(CNN video) Woodward: Hillary can't "fake" her way to the White House; Americans want a "truth teller" as next president

Veteran Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward, one of the two journalists who broke the Watergate scandal, knows a few things about dishonesty. While on CNN's State of the Union this morning, Woodward said that Hillary Clinton can't "fake" her way to the White House and that Americans want a "truth teller" as their next president.

From Da Tech Guy: Isolated Hillary chooses island for official campaign launch

"No man is an island," John Donne wrote over 200 years ago. But Hillary Clinton is. From my weekly post on DaTech Guy: Isolated Hillary chooses island for official campaign launch.

Flag Day--Remembering the Battle of Belleau Wood

Today is Flag Day.

Ninety seven summers ago the United States Marines were engaged in the fierce Battle of Belleau Wood in eastern France against the Germans. It was the first major engagement of the American Expeditionary Force in World War I and the bloody struggle immediately added to the lore of the Marines.

Early in the battle, the French urged the Marines to withdraw--and an officer replied back,"Retreat? Hell, we just got here."

Later, a sergeant shouted to his troops, "Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?"

After the Allied victory, France renamed Belleau, Bois de la Brigade de Marine, that is, Wood of the Marine Brigade.

Almost no one in the Chicago aware is aware that on Ballard Road in Des Plaines there is a monument to the Marines who fought and died during that battle, with of course Old Glory and some Marine flags.

Happy Flag Day!

Baltimore: Fewest arrests in a month in 3 years--but there is more crime and more fear

The police protect society from its worse elements. What if the cops couldn't do their job?

From the Baltimore Sun:

Baltimore police arrested fewer people in May than in any month for at least three years, despite a surge in homicides and shootings across the city — triggering safety concerns among residents.

Several neighborhoods saw declines of more than 90 percent from April to May, while arrests in the West Baltimore area where Freddie Gray was arrested dropped by more than half during the same period, according to a Baltimore Sun analysis of police data. Citywide, arrests declined 43 percent from April to May.

"I've noticed fewer police," said Steve Dixon, program director for the Penn North Recovery Center in West Baltimore. "We're having robberies at the playground in broad daylight. All these murders and shootings, we're having them in broad daylight."

The dramatic citywide decline — which has sparked a debate about police pulling back on enforcement efforts — came in the aftermath of the death of Gray. Six officers have been charged in the death of the 25-year-old, who suffered spinal injuries while in police custody and died a week after his April 12 arrest.

Police officers in Maryland's largest city are afraid they'll be the next to be indicted. And when the cops do make an arrest--they are surrounded by busy-bodies shoving cameras in their faces.

(Photos) Marathon Pundit rescues snapping turtle from certain death

I was tipped off by my boss that a common snapping turtle was attempting to cross Oakton Street, a busy Des Plaines, Illinois thoroughfare. As I am known as a nature buff at work, he knew I was the right person to save the massive reptile from certain death.

The boss took this pic. I snapped the other two.

This photo was taken right after I removed the turtle from the curb--and after its projectile urination.

The common snapping turtle can give a painful bite, but unlike the somewhat rarer alligator snapping turtle, in cannot bite off a human finger. These turtles can live over 100 years.

Related post:

(Photo) Snapping turtle on the banks of the Des Plaines River

(Photos) Invasive plant: Birdsfoot trefoil

As I did yesterday, I'm posting pictures of a pretty--but invasive--plant. This time it's birdsfoot trefoil.

The blossoms of this plant, although they bright yellow, are similar to those of Friday's subject, crown vetch.
The clover like foliage of birdsfoot trefoil is much different, however. This plant is a member of the bean family.

Trefoil has other things in common with crown vetch. It grows in clumps, it is native to the old world, it adds nitrogen to the soil, but it crowds out native species. What else? These pictures were taken about thirty yards from the spot in Morton Grove where I photographed the crown vetch. That really isn't much of a coincidence, as birdsfoot trefoil assists in erosion control. It was almost certainly planted here for that purpose.

Birdsfoot trefoil is the dominant bloom on this grassy strip between Lehigh Avenue and the Milwaukee Road railroad tracks just north of Dempster.

Related post:

(Photos) Invasive plant: Crown vetch

IL18: Dirty trick pulled on conservative Mike Flynn

Reagan banner, Eureka,

College, 18th Dist.

Someone has pulled a dirty trick against Mike Flynn, the conservative candidate in the Republican Primary in the special election to replace disgraced Aaron Schock in Illinois' 18th Congressional District. The mainstream GOP pick is Darin LaHood, whose father, Ray, held the seat before Schock was elected. The elder LaHood serves as Barack Obama's first Secretary of Transportation.

From Warner Todd Huston of Breitbart:

This week news was passed both by email and on a well-known liberal website in the state saying that the "Central Illinois Log Cabin Republicans" have endorsed Mike Flynn for Congress. Sadly the same fake announcement was placed on a well regarded conservative website and was also picked up by a tea party activist who was fooled into believing the false "endorsement."

The original source for this dirty trick was liberal website Capitol Fax [Ha! No link from me!], a site underwritten by funds from the state's far left political establishment. Capitol Fax posted the false endorsement but was soon forced to retract it and post a disclaimer by the real Log Cabin Republicans who kindly informed the site that they had no clue what this “endorsement” was all about.

The fake endorsement was listed as being from the "Central Illinois Log Cabin Republicans." But Gregory T. Angelo, Executive Director of the real Log Cabin Republicans, informed the far left website that, "The press release is fraudulent."

"There is no formally recognized Chapter of 'Log Cabin Republicans of Central Illinois,' and the gentleman who issued the press release is not even a member of our organization," Angelo added. "Additionally, per our by-laws, local LCR Chapter Leaders cannot issue endorsements in federal races."

It appears the anonymous trickster is trying to place a wedge between Flynn, who I interviewed last week, and his socially conservative supporters.

But who?

UPDATE 10pm CDT: Huston has more, Illinois 18th Dist. candidate Darin LaHood's confusion over term limits, endorsement

Related post:

Exclusive interview with Mike Flynn, candidate for Congress in Illinois' 18th District

(Photos) Invasive plant: Crown vetch

A member of the pea family, there is much to like about the crown vetch. Its pinkish-purple and white blossoms are gorgeous and it adds nitrogen to the soil. The crown vetch is useful in erosion control.

There is a lot of bad with it. Crown vetch is an aggressive invasive plant--it crowds out native species. It also is toxic to horses.

In the 1950s crown vetch was planted on roadsides to prevent the aforementioned erosion. These plants were photographed in Morton Grove, Illinois' Linne Woods adjacent to the Dempster bridge over the North Branch of the Chicago River. I suspect this vetch patch was purposely planted decades ago.

Here's a close up.

(MSNBC video) Heilemann: Hillary not taking questions because she "does not have good answers"

Bloomberg's John Heilemann, co-author of the book Game Change, said this morning on MSNBC--President Obama's favorite network--that the reason Hillary Clinton won't take questions from reporters is that she "does not have good answers."

(MSNBC video) WaPo's Ross: Voters have "real questions" on Hillary Clinton's "trust and truth telling"

While on President Obama's favorite network, MSNBC, today, the Washington Post's Janell Ross said that voters have "real questions" on Hillary Clinton's "trust and truth telling."

Related post:

Buy your favors now! Bill says he will stop giving paid speeches if Hillary wins