Coal Industry Front Group to Miner's Widow: "Everyone Wants Free Money!"

By GottaLaff

Marlene Griffith lost her husband, William Griffith, in the now infamous coal mine explosion in West Virginia. She is suing Massey Energy. The Griffiths were married nearly 33 years.

But before they could celebrate their anniversary, Massey's negligence created an unspeakably horrific nightmare that could have been prevented, one that Marlene will have to live and relive with forever.

Here is how Nathan Coffey responded. His Twitter page has since been deleted:


This would be the same Nathan Coffey who is the Public Affairs Coordinator of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). What's ALEC? Glad you asked, but you won't be:

ALEC, founded in 1973 by conservative activist Paul Weyrich, is a DC-based front group which helps state lawmakers craft corporate-friendly legislation. State-based schemes aimed at deregulation are often conceived and coordinated out of ALEC. It is funded by some of the biggest corporations in America, including Koch Industries, Wal-Mart, and AT&T, as well as by the coal industry.

Coffey was right about one thing. "Everyone" wants free money.

Right-wing blogger Dan Riehl: "Isn't It Time To Euthanize Reid's Wife?"

By GottaLaff

You're all well aware of the serious automobile crash that Harry Reid's wife and daughter recently experienced. Mrs. Reid has suffered very serious, longterm injuries. I can't imagine the pain she must be in.

Alan Colmes just pointed me to a post about it... a nasty, disgusting post. Dan Riehl needs to be exposed for the heartless sicko that he is:

If Democrats want so badly to abort babies [...] why are we bothering with someone who has a broken neck and back at 69? It sounds to me like she's pretty well used up and has probably been living off the taxpayers for plenty of years [...]

I don't see that she's worth it at this point, frankly. I can't recall her ever doing anything for me.

And it is, after all, all about Danny Boy, who seems pretty "used up" himself.

Yes, it's all about him: The car accident. The frantic worry about Reid's family. The horror and physical suffering. Wow, how could that insensitive Landra Reid allowed herself to end up hospitalized after all Riehl has done for her?

Come on, Harry - do your civic duty. [...] Pull the plug and get back to work. And don't bill us for a full day today, either. [...] Air freight her home, you can bury her during recess on your own time and dime. Or are you going to bill us for that, too?

I'd love the media to get hold of this story and put this guy out of business, allowing him to join the ranks of the unemployed.

That way he could very well find himself without medical coverage. Wouldn't that be ironic?

Then let's see how he'd feel about the pain of living in the Riehl world.

UPDATE: Celtic Diva has more.

Harry Reid's wife and daughter in car accident

By GottaLaff

Hopefully, they're okay:

The wife and daughter of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid have been taken to a Washington area hospital after being involved in a car accident.

They were rear-ended. No word on their conditions yet, and they are being treated at the hospital.

UPDATE: The injuries aren't serious. Sigh of relief.

UPDATE: Or, sadly, not:

Harry Reid's wife broke her neck, sustained other injuries, a spokesman for the majority leader tells Shailagh Murray.

New Jersey Lautenberg senator suffers fall

Oh c'mon already, stop messing with the damn Democrats. The odds of an 86 year old actually leaving a hospital under any circumstances is iffy at best.

(CNN) - Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-New Jersey, was hospitalized Monday after taking a fall, his spokesman said.

The 86-year-old Lautenberg, who is in his fifth term in the Senate, was taken to the hospital as a "precautionary measure," spokesman Caley Gray said.

"The senator is in great spirits and joking with the doctors," Gray said.

He will remain at the hospital overnight for observation, Gray said.

BREAKING: Biden's Motorcade Involved in accident

By GottaLaff

Via a Fox news alert e-mail:

Vice President Biden's motorcade involved in Vancouver accident injuring two.

Read More:
http://email.foxnews.com/t?ctl=3856:EE6FF5DC23A8E04B00427393AEBC264C&

Details to come.

UPDATE:

Two members of the delegation, Peggy Fleming and Vonetta Flowers, received minor injuries and were taken to a local hospital as a precaution, Jay Carney, communications director for the vice president said in a statement.

Nobody else was hurt, including the veep. The two with minor injuries were released.

Conoco Alaska president killed in avalanche

By GottaLaff

Jim Bowles

Tragic:

Poor weather will prevent state troopers from searching today for a Conoco Phillips Alaska employee missing in the avalanche that killed company president Jim Bowles on Saturday, a spokeswoman for the Alaska State Troopers says.

Separately, troopers today identified the skier who died in an avalanche off Hiland Road on Saturday as William Brasher Schorr, 60, of Eagle River. Schorr had been skiing just after 4 p.m. near the top of a ridge above Mile 7 of Hiland Road when he appeared to trigger the avalanche, rescuers said. He was pronounced dead two hours later. [...]

Bowles has headed Conoco Phillips Alaska since November 2004 and oversaw roughly 900 employees in the state, said spokeswoman Natalie Lowman. [...]

A group of about a dozen snowmachiners were traveling together in the Grandview area when the avalanche struck, troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said.

H/t: Jason Leopold

Tiger Woods BREAKING news: "No domestic violence..Mr. Woods at fault for careless driving.. No criminal charges"

By GottaLaff

Quick liveblog of police press conference in Tiger Woods incident:

Police find Tiger Woods at fault in "traffic accident".

There was "no domestic violence"... Mr. Woods was "at fault" for "careless driving", no criminal charges" will be brought.

His status in no way impacted the investigation. He basically gets a traffic ticket.

No subpoena for medical information will be sought.

The end.

Are we done now?

UPDATE, the Washington Post has more

Tiger Woods Says Car Accident Is His Fault, but Private

By GottaLaff

John Raboux/Associated Press

The Florida Highway Patrol went to the gated community where Tiger Woods lives, but investigators were told he was unavailable.

Tiger Woods must realize that by dragging this out and creating a bigger mystery, he just invites more speculation, rumors, and negative publicity:

The golfer Tiger Woods on Sunday said that the car accident that sent him to the hospital early Friday morning was his fault and “has become embarrassing” to him and his family.

Gee, ya think?

He could put those rumors to rest. Pesky legal issues must be getting in his way.

Just before his statement was published, the Florida Highway Patrol announced in an e-mail message that Mark Nejame, a lawyer, had contacted officials to say that he was representing Woods and that the interview the troopers had scheduled with Woods had been canceled.

Like I said...

A few details about the four minute 911 call from a neighbor:

“A car has hit the pole” with his “neighbor lying on the ground.”

In his statement Sunday, Woods said: “I have some cuts, bruising and right now I’m pretty sore.”

I'll bet Mrs. Woods is pretty sore, too.

No press conference is planned, and Tiger is not obligated to speak with the police.

Tiger had not been given a breath test or a blood or urine test, but that wasn't unusual because there was no alcohol found in the car, nor did he have the smell of alcohol on his breath, said the highway patrol spokesman.

He was unconscious for some time (just under 5 minutes), according to the incident report, but left the hospital in good condition.

Here is the entire statement via his website:

As you all know, I had a single-car accident earlier this week, and sustained some injuries. I have some cuts, bruising and right now I'm pretty sore.

This situation is my fault, and it's obviously embarrassing to my family and me. I'm human and I'm not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn't happen again.

This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way. Although I understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible.

The only person responsible for the accident is me. My wife, Elin, acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble. She was the first person to help me. Any other assertion is absolutely false.

This incident has been stressful and very difficult for Elin, our family and me. I appreciate all the concern and well wishes that we have received. But, I would also ask for some understanding that my family and I deserve some privacy no matter how intrusive some people can be.

No matter what he posts on his site, the rumors will continue to fly. Unfortunately, by not putting out a statement earlier, he opened a door that gets harder and harder to close.

As for privacy, sadly that seems to be a lost cause.

UPDATE: Mrs. Tiger Woods used golf club to rescue Tiger, smash SUV window

By GottaLaff

Earlier I posted about the accident Tiger Woods had, crashing his car into a fire hydrant and a tree.

Here is an update from AP:

A local police chief in Florida says Tiger Woods' wife used a golf club to smash out the back window and helped get the golfer out of the car.

Windermere Police Chief Daniel Saylor told The Associated Press on Friday that Elin Nordegren told officers she was in the house when she heard the accident and came outside. Saylor says officers found Woods laying in the street with his wife hovering over him. [...]

Woods had cuts on his lips and blood in his mouth. He says his officers gave him first aid until fire rescue came about 10 minutes later.

They reiterated that no alcohol use was involved.

Tiger Woods in serious condition after car accident

By GottaLaff

Breaking:

Professional golfer Tiger Woods was seriously injured in a car accident early this morning, the Florida Highway Patrol just reported.

Woods, 33, pulled out of his driveway in the Isleworth community about 2:25 a.m. when he struck a fire hydrant, and then drove into a tree at his neighbor's property, FHP reported.

Woods was transported to Health Central Hospital in Ocoee in serious condition, FHP said. His airbags did not deploy, which, according to the report, means that he was going less than 33 mph.

There is an investigation underway, and "charges are pending."

MSNBC is reporting is that he was in a Cadillac SUV, and it was non-alcohol related. The incident happened early this morning, around 2:30 a.m. in Florida.

UPDATE: Per MSNBC, Woods has been released from the hospital (according to Mayor Gary Bruhn, and he was sure of that information). He has facial lacerations, says the Windermere mayor. He believes it's nothing more than an accident, despite the ongoing investigation. He believes nothing "unusual" was going on, just a rather strange accident.

UPDATE: A statement from his publicist: Tiger was in a minor car accident, admitted, treated, and released in good condition.

Biden’s Secret Service motorcade involved in fatal accident

By GottaLaff

The Secret Service has some 'splainin' to do:

Two Secret Service vehicles used by Vice President Joe Biden allegedly struck and killed a pedestrian at an intersection on Washington, DC's Suitland Parkway in the early morning hours of Wednesday, news reports say.

The vice president was not in either of the vehicles when the motorcade, on its way from Andrews Air Force Base to a garage on Washington, struck a pedestrian.

Natasha Richardson brain dead

By GottaLaff

Sad, sad Tweet:

The New York Post has learned that British actress Natasha Richardson is brain dead following her fall in Canada.

UPDATE:

Montreal, CANADA (BNO NEWS) -- British actress Natasha Richardson is brain dead following her skiing accident in Canada, the New York Post has learned.

A spokeswoman for Sacre-Coeur Hospital in Montreal, where the actress was staying at the intensive care unit, told BNO News the actress left for the United States at 12.30 local time. She was not able to say if she was still alive when she left the hospital.

The spokeswoman said more information was expected to be released on Wednesday.