Breaking news from CNN: Liberal Lion Senator Ted Kennedy has been hospitalized with “stroke-like” symptoms. After going to the emergency room in Cape Cod, he was air-lifted to Massachusetts General Hospital. Let us say prayers for his quick recovery.

In October 2007, Senator Kennedy underwent surgery to clear his carotid artery in hopes of preventing a stroke. UPDATE: According to CNN’s sources, Senator Kennedy canceled his own lunch plans for today via phone, and the family is “optimistic” that the Senator will be just fine and make a “full recovery,” per Ed Henry’s reporting from Sharm-el-Sheikh.

The Associated Press, per a Kennedy family statement, is noting that Senator Ted Kennedy “experienced a seizure.”

UPDATE 2: Per Senator Kennedy’s office, he is “resting comfortably.”

UPDATE 3: Statement from Senator John McCain:

ARLINGTON, VA — U.S. Senator John McCain today issued the following statement on the news concerning Senator Ted Kennedy:

“I was very sorry to hear that Senator Kennedy has taken ill, and like millions of Americans, Cindy and I anxiously await word of his condition. Senator Kennedy’s role in the U.S. Senate cannot be overstated. He is a legendary lawmaker, and I have the highest respect for him. When we have worked together, he has been a skillful, fair and generous partner. I consider it a great privilege to call him my friend. Cindy and I are praying for our friend, his wife, Vicki and the Kennedy family.”

Developing…

Osama bin Laden peeked out of his cave.  Or, well, he sent a minion with a message from the cave - straight to the El-Ekhlas jihadi website.  CBS News has the full story HERE.

Almost predictably, Osama bin Hidin ties jihad to the Palestinians.

“The Palestinian cause has been the main factor that, since my early childhood, fueled my desire, and that of the 19 freemen (Sept. 11 bombers), to stand by the oppressed, and punish the oppressive Jews and their allies,” the al Qaeda chief said.

Vomit.

—Media Lizzy

Context is everything. After the holocaust, the world recognized the price of appeasement. And the State of Israel was born. President George Walker Bush, addressing the Israeli Knesset, delivered the following speech earlier today. As Barack Obama and his presidential campaign staff act eagerly to share the spotlight with a real president, George W. Bush, they failed to understand the basics.

The President was not delivering a political speech. He was not singling out Barack Obama. Never mentioned him. The President was acknowledging, on this 60th anniversary of the creation of the State of Israel, that “appeasement” is precisely NOT the policy to embrace - when the enemy still holds fast to the idea of genocide as an answer to all their problems.
—Media Lizzy

As Prepared for Delivery: Remarks by the President to Members of the Knesset

The White House
Office of the Press Secretary

(Jerusalem)

Shalom. Laura and I are thrilled to be back in Israel. We have been deeply moved by the celebrations of the past two days. And this afternoon, I am honored to stand before one of the world’s great democratic assemblies and convey the wishes of the American people.

It is a rare privilege for an American President to address the Knesset. Although the Prime Minister told me there is something even rarer – to have just one person in this chamber speaking at a time. My only regret is that one of Israel’s greatest leaders is not here to share the moment. He is a warrior for the ages, a man of peace, and a dear friend. The prayers of all Americans are with Ariel Sharon.

We gather to mark a momentous occasion. Sixty years ago in Tel Aviv, David Ben-Gurion proclaimed Israel’s independence, founded on the “natural right of the Jewish people to be masters of their own fate.” What followed was more than the establishment of a new country. It was the redemption of an ancient promise given to Abraham, Moses, and David – a homeland for the chosen people in Eretz Yisrael.

Eleven minutes later, on the orders of President Harry Truman, the United States was proud to be the first nation to recognize Israel’s independence. And on this landmark anniversary, America is proud to be Israel’s closest ally and best friend in the world.

The alliance between our governments is unbreakable, yet the source of our friendship runs deeper than any treaty. It is grounded in the shared spirit of our people, the bonds of the Book, the ties of the soul. When William Bradford stepped off the Mayflower in 1620, he quoted the words of Jeremiah: “Come let us declare in Zion the word of God.” The founders of my country saw a new promised land and bestowed upon their towns names like Bethlehem and New Canaan. And in time, many Americans became passionate advocates for a Jewish state.

Centuries of suffering and sacrifice would pass before this dream was fulfilled. The Jewish people endured the agony of the pogroms, the tragedy of the Great War, and the horror of the Holocaust – what Elie Wiesel called “the kingdom of the night.” Soulless men took away lives and broke apart families. Yet they could not take away the spirit of the Jewish people, and they could not break the promise of God. When news of Israel’s freedom finally arrived, Golda Meir, a fearless woman raised in Wisconsin, could summon only tears. She later said: “For two thousand years we have waited for our deliverance. Now that it is here it is so great and wonderful that it surpasses human words.”

The joy of independence was tempered by the outbreak of battle, a struggle that has continued for six decades. Yet in spite of the violence, in defiance of the threats, Israel has built a thriving democracy in the heart of the Holy Land. You have welcomed immigrants from the four corners of the Earth. You have forged a free and modern society based on a love of liberty, a passion for justice, and a respect for human dignity. You have worked tirelessly for peace. And you have fought valiantly for freedom.

My country’s admiration for Israel does not end there. When Americans look at Israel, we see a pioneer spirit that worked an agricultural miracle and now leads a high-tech revolution. We see world-class universities and a global leader in business, innovation, and the arts. And we see a resource more valuable than oil or gold – the talent and determination of a free people who refuse to let any obstacle stand in the way of their destiny.

I have been fortunate to see the character of Israel up close. I have touched the Western Wall, seen the sun reflected in the Sea of Galilee, and prayed at Yad Vashem. Earlier today, I visited Masada, an inspiring monument to courage and sacrifice. At this historic site, Israeli soldiers swear an oath: “Masada shall never fall again.” Citizens of Israel: Masada shall never fall again, and America will always stand with you.

This anniversary is a time to reflect on the past. It is also an opportunity to look to the future. As we go forward, our alliance will be guided by clear principles – shared convictions rooted in moral clarity and unswayed by popularity polls or the shifting opinion of international elites.

We believe in the matchless value of every man, woman, and child. So we insist that the people of Israel have the right to a decent, normal, and peaceful life, just like the citizens of every other nation.

We believe that democracy is the only way to ensure human rights. So we consider it a source of shame that the United Nations routinely passes more human rights resolutions against the freest democracy in the Middle East than any other nation in the world.

We believe that religious liberty is fundamental to civilized society. So we condemn anti-Semitism in all forms – whether by those who openly question Israel’s right to exist, or by others who quietly excuse them.

We believe that free people should strive and sacrifice for peace. So we applaud the courageous choices Israel’s leaders have made. We also believe that nations have a right to defend themselves and that no nation should ever be forced to negotiate with killers pledged to its destruction.

We believe that targeting innocent lives to achieve political objectives is always and everywhere wrong. So we stand together against terror and extremism, and we will never let down our guard or lose our resolve.

The fight against terror and extremism is the defining challenge of our time. It is more than a clash of arms. It is a clash of visions, a great ideological struggle. On one side are those who defend the ideals of justice and dignity with the power of reason and truth. On the other side are those who pursue a narrow vision of cruelty and control by committing murder, inciting fear, and spreading lies.

This struggle is waged with the technology of the 21st century, but at its core it is the ancient battle between good and evil. The killers claim the mantle of Islam, but they are not religious men. No one who prays to the God of Abraham could strap a suicide vest to an innocent child, or blow up guiltless guests at a Passover Seder, or fly planes into office buildings filled with unsuspecting workers. In truth, the men who carry out these savage acts serve no higher goal than their own desire for power. They accept no God before themselves. And they reserve a special hatred for the most ardent defenders of liberty, including Americans and Israelis.

That is why the founding charter of Hamas calls for the “elimination” of Israel. That is why the followers of Hezbollah chant “Death to Israel, Death to America!” That is why Osama bin Laden teaches that “the killing of Jews and Americans is one of the biggest duties.” And that is why the president of Iran dreams of returning the Middle East to the Middle Ages and calls for Israel to be wiped off the map.

There are good and decent people who cannot fathom the darkness in these men and try to explain their words away. This is natural. But it is deadly wrong. As witnesses to evil in the past, we carry a solemn responsibility to take these words seriously. Jews and Americans have seen the consequences of disregarding the words of leaders who espouse hatred. And that is a mistake the world must not repeat in the 21st century.

Some seem to believe we should negotiate with terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: “Lord, if only I could have talked to Hitler, all of this might have been avoided.” We have an obligation to call this what it is – the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history.

Some people suggest that if the United States would just break ties with Israel, all our problems in the Middle East would go away. This is a tired argument that buys into the propaganda of our enemies, and America rejects it utterly. Israel’s population may be just over 7 million. But when you confront terror and evil, you are 307 million strong, because America stands with you.

America stands with you in breaking up terrorist networks and denying the extremists sanctuary. And America stands with you in firmly opposing Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions. Permitting the world’s leading sponsor of terror to possess the world’s deadliest weapon would be an unforgivable betrayal of future generations. For the sake of peace, the world must not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.

Ultimately, to prevail in this struggle, we must offer an alternative to the ideology of the extremists by extending our vision of justice and tolerance, freedom and hope. These values are the self-evident right of all people, of all religions, in all of the world because they are a gift from Almighty God. Securing these rights is also the surest way to secure peace. Leaders who are accountable to their people will not pursue endless confrontation and bloodshed. Young people with a place in their society and a voice in their future are less likely to search for meaning in radicalism. And societies where citizens can express their conscience and worship their God will not export violence, they will be partners for peace.

This fundamental insight, that freedom yields peace, is the great lesson of the 20th century. Now our task is to apply it in the 21st. Nowhere is this work more urgent than here in the Middle East. We must stand with the reformers working to break the old patterns of tyranny and despair. We must give voice to the millions of ordinary people who dream of a better life in freedom. We must confront the moral relativism that views all forms of government as equally acceptable and thereby consigns whole societies to slavery. Above all, we must have faith in our values and ourselves and confidently pursue the expansion of liberty as the path to a peaceful future.

That future will be a dramatic departure from the Middle East of today. So as we mark 60 years from Israel’s founding, let us envision the region 60 years from now. This vision will not arrive easily or overnight, and it will encounter violent resistance from our enemies. But if we and future Presidents and Knessets maintain our resolve and have faith in our ideals, here is the Middle East we can see:

Israel will be celebrating its 120th anniversary as one of the world’s great democracies, a secure and flourishing homeland for the Jewish people. The Palestinian people will have the homeland they have long dreamed of and deserved – a democratic state that is governed by law, respects human rights, and rejects terror. From Cairo and Riyadh to Baghdad and Beirut, people will live in free and independent societies, where a desire for peace is reinforced by ties of diplomacy, tourism, and trade. Iran and Syria will be peaceful nations, where today’s oppression is a distant memory and people are free to speak their minds and develop their talents. And al Qaeda, Hezbollah, and Hamas will be defeated, as Muslims across the region recognize the emptiness of the terrorists’ vision and the injustice of their cause.

Overall, the Middle East will be characterized by a new period of integration and tolerance. This does not mean that Israel and its neighbors will be best friends. But when leaders across the region answer to their people, they will focus their energies on schools and jobs, not on rocket attacks and suicide bombings. With this change, Israel will open a hopeful new chapter in which its people can live a normal life, and the dream of Herzl and the founders of 1948 can be fully and finally realized.

This is a bold vision, and some will say it can never be achieved. But think about what we have witnessed in our own time. When Europe was destroying itself through total war and genocide, it was difficult to envision a continent that six decades later would be free and at peace. When Japanese pilots were flying suicide missions into American battleships, it seemed impossible that six decades later Japan would be a democracy, a lynchpin of security in Asia, and one of America’s closest friends. And when waves of refugees arrived here in the desert with nothing, surrounded by hostile armies, it was almost unimaginable that Israel would grow into one of the freest and most successful nations on Earth.

Yet each one of these transformations took place. And a future of transformation is possible in the Middle East too, so long as a new generation of leaders has the courage to defeat the enemies of freedom, make the hard choices necessary for peace, and stand firm on the solid rock of universal values.

Sixty years ago, on the eve of Israel’s independence, the last British soldiers departing Jerusalem stopped at a building in the Jewish quarter of the Old City. An officer knocked on the door and met a senior rabbi. The officer presented him with a short iron bar – the key to Zion Gate – and said it was the first time in 18 centuries that a key to the gates of Jerusalem had belonged to a Jew. His hands trembling, the rabbi offered a prayer of thanksgiving to God, “Who had granted us life and permitted us to reach this day.” Then he turned to the officer, and uttered the words Jews had awaited for so long: “I accept this key in the name of my people.”

Over the past six decades, the Jewish people have established a state that would make that humble rabbi proud. You have raised a modern society in the Promised Land, a light unto the nations that preserves the legacy of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And you have built a mighty democracy that will endure forever and can always count on America to stand at its side. May God bless Israel.

On Heading Right Radio… Pat Dollard and Media Lizzy are getting together to discuss the state of affairs. War. Iraq. Marines. Soldiers. President Bush. McCain v. Obama. The whole package.

This is the Patriot Special on HRR. Today at 3PM Eastern / Noon Pacific.

Like florals in Spring… it is truly groundbreaking news. Oh wait.

It’s Not.

Per Politico:

88% Reporting
Hillary Clinton 216,202 = 66.84%
Barack Obama 84,061 = 25.99%
Other 23,209 = 7.17%

Exit poll weirdness… and I’m not making this up -
47% say Obama is Honest, 63% say Hillary Clinton is HONEST.

—Media Lizzy

For many Gen X women, the iconic images of Lady Diana and Prince Charles on their 1981 wedding day remind us of our first dreams of Happily Ever After. The pursuit, of course, is a great deal more complicated. Life seldom lives up to the romantic ideals… but occasionally, it does.

The nuptials of First Daughter Jenna Welch Bush to Henry Chase Hager last weekend were private, surrounded by family and intimate friends. The guest list was not revealed. No press attended the service. Protocols and traditions were upheld. No glimpse of the dress, a stunning Oscar de la Renta gown before th groom laid his eyes upon her in front of the Texas limestone cross and altar at the service.  An engagement ring passed down generation-to-generation from the Groom’s great-grandmother. The ladies in the house party wore Lela Rose dresses designed for the occasion, in colors reminiscent of Texas wildflowers in bloom this time of year.

The young couple are the children of iconic American families. And their love story is one sure to inspire young girls anew that somewhere, a prince is learning how to be the good man they imagine themselves with someday.

Occasionally, electoral machinations and politics-at-large are not the center of the universe.

Telling our young girls and boys to live right. Watching as they become young men and women who live up to our expectations, is a universal goal of most mothers and fathers. Such an occasion gives us the opportunity of introducing our children to a young woman who is a teacher, and whose life was transformed by an internship with UNICEF resonates - especially those who believe in public service.  A young man, striving to success, achieving, and obtaining a Masters degree from UVA’s prestigious Darden School is to be admired.  He will be a stable, financially secure husband and provider - is a wonderful example.

This dignified romance transcended “relationship” status and became something more lovely.  In our cynical world, it is worth noting.  We may not all have the same dreams, or definitions of success - or even public service. But we are all Americans. And sometimes… we should stop what we are doing and smell the Texas wildflowers, the roses, the Confederate jasmine, the sweet peas… and just be thankful we live in a place where the dreams of our children are still possible.

—Media Lizzy

Yeah. Pat Dollard will join Media Lizzy for the Patriot Special. Raw. Real. Heading Right Radio. Woot. Tune in on Wednesday, May 14th at 3Pm Eastern / Noon Pacific.

Word from Beaverton, Oregon… per FoxNews (and others) - is that Barack Obama mentioned that he’s visited 57 (fifty-seven) states, with one left to go.

Just one of those too-tired candidate gaffes. But, after his less than subtle dig at Senator McCain yesterday - turnabout is fair play. Welcome to the absurd land of presidential vetting, Mr. Obama.

With the general election all but underway, I am reminded of presumptive Democrat nominee Barack Obama’s repeated calls for - and vows to deliver - a “new politics.”  Of the “post-partisan” variety.  This implies there is something inherently wrong with self-identifying as a Republican or as a Democrat.  Hmm.  Sounds less “new” than it does “typical” of a rookie on the national stage.  Obama’s words are just the sequel to Uniter, not Divider.

What America does need, is a revitalized political system.  One where the Gen Xers of the world begin to assume additional responsibility - not just in the private sector.  Not just as civil servants - and legislative aides on Capitol Hill.  Not only as senior advisers and senior media strategists.  But, instead - as real political leaders in elected office.

In the press corps, the generational turnover is more obvious.  Gone from the nightly newscasts… Brokaw and Rather.  CNN has fresh Gen X faces - from Anderson Cooper to Ed Henry to Suzanne Malveaux.  MSNBC still relies on Chris Matthews - but David Gregory is right there in Prime Time.  Rachel Maddow quares off against the political equivalent of a Jurassic era T-Rex, Pat Buchanan.  On Fox news, there is scarcely a boomer to be found.  Apart from Brit Hume, Jim Angle and a few panelists… FoxNews gives us Gen X love with Shepard Smith, Greg Kelley, Bill Hemmer, Lis Wiehl, Megyn Kelly, and many others.

To be certain - there are many prominent partisans of the Gen X age.  With names known to insiders only - and acting as sources rather than pundits - it leaves the public with a perception that belies the truth.

Republicans and conservatives are just now embracing Web 2.0, social networking, viral video, tweeting, via their laptops and CrackBerrys.  New Media matters.  Listening to the voices in the field is critical to electoral success.  Politics is no longer a game to be won via micro-targeting alone.  Through Voip and Skype and increasingly digital lives, a few people understand the best of the “old” and “new” politics.

Patrick Ruffini, Soren Dayton, and Jon Henke are emerging as leaders for the next generation of politics.  If you know them, they need no introduction.  If you don’t - learn more by getting on the internet highway, and taking THE NEXT RIGHT.

—Media Lizzy

As commented by fellow blogger Andrew Allison, there was a recent huge swing away from the Labour Party to the Conservatives in Great Britain in the local elections. Whether this is a case of chronic mid-term blues or a real sea-change in the political climate remains to be seen. The most powerful Conservative after the election arguably isn’t David Cameron, leader of the Conservatives in parliament, although the results were a superb shot in the arm for him and his party. No, the current top dog is the Bertie Woosterish figure of Boris Johnson, elected as London Mayor. And many Tories will be holding their breath over the next year in the run up to the General Election hoping that Boris doesn’t make any of his infamous gaffes.

Boris’s background is one of wealth and privilege, similar to most prominent members of the Conservative front bench. He attended the elite public (i.e. private) school Eton and then went on to Oxford. He studied Classics at Balliol, the college of Prime Ministers and First Division Civil Servants. He was a brilliantly funny debater as President of the Oxford Union there but he was also a member of the notorious all male Bullingdon drinking club, open to the scions of the very wealthy. The club members would be fitted out in Oxford in an elaborately decorative (or ridiculously foppish, depending on your point of view) costume of coat and tails. The club would, meet, eat, binge drink and ceremonially trash local eateries. David Cameron was also a member of this club. But Boris always won people over with his bumbling, self-deprecating sense of humour.

His talents lay in journalism he was quickly working on the nationals, writing for the Daily Telegraph in Brussels. Trouble tends to follow Boris around he was quickly implicated in the affairs of Darius Guppy, a soon to be convicted and imprisoned fraudster. Guppy and Johnson were old Eton and Oxford friends – and the former rang the latter to seek his advice on how to beat up a tabloid journalist investigating his (Guppy’s) affairs.

Johnson moved on to become Editor of the entertainingly right-wing Spectator Magazine in 1999. While courteous and witty to people in person, some of the articles he ran appear to have overstepped the mark. Johnson became a Tory MP in 2001 but continued to edit his publication. As an Editor, he had to apologise to the whole city of Liverpool whom he said wallowed in their grief.

And gaffes are part of Boris’ strengths and weakness such as:

“Voting Tory will cause your wife to have bigger breasts and increase your chances of owning a BMW M3″ - on the campaign trail in 2004

“I have not had an affair with Petronella. It is complete balderdash. It is an inverted pyramid of piffle’– on whether he slept with his journalistic colleague Petronella Wyatt – which he had.

Boris really made a name for himself on the BBC Satirical News Show Have I Got News for You. The format of the show requires the presenter to either hold back on their personality or flaunt it for everybody – Boris always went for the shambolic, messy, endearing, image, And this made him a huge hit with the viewers – more would tune in if they heard Boris was the presenter in the hope of hearing use his peculiarly aristocratic English accent and argot for the 1950s. And it made him a star.

So how do you manage a philandering, funny, outrageous (referring to commonwealth flag-waving children as ‘piccaninnies’) and who’s never managed a budget bigger than a small political magazine? Well, you keep him under very tight wraps for the duration of the campaign, have the Australian political consultant Lynton Crosby act as his chaperone and try to make the campaign gaffe-free.

And it worked. The Labour incumbent, Ken Livingstone, had done much good for London but was vulnerable to charges of croyneyism. Johnson was able to campaign as the affable new broom. And he won by over one million votes. In the most exciting, cosmopolitan city in the World.

Well done to Boris - now the waiting for gaffes begins…