Let The Fair Begin

Today marks the opening of this year's Ozark Empire Fair in Springfield. The fair hopes to turn around what has been some disappointing crowds in recent years. There will be lots to do at the fair including concerts every evening. Among those performing include The Beach Boys, Raven Symone, The Little River Band, and Montgomery Gentry.

Other interesting events include the weird chocolate cake contest, a Duct tape art contest, a juggling workshop, and KSPR weather jeopardy. For a complete list of activities please check out the fair's website.

Of course, there will also be livestock, midway rides, and greasy food. The fair runs through August 9.

Thank You

I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who read this blog. July was our biggest month ever in original readership! I still find it amazing sometimes that people are interested in what others have to say on a variety of issues, even when they might not agree with them. I hope that Donna and I can continue to provide blog posts that are of interest to you. Thanks again!

Just Pulled In The Drive...

After being gone since Sunday, I made it home just a bit ago. Please allow me to slowly get back in the swing of things and then posting will resume as normal. Or I guess I should say... as normal as posting on here gets...

Howard Dean To Host Cable News Show

Don't get to excited all of you Deaniacs! It isn't a permanent deal. Howard Dean, former 2004 Democratic candidate for President, will be anchoring Countdown w/ Keith Olbermann on MSNBC tonight and tomorrow night. It should be interesting to see how the anchoring gig goes for Dr. Dean. I am sure he will be talking a lot about the health care debate going on in Washington right now.

Wasn't the last time we heard from Mr. Dean, he was listing off states in the union followed by a scream? Hmm... this might be interesting. I think I may watch.

In and Out

I will be an and out of the blogosphere this week as I am attending a conference in Fayetteville, Arkansas. I apologize for the inconsistency in blogging this week because of it. I will be back on track when I return home this weekend.

Does This Cross The Line?

A family in a small Texas community has decided that they are sick of illegal immigration and have placed a sign on their house. The report from cnn.com is found below.



Do you feel this crosses a line or is it perfectly okay?

Erica Edwards Leaving KOAM

The Turner Report first posted yesterday that KOAM's evening co-anchor Erica Edwards was leaving the station. Today, I have been able to confirm that Edwards is leaving the station but that it will be "later this year" and that there doesn't appear to be a set date at this time.

Edwards is an alumni of Duquense University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

We will keep you updated as we get more information.

Springfield And Tennis

The United States Tennis Association has listed Springfield as one of America's Top Ten Tennis Cities, but before it can get to number one your help is needed. Head to this link and vote for Springfield as the best tennis town. The grand prize is $100,000.

Springfield is home to the Lasers as well as many other good private and public tennis clubs. Voting ends on July 26.

Happy Birthday Bob!

Former Senator and Presidential Nominee Bob Dole is 86 today. Here are some of his finer moments!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt8uNG02ixA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWib8GbrIlA

You've Heard Of Snakes On A Plane...

But what about scorpions? All I can say is that I am glad I wasn't on that flight. Can you say refund?

Oh I'm Glad I'm Not An...

Oscar Mayer Wiener bus driver. You know it's going to be a bad day when you start to back your wiener mobile out of the drive and suddenly you've remodeled someones house! The Full Story

KRZG's Mark Kinsley To Run For MO House

The Joplin Globe and their blog "Show You State", written by Joe Hadsall, is reporting this afternoon that KRZG radio personality Mark Kinsley will run for the Republican nomination of the 129th Representative seat.

The blog entry also states that the announcement will come Tuesday, July 28th at a local Joplin business. Representative Marilyn Reustman will join him at the event. Please click on the link for all of the details.

Ashley Tisdale To Perform For Extreme Makeover Home Site

Top story from KSPR:

Ashley Tisdale To Perform Free Concert


I know, I know... isn't it great? The High School Musical star will be in the Ozarks on Tuesday!

While I am very happy for the Hampton family and they are certainly deserving of the new home, the KSPR overkill is driving me crazy. Does the news have to be broadcast live from the site? Does it have to take up all the space on your website? Does it have to factor into the weather blog posts?

I will be happy when the family gets to move in and start their new life. I am grateful for the men and women who have donated their time to make this dream a reality. I am glad that ABC chose the Ozarks because there are a lot of nice people here who deserve this. Still, I am tired of the overkill by KSPR. Every piece of plywood or sheetrock put into place isn't news. Come on Joe, Christine, Michelle, and crew... let's get back to covering the rest of the news, too.

OMG... My BFF Just Got TTT,,, LOL

You might think that teenagers who text constantly are simply annoying. The truth is that is getting to the point with some that it is even causing health problems. The girl in this video from CNN has been identified as having Teen Texting Tendonitis. The cure? STOP TEXTING FOR ONE SECOND AND GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY!

While I may have meant the above statement in a tongue-in-cheek manner, texting is becoming a serious problem and one that can even lead to arthritis. Enjoy the video below.

Walter Cronkite: 1916-2009

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

The Worst Jellybeans In The World

I bet KY3 Ozarks Today anchor Paul Adler was glad he was on vacation today.

More From Mr. Muller...

Wow, okay... so this guns and pickup trucks thing goes a little deeper than I originally thought. Take a look at the comments Mr. Muller made this morning while talking with CNN's Carol Costello on American Morning:

"COSTELLO: Well, but police officers are shot in the line of duty all the time, and they carry guns every day, so maybe some might not think that is a great argument.

MUELLER: Well, I'd personally like to have a sporting chance instead of just becoming a victim. I guarantee you those guys that broke through that door that used guns to kill those people did not have legal guns and did not go through the proper steps to get them. Those are all illegal guns, and I would bet my bottom dollar on it. I haven't seen the facts, but, look, there is a bunch of evil in the world and people need to protect themselves. We're real firm believers. We're country folks down here. We live down here, and we're real firm believers in the Second Amendment, and we don't want to become victims. I live out in the country, 15 miles from the dealership here on 1,200 acres, the response time to my home is about 15 minutes. And if I'm counting on the police, we have a great police force in Bates County, great sheriff, great police in Butler where we live. Response time is still 15 minutes no matter how great the people are and how great their intentions are. And I would rather defend myself. The only 911 call I need is chambering a round, and I think that's the case with most people down here.

COSTELLO: You know what, I grew up in rural America, too. We had guns in our home, but they weren't AK-47s. I mean, but...

MUELLER: How long ago was that?

COSTELLO: When I was a teenager, 20 years ago, 30 years ago.

MUELLER: Things have changed dramatically. I don't know if you know anything about Missouri, where I live. In this county, there is a tremendous crime problem with people doing meth, and these people, they've lost their souls. They don't care about you, they don't care about me. They care about one thing, getting more dope."

Umm... okay, so let me get this straight. You need an AK-47 to protect yourself in Bates county because crime is very high. If we follow this line of logic, then we should probably provide armored cars with mounted rifles to the folks in East Saint Louis, don't you think? Wow.

A Free Gun With Every Truck

The Associated Press has a story this morning that should disturb everyone.

Butler, Missouri car company Max Motors has taken incentives for buying an automobile to the next level. In the month of August, if you buy a truck you will receive a voucher so that you can purchase an AK-47.

Yes, that is right. Buy a truck, get a free assault rifle! I have one word for this promotion: dumb. I could add another one, too: dangerous. Mark Muller, the owner, is just asking for trouble if you ask me. Have we really sunk to that level in our society?

The AK-47 is responsible for nearly a quarter of a million deaths each year, according to the Washington Post. Umm... Mr. Muller? Hello? Did it ever occur to you that this might be a bad idea?

Political Full Court Press, Part Two

Another day of interesting political news:

1) Indiana Senator Dick Lugar has publicly announced he will vote for Sonia Sotomayor to become the next justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, according to MSNBC. Why is this news? Because he is a conservative Republican. Something tells me Sean Hannity might have something to say about this.

2) You have probably already heard how safe the water was at the Lake of the Ozarks during the Memorial Day weekend. Too bad that information was false! The Department of Natural Resources admitted yesterday to withholding information about unsafe levels of E.coli at the lake for fear of loss of tourism revenue. Now the Columbia Tribune is reporting that a group for the protection of waterways and linked to the Sierra Club has filed a complaint against DNR. This should be fun!

3) KY3's David Catanese reports that MO Senator Claire McCaskill has grabbed the attention of the Washington Post. Click here to find out why and to see the possibly most unflattering picture ever posted on the Notebook of Senator McCaskill.

Kids Contract Swine Flu in Barry County

KY3 is reporting that seven kids have been confirmed to have the H1N1 virus, known more commonly as swine flu. The kids were attending a church camp in the southern part of Barry county. The article also mentions that up to fifty-three people reported flu like symptoms, so the number of confirmed cases could go higher than seven.

The rest of the activities at the camp have been canceled and the other people, not suspected of having swine flu have been sent home. We have more details on the blog as they become available.

Severe Weather Watch Posted!

Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued by the Storm Prediction Center until 10 p.m.

Blogroll Modified

You may notice that the blogroll to the left has shrunk. No, I did not get mad and remove bloggers. The Springfield Blogger's Association has developed a nice website which catalogs and feeds the posts from these great blogs into one location. The list was growing too long for me to keeping adding to as I found quality sites. I hope you will take a moment and check out the site.

2012 GOP Poll Numbers

Yes, there are some geeks out there already polling on the leading candidates for the GOP Presidential nominee for 2012. And there are some geeks mentioning it on their blog. Here are the latest Gallup poll numbers when surveying Republicans:

(Margin of Error +- 5%)

1- Mitt Romney: 26%
2- Sarah Palin: 21%
3- Mike Huckabee: 19%
4- Newt Geingrich: 14%
5- Tim Pawlenty: 3%
6- Haley Barbour: 2%

One of the most interesting statistics from the entire poll actually isn't the overall Republican numbers, but who has the highest net favorability among all Americans:

1- Mike Huckabee: +19% favorability vs unfavorability
2- Mitt Romney: +8% favorability vs unfavorability
3- Sarah Palin: -2% favorability vs unfavorability

This means that Palin is more unpopular among voters than she is popular. Huckabee has a huge advantage in the popularity department, some of which I would give credit to because of his television show on Fox News.

For a full look at the poll numbers, please click here.

Interpreting The Fundraising Numbers

Tonight is the deadline for 2nd quarter fundraising numbers. While I agree that how much cash raised is important, I feel the important part of the equation is who donated. For example, in my mind 10 $100 donations from regular citizens is more important than 1 $1,000 check from a PAC.

It is true that you need cash to run a successful campaign. For better or worse, that is a necessity. Just keep in mind while all these numbers are being flashed across the tv screen and the internet blogs and websites that the people behind the donations are most generally more important than the amount.

Back -- Scratch That

Well it only took talking to THREE internet technicians from Suddenlink Communications, but I am officially back in the internet business. Whew! I am worn out. In all fairness, this is the first problem I have had with the internet since becoming a customer over a year and a half ago. I should be thankful that I haven't had more issues, like I used to with Sofnet.

UPDATE: The internet just went down again and I had to reboot. Grrrr....

UPDATE (NOON): Still no constant internet at my home. I am blogging from the grandparent's house. This is frustrating. Technical support is too!!!!

Internet Issues....

Been on the phone with Suddenlink all afternoon trying to resolve them. Blogging will continue once I have that resolved. Argh!

Severe Weather Possible This Afternoon and Tonight

The National Weather Service is predicting the possibility of severe storms late this afternoon and this evening. Threats include large hail, damaging winds, and very heavy rain. Please stay aware of the latest conditions.

Busy Day

Today was one of those days when I wanted to get some blog posting done, but I just didn't have time. I had several items on the "to do" list today. Among them, speaking at the local Kiwanis Club meeting, helping my sister apartment hunt, trying out Mocha Jo's (yes, it is officially open), and cleaning the house before an old friend came by to say hello.

Yes, it has been a busy day. I will get caught up on blog posts soon. Oh, and for the person who emailed me complaining about no blog posts today I have one thing to say: I am happy that you care about the blog and I am flattered that you want to read my work, but this only a hobby. Work and personal life gets in the way at times. Ok. Enough of that.

Time to rest from the busy day.

A Great Story

The Springfield News-Leader has a great write up on Brian McGarry and Ben Shantz, two high school debaters from Springfield Central High School, who placed third in the nation last month in Birmingham, AL. I am thrilled that the News-Leader took the time to recognize their accomplishment along with their coach. Often times the feats of high school students that are not involved in athletic events go unnoticed. I am glad this article happened, but the coverage is an exception rather than the rule.

I judged this team on the circuit last year and they were excellent! They deserve all the press they received. Congrats Mr. Tuckness and students -- well deserved!!!

Sonia Sotomayor Confirmation Begins Tomorrow

If you are expecting another boring July news day then you are in for a shock tomorrow. The world will be watching (or out swimming or working or sleeping) as the cable news networks bring you wall-to-wall coverage of the hearings of Sonia Sotomayor. The biggest names in cable news will be bringing you all the information live, plus expert analysis from their trusty political commentators.

I have decided that if I get a chance to watch the coverage tomorrow, I will do so on C-SPAN. Why? Because I already know how the cable news networks will cover it: MSNBC will say she is perfect, Fox News will hate her, and CNN will probably try to put an angle on it relating to Michael Jackson since that is the only thing that brings ratings to that network these days.

When I watch on C-SPAN then I can hear what she has to say and make up my own mind about her. I won't need any talking heads to do the thinking for me. It is bad enough we will have some wonderful politicians grandstanding for the cameras. I just want to make fun of them without the help of Chris Matthews, Wolf Blitzer, or Megyn Kelly. Is that too much to ask?

Crane Family Possible Victim of Arson

KSPR is reporting this evening that a family from the Crane area near 413 highway may have been a victim of arson. According to the report, a fire broke out near the Bliss family home around 2:30 this morning. Authorities believe that the fire started in front of the house. The article does not mention any injuries. The fire department is still looking into the matter.

How To Tell a Jayhawk Fan From A Tiger Fan In The Summer

MU Tiger Fan Swimming Pool (aka: TheNews2K's Swimming Pool)






KU Jayhawks Fan Swimming Pool (aka: DONNA's Swimming Pool)

Lazy Saturday Afternoon...

The sun is shining, interspersed with just a few clouds left over from this morning's rain. Temperature is about 90 degrees and I have nothing on my "to do" list this afternoon except get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. I just made some iced tea and am thinking about jumping in the swimming pool. I won't think about heading back to work full-time in about a month. For the moment all I am thinking about is sunshine and floaties. Life is good.

Well This Ought To Get Him Some Air Time...

In a previous blog post, I mentioned that the US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar would be visiting St. Louis today. Little did he know, he would also walk away with two souvenirs. The price? How about $75 each.

Secretary Salazar apparently didn't realize what the big blue signs with wheelchairs on them meant. While visiting the St. Louis Post-Dispatch he decided to park in a handicapped spot and got fined for it - twice. The newspaper has more information on the story, as they were live on the scene when it happened.

Do they not have handicapped spaces in Washington DC Sec. Salazar?

Political Full Court Press

Because it is Friday and because there is a lot of political news on the radar, here are a few bits and pieces for you to digest from around the web.

* Monday marks the beginning of the "trial" of Sonia Sotomayor. CNN has a poll concerning how many people support her nomination. By the way, the cable nets will be covering the nomination hearings ad nauseum.

* Senator John Ensign must have gone to Mark Sanford's school of mistress ethics because a new article has surfaced this morning from Politico indicating that Mr. Ensign's parents paid his little lady a little money. By little, I mean $96,000. Just chump change for the Senator, I am sure.

* MO 7th Congressional District candidate Billy Long told KY3's David Catanese he raised $101,700 in the entire second quarter this year. Too bad the article also mentions that Gary Nodler raised approximately $100,000 in about a month. Meanwhile, Jack Goodman is holding off his numbers until July 15 (probably meaning that he hopes everyone will have forgotten the other two's numbers by then). I told you this race was going to be fun.

* Oh, and on this beautiful July Friday, the Associated Press is reporting in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that US Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, will be in that city today. He is apparently taking a ride in the arch. Mr. Salazar is likely hoping this will increase his profile among the American public. Secretary of the ... what? Yeah, I thought so.

New Layout

I was getting bored with the old floorplan of the blog and decided to mix it up just a bit. I think this style looks better. If you like it, let us know. If not, then keep your mouth shut. (Just kidding!)

Obama Fill-In Will Not Run For Re-Election

Roland Burris, the Democrat who replaced Pres. Obama in the US Senate, will not seek reelection in 2010 according to Politics Daily. The cloud surrounding his appointment by former governor and very corrupt politician Rod Blagojevich and his lack of money for a reelection bid are among the factors cited in the article for why he has chosen not to run.

I can think of another one... the fact that he would lose in the primary, let alone the general election. Smart move Senator Burris. Next...

Carthage Press Interviews Sheldon Family

Yesterday came the news of the arrest of two individuals charged with the murder of the Sheldon couple from Carthage. Today, The Carthage Press has an interview with the children of the victims.

"'They took away two excellent people, my parents,' Bob Sheldon Jr. said. 'They were still relatively young, they had a lot left to live for and they were preparing to live. You don’t want to know what I’d say to these two people. They need to know they’d be safer in jail than out on the street and that’s all I have to say to that.'"

For more from the children of Bob and Ellen Sheldon, please click here.

Get Off Your Cell Phone!

A new law signed today by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has outlawed those 21 and younger from texting on their cell phones while driving. While many might applaud this bill I find it somewhat crazy. Here are a couple of reasons why:

1) It will not stop teens from texting. While the law itself has good intentions, it will not stop them from doing it because there are far too many loopholes. Are cops going to pull them over for texting? How can that be proved if they do? The teen could simply claim that they were calling someone, which is not illegal. That to me is the bigger issue here.

2) Why only 16-21 year olds? I will admit that I do sometimes text while driving. Should I? Absolutely not! I don't understand why the texting law is just confined to the younger age group.

The one benefit of this law as I can see it would be that they could fine someone or add an additional penalty to a teen if they were involved in a wreck and texting contributed to it. Again, that is difficult to prove. Plus, by that time if the wreck has already happened then it is too late.

US 65 To Be Widened To Six Lanes

The city of Springfield is growing and so is the amount of traffic clogging US 65. As a result, starting in September, MODOT will begin widening the highway to six lanes from I-44 to the James River Expressway Interchange. The work should finish up some time next year. This is in addition to the changes/upgrades being made to the 65/60 interchange and the 1-44/Glenstone exit ramps.

Ohio Says NObama?

Not good news for Obama... a new poll released today from Quinnipiac indicates that Obama's job approval rating has fallen in the swing state of Ohio to 49%. On the surface that might not appear to be a bad thing. 49% is almost half of the state's population. Matt Blunt would have killed for those kinds of numbers a year ago. Yet, that number is down significantly from the last survey taken which indicated that Obama had a 62% job approval rating by Ohio residents in May.

Drops like that aren't statistical margin of errors or an ebb and flow of approval ratings. That is some serious drooping. It will be important to watch that number as time progresses to see if it is completely tied to the recession or an overall impression of Obama's performance. Ohio is probably the most important state to win in a Presidential election in the current political landscape. Obama's latest job approval rating in Missouri is 51%.

Two Arrests Made In Carthage Couple's Murder

UPDATE (2:15 p.m.): The two men apprehended have been identified as Matthew Laurin of Springfield and Darin Winans of Japser. From what I can find... Matthew Laurin looks to actually be from Nixa. His record only shows traffic tickets. There is quite a bit on file for Mr. Winans. The Turner Report has the scoop on that angle. KZRG is reporting that Laurin is 19 years old and Winans is 21.

As the blog Crime Scene alerted its readers to this morning, there initially was a report of an arrest in the murders of Robert and Ellen Sheldon. I have just received word that there has apparently been two arrests in this case and that two individuals have been apprehended, one from Carthage and one from Springfield. I can't confirm that information, but it comes from a fairly reliable source.

The Jasper County Sheriff's Department will hold a press conference at 2 p.m. with more details. We will provide you with those as soon as we have them.

UPDATE: Just about as soon as I posted that information, The Joplin Globe confirmed the same information I have.

The Crime Scene: Person In Springfield May Be Linked To Carthage Couple's Murder

The Crime Scene, an excellent blog covering crime and punishment in the Ozarks, is reporting this afternoon that Jasper county authorities are looking for a "person of interest" in connection with the murders of Robert and Ellen Sheldon of Carthage. Hopefully we will learn more information on just exactly what the sheriff means and that this will lead the authorities closer to the person responsible for this heinous crime.

For more details on this story and to read the complete in-depth article, please click here. Additionally, KOAM has a good article which provides details of the case if you are not familiar with it.

Mark Sanford Censured By His Own Party

Word has come this morning that the Republican party in South Carolina has voted to censure Mark Sanford for his recent actions, but did not call on the governor of that state to resign. A censure is a formal statement of reprimand for wrongdoing while in public office, but it holds no official punishment other than the obvious disgrace it brings to the person it is issued to.

According to CNN, Gov. Sanford says he will work at trying to gain back the trust and respect of his own party. I think if I were him, I would start with earning the trust of my wife and family back first before moving on to his political allies. But maybe that's just me...

Tom Schweich Announces Candidacy With Statewide Tour

A man who once considered challenging Roy Blunt in the Republican US Senate primary has now announced he will run for state auditor, to take on a less formidable Susan Montee IF he can win a primary challenge against fellow Republican Allen Icet. Tom Schweich will kick off his campaign Tuesday in Saint Louis. That same day he will also visit Columbia, Kansas City, and Springfield. Then on Wednesday he will travel to Hannibal, Kirksville, St. Joseph, Joplin, and Cape Girardeau.

For complete details on his stops, please click on this link.

I've Just Been Monkeying Around...

Well, I had to take a vacation from the blogosphere for a few weeks to take care of some health and family issues. Now, life has finally gotten back on track. So I thought I would start by sharing some of the good things that I have been involved with over the past few months.

I work for what I refer to as "One of the best kept secrets in Southwest Missouri". While our presence isn't known as much around here, it is very well known in many other states.

We have recently launched our new website, Red Monkey Foods and beginning on July 15th we will launch our first cooking contest. We will be giving away cash and free Red Monkey Products. So if you have a great original recipe you would love to share with us just log on to our website for all the details.

You can also drop by our new blog "The Monkey Community" listed under the blogroll to the right.

Sunday Morning Links Worth Reading

I am back home, but still a little tired from a busy weekend with family and friends. Here are some links this morning that should spark some interest.

NFL Great Found Dead (The Fan House)

Palin Cites A "Higher Calling" (MSNBC)

Prank Call Costs Hotel Thousands of Dollars (KY3)

Happy 4th of July!

I will be out of town and away from internet access for the next couple of days. So before I go, let me say thank you to all of the readers of the blog. We are so grateful to live in a nation that allows us to have the freedom to share our opinions and express ourselves. I hope you have a Blessed Independence Day and may God continue to bless America!!

Mocha Jo's Set To Open Soon In Monett

Once a vacant downtown building in the city of Monett, Bob and Debbie Berger set out to change the face of the rundown storefront. Soon, it will open under the name Mocha Jo's, a coffee shop. The opening of the shop will provide the downtown area a boost it so desperately needs. In recent years, stores have been closing their doors for good or moving out along the newly developed Highway 60.

But that is not all. Above the coffee cafe will be The Den, a youth center. Details are sketchier on exactly what it will entail. It will likely not open until later this summer. Mocha Jo's, however, is planning to open in July. We'll be sure to review it for you and provide more details once it has officially opened its doors to the public.

(Photo was taken by Murray Bishoff of The Monett Times)

Gary Nodler: Way More People Like Me Than Jack Goodman

State Senator Gary Nodler has been around the block before. Running for office is no new deal for him. Fundraising is also one of his strengths, as you can see in a full report from KY3's David Catanese on his blog. The thing that most sticks out to me in this entire interview, however, isn't the fundraising data. It is Mr. Nodler's attitude, which I find highly disturbing. Look at what he has to say when asked about his likability by Catanese:

"Asked about how he'll handle the perception that he has more enemies than Senate colleague Jack Goodman, Nolder responded, 'I've got a lot more people that like me than Jack does too. It goes both ways.' 'I'm not too polarizing . . . People want to elect legislators to Congress. If the objective is to find a neutral or unremarkable person, or someone who doesn't have as much substance, that's probably not me,' he said."

Wow, how humble! There is something about this response that I believe helps perpetuate the perception that Gary Nodler's biggest fan is himself. If he has more "fans" than State Senator Goodman, could he explain why his own local colleagues (like State Representatives Ed Emery, Marilyn Reustman, and Kevin Wilson) are not supporting him? Additionally, I find his assertion that he is a remarkable candidate (at the expense of calling others unremarkable) very shallow.

Oh, and wait a minute: if he has more enemies and friends than the other candidates, wouldn't that make him polarizing? Here is the definition of polarization, in case Mr. Nodler needs a refresher:

"Polarization is the process whereby a social or political group is divided into two opposing sub-groups with fewer and fewer members of the group remaining neutral or holding an intermediate position."

Did I mention how exciting the 7th Congressional District race is going to be?