Romney: "Tender and Sensitive"

Romney deserves credit for his temperate remarks of yesterday regarding the President's personal expression of support for same-sex marriage:

"This is a very tender and sensitive topic as are many social issues. . ."

A Testimony by Lack of Evidence

Trying not to go all logical on a legalistic evidentiary basis, but I am fortified in my testimony of the prophetic calling of Joseph Smith, Jr., in what is not said in the history of some of my ancestors.

My most persistent pioneer forebearer was Ira Rice (1793 -1868). Born in western Massachusetts, he helped pioneer western New York. As a veteran of the War of 1812, he took a land bounty and pioneered in what is now Michigan. Converted to the LDS Church, he moved to Illinois and helped build the communities in the neighborhood of Nauvoo, Illinois. Following Brigham Young west with the Saints, he pioneered Farmington in Davis County, then North Ogden, then he went to help settle Providence in Cache County. When a call went out to pioneer the Muddy or Cotton Mission south of Utah's Dixie, Ira readily volunteered. President Young supposedly told him that he had done enough pioneering in his lifetime. (He was up to seven pioneering experiences by my count). And he probably should have listened as Ira died from the effects of exposure in a flood at Beaver Dam, now in Arizona. He is buried in Washington, Utah.

"For the Strength of the Hills"

The story about my Great Grandmother's brother Gus Roman's tragedy with the motorcycle prompted me to go deeper in the family history archives with my ancestors of the French-Italian Piedmont. We did get a hymn (#35) from our people of the mountains. And Malan's Peak above Ogden, Utah, is named for one of my ancestral families.

Malan's Peak from Weber State University

Dems Make Good Scouters

So, there I was m at Scout-o-rama trying to enjoy it - and I did for the most part. My wife was on the committee in charge of publicity. She worked with my son-in-law the past few months on the development and execution of a web-based game for Scouts to gather clues to find the location of Honorary Chairman Shawn Bradley's bicycle. The former NBA player and Eagle Scout has a custom built bike that is quite unusual. But then anything customized for a 7'6" guy has to be somewhat unique.

Congressman Matheson and I

Bachmann Backs Romney

Thank you, Michelle!

Not for supporting Romney so much, but for actually showing a little respect to the President of the United States. In her declaration of support for Romney, she reportedly said:

"There is no question in my mind Americans will go to the polls and they’ll be saying `Mr. President you’re fired!’ "

Did you catch that? She called him "MISTER President!" Wow, just wow! I guess she forgot all that "he's illegitimate and not-one-of-us" stuff she was promoting earlier.

The Newt Has Left the Building!

In honor of the former Speaker's departure from the presidential race, tending to disprove the Preacher that the not-so-swift can actually win races, I refer you to this wonderful tumblr collection I found entitled "Newt Gingrich Judges You."

It is a collection of the newt's rather condescending or patronizing visages in various circumstances with captions explaining the context (well, actually the humorous interpretation of context). My absolute favorite is below, after the jump, also revealing why sitting here in Republican-land Utah, it is perfectly safe for me to go after the newt:

Live-Blogging the President in Afghanistan

[No banners, no flight suit, no spiking the football.]

New agreement with Afghanistan

Why we came to Afghanistan - it was here that Al Qaeda operated to attack us on 9/11.

Bin Laden escaped in 2002. We spent 8 years fighting a different war in Iraq. Over the last three years the tide has turned here. Taking out Al Qaeda leadership, including Bin Laden. Goal within our reach.

Transition to Afghan responsibility for security.