lt. Gov.

spoke out against the war? Or is that a fabrication on the part of the freeper relative, the original author of the Scaife newspaper article, or of Michelle Malkin? Do you know (I don't, just wondering if you did)?

[Pirate Smile]

52. They reported that she said it and if she didn't, good luck trying

to prove that because you will have to prove some grieving family member was lying. You know people wont believe that.

What truly happened, :shrug:

[checks-n-balances]

54. Thanks. In that case, I still hope the Gov. will ask the Lt. Gov.

what was said, and maybe somehow the record can be set straight. But I agree, difficult if not impossible to refute what the freeper family member says.

[Changenow]

59. It would take a media interested in

reporting something approaching facts for that. Which means it is impossible to refute what the family member said.

[Changenow]

58. This is like the children's game telephone.

The next rumor will be that Knoll said she wishes a suicide bomber had attended the funeral.

[Changenow]

56. It is not certain by any means,

neither the alleged speaker nor the alleged spoken to have made public comment about it. That makes it a rumor, not that the SCLM would dare to report it that way.

[Changenow]

55. Stop it.

There is a rumor that she made the comment, no context was given and the person who is reported to have heard the comment isn't talking.

[Pirate Smile]

62. Why don't you contact CNN with the attitude. They are the ones that

broadcast it on national TV.

[Changenow]

63. CNN is no more interested in accuracy

than Freerepublic, repeating this story is a perfect example of that truth. Why waste my time?

[neuvocat]

64. I tend to agree.

I would be awfully hesitant to trust the writer of the article, given the whole "anti-war" slant.

[Changenow]

66. If that is an anti-war slanted story,

the RNC is now issuing anti-war propganda, wonders never cease.

[Moosepoop]

75. Hell, I'm still having trouble with the first line from the AP

"PITTSBURGH - Written apologies will be sent to the family of a dead Marine who was upset that the lieutenant governor appeared uninvited at his funeral last week, Gov. Ed Rendell said."

The dead Marine was upset? :shrug:

I know that the writer meant to convey that the Marine's family was upset. It just irks me when the basic rules of English are ignored --or are not known -- by the press.

Whatever happened to good old-fashioned proof reading?

[Changenow]

84. It went out with fact checking. nt

[WinkyDink]

90. Say nah

In Pennsylwania here ve say, "It aught mit der fact-checking vent, vunst."

[RamboLiberal]

76. Goodrich is the one using her dead brother-in-law

getting her damn 15 minutes of Repuke fame. Hear she's going to be on Hannity/Colmes tonight with her fake outrage. I was glad to hear local talk radio host Lynn Cullen rip her today for her false outrage and for her lies that she'd be just as upset if Bush or Santorum had shown at the funeral. And btw, where the hell was Santorum? I hear a lot of the Dem Senators show up at their constituents military funeral. It's a shame, but I think politicians to avoid this kind of crap need to be more careful and maybe have their people call just to be sure the family wouldn't mind them attending to show their respects.

I actually heard the f*ckers this morning calling for Knoll to be impeached!

Goodrich said she's a registered Republican but added, "If Rick Santorum or President Bush had showed up, I would be all over them, too."

Goodrich, who lives in Indiana, Pa., was part of a protest in October about an appearance by liberal, anti-Bush filmmaker Michael Moore at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

She said the program should have included a conservative spokesman to offset Moore, who had just released a film harshly critical of Bush.

"I wanted balance in the IUP program," Goodrich said, but strongly denied she had raised complaints about Knoll for political reasons.


http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05207/543820.stm

[Tommymac]

78. I love Lynne Cullen

But it's hard for me to catch her at her new time...

Glad to hear this is rethug hyperbole. My wife came home last night and told me about it ...if you have heard the Lt Gov speak in public it is not hard to believe...she is a good woman but not the best speaker. They picked the right person to smear in that respect.

This whole thing is sick...to go public instead of writing a letter to the Lt Gov and Gov Rendell first is outrageous. The activist is using her bro-in-laws death to spread scurrilous rumors about a politician...how hateful these people are.

[PA Democrat]

80. Lynn Cullen was great. She also remarked that Goodrich has

appeared on at least one FOX TV show and will be on FOX's Tony Snow's radio show today to express her "outrage". Tell me who is exploiting the death of this marine?

[PA Democrat]

81. This from Tony Snow Show

"A Massive Error The lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania attended the funeral of a fallen Marine, Joe Goodrich, passed out business cards, and voiced her opposition to the war in Iraq. The Marine's sister-in-law, Rhonda Goodrich, tells us about the experience."

http://www.foxnews.com/tonysnow/

[jimbot]

79. More links to Goodrich "activist"

One thing that I haven't heard mentioned. God forbid, but if that was my brother, I think my family would have a bit of a problem if my wife (of no blood relation) became the family spokesperson.

Anywho, here are a couple of more links on RG.

From the Young Conservatives of Pennsylvania website:
“All the rhetoric and propaganda that Moore spews is intended to influence college students’ votes,” local activist Rhonda Goodrich added. “But they deserve the truth, which is President Bush’s record and agenda, not Michael Moore’s defamatory political agenda.”
Link here

From WJAC TV
"Rhonda Goodrich says, "The students deserve to know the truth. Michael Moore is spewing rhetoric, propaganda, and lies and that shouldn't be what students base their votes on."
Link here

[Changenow]

83. Goodrich is on Fox now, she's changed her story

She is repeating the rumor re. her silent aunt's supposed claims, but Rhonda has dropped the uninvited hogwash. Rhonda has been coached that that is just a stupid claim since there aren't invitations to funerals. In fact, Ronda now acknowledges other officials were in attendance, so it's now fine to have officials unknown to the family at this sort of funeral. Ronda's problem today is supposedly what Knoll did while there, not her "crashing" the funeral (that's soo yesterday). Someone had better let the propaganda machine at the paper know about this change so they can censor Ronda's claim that she would have had a problem if George Bush himself attended. Keeping up with new lies is a real challenge to the print media.

There is no longer a shred of doubt that horrible creature is willing to go to suck all the notoriety humanly possible from her brother-in-law's sacrifice. Ronda was gleeful in the interview, dressed and acting inappropriately, nothing like the grieving relative she is pretends.

She has desecrated the memory of Staff Sgt. Joseph Goodrich. Ronda's widowed sister-in-law must hate her, or she will when she realizes what happened.

[davidinalameda]

86. today's article

found this in one of the articles

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05207/543820.stm

She handed out a business card, appeared to a relative of the soldier to be campaigning and made a puzzling remark that was interpreted as criticism of the U.S. military action in Iraq.

this article really paints Knoll in a much more positive light

shame really--she is a good leader for Pennsylvania and I'd hate to see something like this destroy her career

[Changenow]

87. About a quarter of this

is the Knoll supporters side, the other 3/4 is more unfounded attack. No word still from the woman who supposedly heard the comment.

Including the any alternative view is an improvement.

[davidinalameda]

91. I thought it was fairly positive

it sounds like a big misunderstanding, which given the circumstances, I can see happening

and I'm sure it's a bit of self-importance on the part of the sister-in-law

[high density]

92. Politics at a funeral is a bad idea, I agree

I had a college friend who was in the National Guard and ended up killed in Mosul. His funeral contained some bullshit defending this idiotic war that was spoken by a dumbass chaplain in the National Guard. I had never been so profoundly sad and angry at the same time as I was when I listened to this guy talk up this disaster over in Iraq.