The hits just keep coming when it comes to the thorny issue of illegal immigrants.  Now comes a report that illegals are contracting HIV when they come to the United States, and are spreading the disease when they return to Mexico.

The report, lovingly chronicled in the New York Times, suggests that an "expanding AIDS crisis among the migrants goes virtually unnoticed on both sides of the border", especially in Mexico where AIDS is still shrouded by stigma.

I say lovingly because the way Times writer Marc Lacey explains the reason many illegals are contracting the AIDS virus is stunning.  He writes, "For many migrants, being displaced from their homes and families is a lonely experience..."

Being displaced???  The New York Times is so desperate to paint illegal immigrants in a sympathetic light, they infer that illegals were kidnapped and forced at gunpoint to sneak across the border and take our jobs, health care and other social services.

And they're lonely?  So lonely people are more prone to break immigration laws, have unsafe and gratuitous sex, and contract HIV?

There are a whole lot of lonely people in the world who wouldn't dream of risking their lives by being promiscuous.

Yet another chapter of madness in the illegal immigration in America...

So the New York Times wants to know if "America is ready for a presidential candidate with a trophy wife."

Evidently, the summer months are proving to be so slow for the brilliant writers of the Times that they've really got to scrape the bottom of the barrel.

The article is referring, of course, to the age difference between Fred Thompson and his wife, Jeri.   The item is laughably transparent in its agenda:  portray the former Tennessee Senator as a doddering old man who has a young bimbo wife.   In fact, the first lines of the article refer to the "grandfatherly" Thompson.

Grandfatherly?

If any entity other than the New York Times posed such an ugly, sexist question about a Democratic candidate and his wife, I'm sure the Times would be howling in protest.  Sexism, bigotry, and intolerance are all reasonable tools in the arsenal of left-leaning voices -- provided the voices are trying to attack conservative Republicans.

One thing's for sure:  Fred Thompson's possible candidacy must be really forcing some lefties to shake in their Birkenstocks.  Why else would the Times stoop so low?

I'm absolutely shocked that Democrats like Bill Clinton are carping about President Bush's decision to commute the ridiculous prison sentence of "Scooter" Libby.

I can't believe there's actually gambling going on in Casablanca.

Actually, if a Democratic president pardoned or commuted the prison sentence of a trusted aide, we Republicans would be complaining as well.  Come to think of it, we did when President Clinton handed out pardons like candy canes on Christmas morning.

So let the left complain about Libby.  Big deal.  So they stomp their feet and hold their breath until they turn blue.  Big deal.  Sparing Mr. Libby a lengthy prison sentence was simply the right thing to do.

And I think Rep. Tom Tancredo is on the right track in publicly calling on the President to do the same thing for imprisoned border patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean.  As a matter of fact, Tancredo thinks these two brave men, rotting in jail after shooting a rotten drug dealer at the border, should be given a full pardon, not a commutation.

Well, let's not overreach here.  If the President isn't going to pardon Libby, he sure isn't going to pardon Ramos and Compean.  But at the very least, he should spare their families the anguish of their prison sentences and at least do the same thing for them that he did for Libby.

Come on, Mr. President.  Do the right thing for these two heroic Border Patrol agents, too!

After about a week and a half in 'The Twilight Zone', having gone through the news that my wife Denise has cancer, it's good to be back to work.

My wife, who has practically never been sick a single day in her life, was supposed to have a hysterectomy in order to remove uterine cancer, and was been diagnosed with cancer that has spread beyond her uterus.  She is positively amazing in terms of her strength and positive outlook.   Her attitude is contagious:  let's go to the  next round and fight this thing. 

And we will do just that.

Thankfully, my Denise has been inspired by the prayers and warm wishes of people from all over the country.  From listeners to my radio show who have expressed kind prayers and encouragement to folks like Sean Hannity, Rudy Guiliani, Fox's Steve Doocey and many others, the encouragement and support for this special lady has been truly astounding.

Please know how much we feel everyone's prayers.  I'll do my best to keep you posted.   But as Denise, "the boss", keeps telling me:  it's time to get back to work.

So here I am.

In reading Michael Medved's typical thoughtful, reasonable, and compelling article today at Townhall.com about the ongoing dialogue regarding a Mormon in the White House, I was surprised to see him write that I had announced that I could never, in good conscience, vote for a Mormon.

Actually, I believe Michael heard me pose a hypothetical scenario during my radio show.  Heck, it might have even been my fault in the way I presented it on-air.  I remember that I was defending people who are raising the issue of Mormonism by suggesting that one should able to say, "I could never vote for a Mormon in good conscience based on the core religious beliefs that conflict with my own" and not have to be accused of being some kind of foaming-at-the-mouth bigot by Mitt Romney supporters.

But for the record, I've never said I have failed to consider ANY of the Republican candidates for president.  It's way too early and besides, I continue to struggle with the issue of the strangeness of a number of various Mormon beliefs.  But that doesn't mean I'd ever suggest that I'd never vote for Gov. Romney.

While Michael makes some convincing arguments that should make Romney supporters happy, I noticed that the pre-1978 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints opinion of Blacks was missing from his column.  Evidently, prior to 1978 the Mormons had a pretty dim view of people of color.  But in 1978, presto!  there was some kind of revelation or inspiration or some auspicious occasion where Blacks were suddenly allowed to be on an even playing field with Whites.

Again, as I understand it, this was 1978.  Not 1878.

Is it fair and reasonable to wonder if a man who is part of a religion that held such a horrible view only 29 years ago would be a good choice for the president of a country that seems to constantly be struggling with race relations?  Can we at least consider the question openly and without condemnation?

I sure hope so. 

Meantime, not that it matters much, but when I decide who to vote for in 2008, I"ll let you know.

The Republican debate last night in South Carolina seemed to prop up one of the candidates and say good-bye to another.  When Texas Congressman Ron Paul suggested that our foreign policy is the reason we were attacked on 9/11, Rudy Guiliani buried him.  In that brief exchange, the former New York mayor demonstrated what a strong, decisive, tough-as-nails guy sounds like, while poor Congressman Paul just twisted in the wind.

It was like watching a big leaguer play catch with a little leaguer.

More importantly, Guiliani's performance is a reminder that he is, indeed, a very viable GOP candidate.  Isn't it wise to consider a guy like Rudy as a wartime president?   And isn't it true that a battle-scarred, street fighter like "America's mayor" would be the perfect opponent  to Hillary?

Let's face it, most of the men up on that stage last night are nice guys.  Pleasant, affable fellows all.  With perhaps one exception.  Rudy Guiliani is a lot of things, but a touchy-feely nice guy he is not.  He's tough, edgy, to-the-point, and capable of going toe-to-toe with anyone who crosses him. 

Do you really think Hillary Clinton would best him in a debate?  Let them discuss 9/11 and her previous support of the war on terror and he'll make mincemeat out of her.

I certainly struggle with Rudy's ideology on some crucial social issues, especially abortion.  But when Rudy Guiliani says that he's willing to appoint constructionist judges, regardless of his personal views on abortion, I believe him.  Besides, we've had years of pro-life presidents and so far, Roe v. Wade doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

More and more, I'm starting to believe that if Republicans have any chance of winning the White House in 2008, we'd better put a seasoned, tough cookie up against Madame Hillary.

They don't come much tougher than Rudy.

Democrats thought they were so clever to wait until today to present the 'cut and run' military spending bill to the President for his inevitable veto.  Evidently, they're so fixated on the infamous "Mission Accomplished" banner behind the presidential podium four years ago that they just had to try and embarrass President Bush on the fourth anniversary of that speech and banner.

But today is starting out a bit differently, isn't it?  Headlines are screaming that the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Ayyub al-Masri has been killed.

At the time of this writing, the U.S. has yet to officially confirm it, but the reports seem to suggest it's true.

If so, this must be a really awful turn of events for the Pelosi/Reid dems who wanted to run President Bush's nose in the 'Mission Accomplished" event.  It's mighty hard to argue that we're not making any progress in Iraq when something like that occurs, eh?

What is it they say about karma?

We get so caught up in the rhetoric and passion of politics that I fear we often forget the human beings behind the headlines.

The announcement today that Elizabeth Edwards' cancer has returned has made me particularly sad.  There is very little with which I agree with when it comes to  John Edwards idealogy.  But as someone who has had every single member of his immediate family shattered by cancer while I was growing up, I certainly can relate to what the Edwards family is going through. 

My radio producer wants me to devote some time on the next show I host to discuss whether John Edwards is making a mistake by continuing his campaign, now that he knows that she has cancer that has spread to the bone.  I just can't really go there right now.

Right now, I just feel like praying for her.

Politics aside, shouldn't we all do that?

It was so refreshing to see President Bush lash out at his critics by defending Alberto Gonzales.   Finally, Mr. Bush is standing up for one of his own.   Forget the partisan attacks by rabid Democrats -- Gonzales has done nothing wrong, the U.S. attorneys serve at the pleasure of the President who can dismiss them any time, anywhere, any place, for any reason he wants.

When President Bush showed a bit of a flash of temper in defending Gonzales yesterday, many of us breathed a sigh of relief.  He promised a constitutional showdown if Democratic leaders attempt to force White House aides to testify under oath about the federal prosecutors.

Let the fur fly, Mr. President.  Fight back and fight hard.  This is precisely why we elected you.  Twice.

Many callers to my radio show are constantly asking, "What is wrong with Republicans?   Why are so many of them afraid to stand up to the Demcrats and fight?"

I wish I knew the answer to that question.  The Alberto Gonzales "controversy" is a perfect example of weak-kneed Republicans who are cowering and bowing and scraping over this total non-issue of the legitimate dismissal of eight U.S. attorneys.

Forget going through the obvious hypocricy of Democrats who seem to forget the political firings that Bill Clinton engaged in during the 1993 purge of 92 U.S. attorneys.  How about Republicans like John Sununu who are joining the liberal pack and calling for Gonzales' head on a platter?

I don't get Republicans like Sununu and John Cornyn and others who are piling on over this concocted, contrived story.

Is Gonzales becoming a liability to the Bush Administration?  Sure he is.  But only because he won't fight back and a few Republicans are bailing.

And the media's role?  Appalling as usual.   Try to stomach George Stephanopoulos of ABC grilling Gonzales on TV while apparently forgetting to mention that Georgie boy was Bill Clinton's right hand man in 1993 while he was firing 92 U.S. attorneys.  Or seeing other network anchors interviewing Madame Hillary, giving her all the opportunity in the world to rail against "political firings", and not bothering to ask her about her husband's decision to clean house in 1993, doing the same thing President Bush is doing, only more than ten times over!

C'mon, Republicans.  Get your sea legs back.  Stop acting so shell-shocked over the midterm elections.  Grow up and fight back.  Don't let the schoolyard bullies of the Democratic Party and the mainstream press get away with this garbage...

I'm positively amazed at all the serious American conservative voices who are throwing right-wing flamethrower Ann Coulter under the bus for her schoolyard joke about political correctness and the word "faggot."

The snorts of disapproval and huffs and puffs are pouring in.  "I was not amused."  "She hurts the conservative movement."  "We should never name-call."  "She was a distraction from the serious straw poll that featured strong showings by Romney and Guiliani."   And on and on...

Why are so many conservatives afraid to fight back?

Time and time again, we're called a variety of names by liberal Democrats.  We wag our finger at them and warn them to stop calling us Nazis and liars and warmongers and the like.

So when one of our own gets under the skin of wimpy liberals, we burn her at the stake?

I hope everyone who wants to bash Ann Coulter had a chance to see her on "Hannity and Colmes" last night.   As the videotape proved, her entire speech to the CPAC crowd included a series of zingers and punchlines and potshots at the other side.  And as she said on the show, her joke was intended to be a commentary about the idiocy of sending a Hollywood actor into rehab because he used a bad word.  Besides, unless John Edwards was preparing to announce that he's coming out of the closet, the happily married man with children should have no real worries about being called something he's not.  She intended it to be the schoolyard taunt of "wuss", something said all the time.

Well, I'm not going to cave with the rest of the weenie liberals and pompous conservatives who like to eat their own.   I think Ann Coulter is gutsy and terrific.  Besides, she's a commentator, not a U.S. Senator.   

I've been on vacation for the past week or so -- this was one of those times where my wife and I didn't go anywhere:  we moved into a new house we've been building for the past 7-8 months or so.

Moving is an amazingly draining experience.  Unpacking boxes, trying to track down the phone company (which simply can NOT seem to get our order right), dealing with all the new things one has to deal with, it can just be maddening.

But right when I think I'm ready to throw in the towel, I remind myself how blessed I am to live in a country that gives us such opportunity.

I admit to being touched by the Oprah Winfrey TV special the other night where she showcased her academy for young South African girls.   To see those children live in such abject poverty is sobering.   And then, to realize that I've been able to achieve the American dream by actually building a house and moving in this weekend, is truly a gift from God and an American ideal.

It's great to be back in the saddle again.

Thanks to modern technology and gadgetry, I'm sitting here in my seat on an airplane waiting to take off for the New York City area.  Literally as I type these words, an irate woman is yelling at a flight attendant because we've been sitting on the runway here for over an hour.

It's a pretty amazing scene:  the flight attendants are huddled together up in the front, trying to figure out what to do with the angry woman.  Since we're being held due to weather conditions in the New York area, we're sitting out on the Dallas/Ft Worth tarmac somewhere and I don't really know what they can do about her.  I suppose if she REALLY gets out of control, we'll have to be delayed even longer while they put shackles and handcuffs on her and haul her away to airport jail.

I don't mean to make light of someone carrying on like the village idiot on an airplane.  It sure isn't the flight attendants' fault, nor is it any of us.  I don't think we can blame the pilot since they're being told what to do by the control tower.

But airplane rage is slowly replacing road rage as the thing that many people seem to be doing.

Listen, it's not easy to travel by air.  Take off your shoes, pull out your laptop, put your gels in a baggie, blah, blah, blah.  And I'm sure the airline industry has plenty of problems being as efficient as it could be.

But to scream at a flight attendant because there are high winds in New York and that has delayed all incoming flights there?  I think it's time for some people to take some anger management courses...or doses of medicine.

Incidentally, we've just been told we're about to take off so I need to turn off my laptop.  The lady has stopped screaming about the delay.  Now she's upset that there won't be a meal on the flight.

Next time I'm having a bad day, I'll remind myself that I could be this poor creature's husband......

Growing up, how many times did we hear "well, son, life's not fair" from Mom or Dad?

There are a number of stories today that seem to fall into that category.   Like Barack Obama calling the thousands of Americans soldiers who died fighting for their country "wasted" lives -- and getting away with it (how many articles or stories on the evening news have you seen about THIS particular insult?).   Don't believe he said it?   Do a quick google search.  He said it -- and quickly backtracked -- Sunday evening in Iowa.

But here's the one that really feels like we woke up in a "Twilight Zone" episode:  the Wall Street Journal reports this morning that Bank of America is getting ready to roll out a national program of giving credit cards to illegal immigrants.   I kid you not.  Bank of America has been quietly offering credit cards in Los Angeles to people without a social security number or a credit history (namely, illegals).   Now, they're getting ready to roll this program out nationally.

Just wonderful, eh?  Even been turned down for a loan because your credit wasn't strong enough?  Remember what it feels like to have the bank officer tell you that your credit just doesn't quite cut it?   So now, Bank of America customers, just sneak across the border, spend a few months here with a checking account at Bank of America without any overdrafts, and presto!  You, too, can achieve the American dream:  a shiny new credit card.

What will it take for the madness surrounding illegal immigration in America to end?