TULSA - A night out drinking and an argument with his girlfriend nearly cost a Tulsa man his penis.

Officers responded to a Tulsa hospital early Thursday morning where a man claimed his girlfriend attacked him while he slept.

Amber Ellis was arrested for maiming and assault with a dangerous weapon.

According to the police report, the victim said he and his girlfriend were out drinking and began arguing while walking home "about how needy she had become."  The couple verbally fought in the apartment until the victim told police Ellis stormed off, slamming the bedroom door.

Police say the victim fell asleep on the couch only to wake up to find Ellis "biting his (penis) off."

The victim told police he fought Ellis off but she hit him in the head with a laptop computer.

Once hospitalized, the victim received several stitches to the base of his penis and was treated for injuries to his head, face, neck, fingers and knee.

Ellis was taken into custody for an interview and ultimately booked into the Tulsa County Jail.

Arab nations have joined Israel in expressing concern over the emerging details of a US-led international nuclear deal with Iran, indicating in private talks with US officials that they are worried about the apparent terms of the agreement, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.

Though Arab officials have been careful not to side with Israel in their stated positions, their worries over the possibility of a nuclear-armed Tehran are in fact similar to those of Jerusalem, and their attitudes towards the current state of nuclear talks between Tehran and Western powers are similarly pessimistic, according to the report.

Leaders of Sunni states such as Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia fear a bad deal with Tehran would allow it, with the removal of sanctions, to become a nuclear threshold state, the WSJ reported. They say it could also lead to a nuclear arms race in the region.

“At this stage, we prefer a collapse of the diplomatic process to a bad deal,” an official from an unnamed Arab nation told the paper.

There's a strain of thought in politics these days -- prominent among Democrats but shared by even some Republicans -- that it's going to be very hard to beat Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Maybe.  Clinton does have many strengths including a long and deep resume and a knack for fundraising. (Not to mention the demographic and electoral college edges that any Democratic nominee will likely carry.)

But, her ascendance to the presidency is anything but a sure thing. There's lots of reasons for that but one of the big ones is that her time spent as Secretary of State for Obama will make it difficult for her to present herself as something new and different to voters almost certainly in the market for something, well, new and different.

A question asked by Quinnipiac University polls in Iowa, Colorado and Virginia this week illustrates that challenge. Asked "Would you like to see the next President generally; continue with Barack Obama's policies or change direction from Barack Obama's policies", just 34 percent of Iowans and Coloradans said they want the next president to move forward on Obama policies while just three in ten (31 percent) of Virginians said the same.

He is balding and frankly – even his supporters would concede – a little bit boring. So how has Scott Walker, the governor of the Midwestern state of Wisconsin, suddenly pulled into the front rank of Republican candidates for president?
With neither an instantly recognisable name – like Jeb Bush – nor a balloon-sized ego that craves media attention – like Chris Christie – Mr Walker reached near-parity with Mr Bush in the polls this week in the electorally pacesetting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.
In an era where politics has become increasingly intertwined with celebrity, Mr Walker, the 47-year-old son of a bookkeeper and a Baptist minister, has ploughed a very different furrow, earning his stripes in the bare-knuckled world of state-level politics, far away from a detached and deadlocked Washington.
While rivals like Ted Cruz, the Texas senator and Tea Party darling, were grandstanding around the capital shutting down the Federal government, Mr Walker's pitch is that he was workin' in Wisconsin, bashing the unions, balancing budgets and slashing nearly $2 billion-worth (£1.3 billion) of taxes.

With only weeks left to the deadline to reach a first-stage nuclear deal with Iran, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Saturday that "significant gaps" remained and warned that America was ready to walk away from the talks if Tehran doesn't agree to terms demonstrating that it doesn't want atomic arms.

Kerry spoke after the Iranian Atomic Energy chief Ali Akbar Salehi and U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz added their muscle to the talks for the first time to help resolve technical disputes standing in the way of an agreement meant to curb Iran's nuclear programs in exchange for sanctions relief for the Islamic Republic.

But Kerry warned against undue optimism. Salehi's and Moniz's presence is no "indication whatsoever that something is about to be decided," he said. "There are still significant gaps."

World powers and Iran have set an end of March deadline for a framework agreement, with four further months for the technical work to be ironed out. The talks have missed two previous deadlines, and President Barack Obama has said a further extension would make little sense without a basis for continuing discussions.

Kerry, who flies to Geneva Sunday from London, said there was no doubt Obama was serious. The president, he said, "is fully prepared to stop these talks if he feels that they're not being met with the kind of productive decision-making necessary to prove that a program is in fact peaceful."

If the talks fail, Obama may be unable to continue holding off Congress from passing new sanctions against Iran. That, in turn, could scuttle any further diplomatic solution to U.S.-led attempts to increase the time Tehran would need to be able to make nuclear arms. Iran denies any interest in such weapons.

Skepticism about the negotiations already is strong among congressional hardliners, Washington's closest Arab allies and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is expected to strongly criticize them in an address the U.S. Congress early next month.

Western officials say the U.S. decided to send Moniz only after Iran announced that Salehi was coming. They were expected to discuss the number of centrifuges Iran can operate to enrich uranium; how much enriched material it can stockpile; what research and development it may pursue related to enrichment, and the future of a planned heavy water reactor that could produce substantial amounts of plutonium — which like enriched uranium is a potential pathway to nuclear arms.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is also at the talks, and Kerry is to meet him Sunday and Monday.

For months, the negotiations have been primarily between Washington and Tehran. But Kerry insisted "there is absolutely no divergence" between the U.S. and the five other powers — Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany — over what Iran needed to agree to, "to prove that its nuclear program is going to be peaceful in the future."

In the wake of a New York Times report that claims Sen. Rand Paul will announce in April he's running for president, another report breaks down the growing team of experts that will help him with his candidacy.

The Washington Post discusses the Kentucky Republican's inner circle of nine trusted confidants and advisers and what role they'll serve in his White House campaign.

Among Paul's advisers is Jesse Benton, who is married to Paul's niece. Benton worked briefly on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's campaign last year but serves as one of Paul's closest advisers, reports the Post.

Mike Biundo, the Post writes, will spearhead Paul's all-important New Hampshire campaign ahead of the nation's first primary, scheduled for early next year. Biundo hails from the Granite State and worked on the 2012 presidential campaign of former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, along with Pat Buchanan's 1996 campaign.

Former Iowa state Rep. Steve Grubbs, who in the past has worked for Bob Dole and Steve Forbes, will lead the Paul campaign in Iowa.

Media consultant Rex Elsass first began working with Paul during the 2010 Senate race and will work on getting Paul's message out for 2016, the Post reports. Working with Elsass will be Sergio Gor, who serves as Paul's communications adviser, according to the Post.

Running the digital operation of Paul's campaign will be Vincent Harris, who Paul hired in November. The 26-year-old Texan previously did work for Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, two potential 2016 candidates on the Republican side. Harris has also been working to help Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu win re-election.

NAPLES, Florida — Rep. Curt Clawson (R-FL), a conservative who won a special election last year and was then elected to a full term in the House of Representatives, tells Breitbart News at an event for Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) that America needs “more outsiders” like the senator in Washington, D.C., to fight back against special interests.

After an event where Paul spoke to and took questions from grassroots conservatives in Naples, Clawson said:

I think that we need more outsiders that bring real world business experience to our policy discussions. To give you an idea, the world has become a global competitive maelstrom. Too often we lose—Americans, American companies, and the American worker—because Washington doesn’t have a handle on that. So the more folks that have a handle on how economies work and how markets work, the better off we will be. And I think, secondly, a little bit in touch with the average folks—they want to keep their privacy, they want to keep their phone records. So that’s the second thing that an outsider I think brings that real folks outside the beltway are thinking.

Clawson, who took office last summer and has been in Washington for about half a year now, says the “biggest surprise” he’s seen in his time there is how powerful the special interests are here.

“I think that the biggest surprise would be the influence of money and special interests in the process. I think that limiting special interest involvement would get us to a more pure governance. I would say that would be my biggest surprise,” Clawson said. “By doing that, we would vote more towards what’s best for the overall group as opposed to particular constituents or groups that have skin in the game.”

Clawson, during his speech introducing Paul, said that he thinks Paul needs to become the next president of the United States.

“We need folks like this, who come from the outside, who have real life and business experience, understand how government clamps down on us—how it’s taking our liberties by squashing growth and muting the business cycle and killing jobs,” Clawson said in the remarks. “So I will always be loyal to the senator for his friendship and support when it was most needed, but most of all we need to find a way for this man to get into the White House to lead our country back to where it’s supposed to be, which is about liberty and about economic opportunity.”

When asked why he’s supportive of a Paul presidential candidacy, Clawson said he thinks the most important thing is getting a Republican into the White House—but Paul would be the right Republican. Clawson said:

I think the most important thing is that we have a Republican in the White House. What does that mean in a real sense? I hope we don’t kill each other in the primary and weaken whoever wins coming out the other end like we did last time. Having the White House is the most important goal. And then irrespective of who wins, I will do everything I can to support them in the next process, so that’s number one.

I’ve been partial to Rand Paul long before I ever dreamed of being involved in the political process because I think we need more folks in Washington who will make hard choices with respect to spending so that the next generation has a chance of getting a job, and that we understand the marketplace and that is a major driver here. Then the third thing is I respect privacy. Fourth, is it doesn’t get us into bad wars. I’m all for taking on these savages, and we need to take on ISIL, but I think it ought to be Muslim boots on the ground. I think we have a lot of policy areas where we agree...

...
Paul shifted into discussing how different Washington is from the rest of America.

“When I was first elected, I proposed that we cut $500 billion in spending, and everybody in Washington said ‘Oh my goodness, this guy is crazy—he wants to really cut spending, he wants to really balance the budget,’” Paul said. “I got home back in Kentucky, and you know what they said? They said that’s a good start. They said now what are you going to do about the $18 trillion in debt? They’re not even concerned just with the deficit. In the real world, the people want us to balance the budget every year and actually do something about the $18 trillion debt.”

Paul noted the difference in culture is largely due to the liberal media on Capitol Hill and throughout D.C.

“The thing is is that the media, the liberal media, the people who call us flyover country America, know nothing about us,” Paul said. “They don’t represent us. They don’t have our values. And the thing is is that somehow Washington gets distracted into thinking this is what America is really about. Raise your hand if you’ve spent more than you bring in chronically for the last 10, 20 or 30 years.”

No hands went up in the entire audience.

“Nobody does that,” Paul said. “Everyone balances their family budget. They think we’re extremists. Somebody said ‘oh this is extreme.’ And I said, ‘to balance the budget, to only spend what comes in, is extreme?’”
...

MONTGOMERY, Ala.—He didn’t outline his criminal justice reforms in so many words, avoiding mention of harsh mandatory minimum sentences or unfair drug laws. Instead, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky opened his speech at an Alabama GOP dinner at the Renaissance Hotel in Montgomery Friday night with a story about a local woman who was caught last year stealing eggs.

The story, he said, was about justice, in that the woman, a poor resident of Tarrant, a blighted area north of Birmingham dotted with industrial plants, couldn’t afford the eggs for her family. “As a Christian, I think about that our religion talks about redemption, and that maybe the law should give people second chances.”

"Maybe the law should give people second chances.”
...
What drew shouts of approval, however, was the gold standard Republican rallying cry to cut taxes.

Near the end of his 25 minute speech, Paul noted the need to diversify the Republican constituency. “I tell people that when we win big, when we win the presidency again—it’s not Alabama’s fault, you guys are doing just fine—but there’s some other states we’re having trouble with: Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio. We win a lot of those states, but we can’t win the big cities, because we’re not getting enough African-American vote, we’re not getting enough Hispanic vote, we’re not getting enough working class vote. We’re not really, I think, showing enough concern, for those who aren’t sharing in the American dream,” he said.

To win more African-American votes, Rand and other potential Republican contenders need to do “a little more reaching out and explaining” of values, said Angelitta Carmichael, of Mobile, Alabama. She said values differ dramatically among Christians between Democrats and Republicans. In the coming months, Carmichael said she’s closely watching Paul and Jeb Bush.

Wayne Reynolds, a Vietnam Veteran, was cautious in his assessment of Paul as a contender for the Republican nomination. “I support him proceeding so we have a choice. He’s a good choice for us to consider,” Reynolds said after the speech. He said he’d like to see what the other candidates have to offer before settling on one nominee; he’s particularly impressed with Bush and Gov. Walker. But, he said, it’s a long way till 2016, “and my vote will go to whoever can best beat the Democrat.”

Other marks in the plus column for Paul? “He’s conservative, he’s for cost-maintenance, he’s for national defense,” Reynolds said, “but he’s not for putting our soldiers at risk needlessly.”

A number of Alabama Republican officials were among the 950 people in attendance, including Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, whose name, when it was read out, drew hoots and cheers. Moore is leading the charge against gay marriage in the state, where he ordered probate judges not to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

hopeless? I think it's headed for a major rally ..

i agree, willy or wont he?

now let's see some analysis on the anti-willy that got turned on July '14 just when the 600 breakout move was gaining momo

A new study by Yale University Professor Dan Kahan confirmed that skeptics of the controversial anthropogenic global-warming theory — or realists, as they often call themselves — know more about climate science than AGW theorists. The latest findings directly contradict the myths, or lies, put forward by man-made warming alarmists about the countless scientists and the majority of the U.S. public that does not accept their theory. 

The warmists consistently label those who reject their climate alarmism as “deniers,” “anti-science,” and worse. In reality, however, Kahan’s study, set to be published in the journal Advances in Political Psychology, shows yet again that the skeptics are generally more familiar with the science and the evidence surrounding the climate than warming theorists. Other recent studies have found that skeptics know more about science generally, too.   

On February 18th New Hampshire Rep. Hoell’s HB 407 and Montana Rep. Schwaderer’s HB 330 advanced, both passing state legislative chambers as amended. HB 407 is a repeat of Rep. Hoell’s bill from last session, HB 1307. HB 1307 failed in the NH House last year. However, the bill made national news, leading to the creation of Rep. Shwaderer’s bill, a similar bill in Tennessee, and a much more narrow federal bill.

The idea of police militarization reform legislation was inspired by the coalition of liberal activists and Free Staters that attempted to convince the Keene and Concord, New Hampshire city councils to vote against acquiring Department of Homeland Security BEARCATs. Despite Rep. Hoell neither being a liberal nor a Free Stater, he decided to lead the national legislative effort to bring about reform. The tragedies of Ferguson, Missouri further intensified the issue. Unfortunately, opposition to BEARCATs didn’t pick up much steam outside of NH and the University of Berkeley. Instead, critics were mostly concerned about a different federal program that distributed much larger military vehicles called MRAPs to local governments.

Rep. Hoell’s HB 407 was recommended Inexpedient to Legislate by the Municipal and County Government Committee. The NH House overturned the Committee recommendation 204 to 134. Committee member Rep. Ammon proposed to amend the bill so that it would create a committee to study police militarization reform. The amendment passed with the help of Rep. Hoell, Rep. Simmons, and the chair of the Committee, Rep. Belanger. The bill was sent to the NH Senate.

Rep. Shwaderer’s HB 330 originally called for reining in on the militarization of police in Montana, including MRAPs. On February 16th, the Judiciary Committee amended and passed the bill. The amendment weakened the bill, dropping opposition to MRAPs (remember, the bill never included opposition to BEARCATs). On February 18th, the MT House voted 88 to 12 to pass the bill. The bill was sent to the Appropriations Committee.