UPDATE: WASHINGTON - The Army said Thursday that the two-star general in charge of Walter Reed Army Medical Center has been relieved of command following disclosures about inadequate treatment of wounded soldiers.

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Walter Reed hospital chief fired

Washington Post - Top officials at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, including the Army’s surgeon general, have heard complaints about outpatient neglect from family members, veterans groups and members of Congress for more than three years.

A procession of Pentagon and Walter Reed officials expressed surprise last week about the living conditions and bureaucratic nightmares faced by wounded soldiers staying at the D.C. medical facility. But as far back as 2003, the commander of Walter Reed, Lt. Gen. Kevin C. Kiley, who is now the Army’s top medical officer, was told that soldiers who were wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan were languishing and lost on the grounds, according to interviews.

Steve Robinson, director of veterans affairs at Veterans for America, said he ran into Kiley in the foyer of the command headquarters at Walter Reed shortly after the Iraq war began and told him that “there are people in the barracks who are drinking themselves to death and people who are sharing drugs and people not getting the care they need.”

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Hospital officials knew of neglect

It’s not just Walter Reed or Bldg 18, I know there were some damning reports done on the V.A. a while back, and those reports prompted a bit of repair and revamping at some V.A. facilities, but it wasn’t enough…

I know that there are, or have been in the past, many Vets that went to V.A. hospitals and received less than top shelf care, in many cases they were treated rudely/badly, treated with little, if any respect and when they did get medical treatment they were, in many cases, ignored by the treating physician and given some serious ‘mood altering’ medications and sent on their way…

In my opinion, ANY military or V.A. medical facility should be maintained at standards that not only meet, but exceed anything set by their regulatory boards, our military veterans and wounded troops deserve nothing but the very best, and in many cases, once they arrive back home, that ‘very best’ is NOT what our wonderful guys and gals get…

And that my friends, is nothing less than a travesty…

FOX NEWS - The Mexican drug runner whose testimony sent two Border Patrol agents to prison for shooting him in the buttocks brought drugs into the United States more than once, thereby diminishing his credibility as a witness in the investigation, according to a California congressman.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., presented new evidence in a Capitol Hill press conference Wednesday that revealed what he says was U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton’s deliberate attempt to mislead the public about Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila’s involvement in the transport of a second load of drugs in October 2005.

Aldrete-Davila testified before a jury that former Border Patrol Agents Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos shot him in February 2005 as he tried to run away from them near the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas. He was given immunity from prosecution in March 2005 for his cooperation in that investigation and subsequent trial, which culminated last year.

The Mexican was smuggling more than 700 pounds of marijuana into the United States at the time. Compean and Ramos were convicted last year and are serving 11 and 12 years, respectively, in separate federal prisons for the non-fatal shooting.

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Official: Mexican Drug Runner Shot at Border Smuggled More

Someone please tell me what the hell is wrong with this story…

Here we have 2 ’sworn officers’, Border Patrol agents, FEDERAL AGENTS, in prison, for shooting a drug runner in the ass, convicted on the testimony OF this drug dealer, and all the while, this Mexican asshole is still running drugs, while ‘the good guys’ sit in prison, with their lives in serious danger…

And pleas from the public, from the agents families and friends and from Congressmen go totally ignored by our wetback loving ‘Little Prince’, the one person that can end this travesty with the simple stroke of a pen, but does ‘The Little Prince’ so much as lift a hand to help AMERICANS??

I think we ALL know the answer to that, and until he is forced to do so, or shamed so badly that he feels he must act, ‘The Little Prince’ is going to sit back with his thumb up his ass while Compean and Ramos fight for their very lives…

I can’t believe that so many of us actually voted for this cretin, and some of us voted for the asshat twice, damn, saying it like that makes me really feel like a fool…

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A report that 18 boys were killed this week in a car bombing in Ramadi is “false,” a senior U.S. military official said Wednesday.

Iraqi state television reported Tuesday that the attack occurred that day in the Sunni insurgent stronghold west of Baghdad. Iraqi police and military confirmed the account, but later said the bombing took place Monday. The offices of the president and prime minister had also denounced the reported attack.

The report brought denunciations from top Iraqi officials and international groups about violence targeting children.

But Rear Adm. Mark Fox, a U.S. military spokesman, said “the allegation was false” and suggested that rumors began circulating after a controlled detonation by U.S. forces caused injuries in Ramadi.

On Tuesday, a military statement said 30 civilians and one Iraqi soldier were injured by flying debris when troops destroyed 15 bags of explosives. None of the injuries was life-threatening, it added.

“There was no second blast,” Fox told reporters, “and there was no 18 children killed.”

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U.S. Military: Report of 18 Boys Killed in Ramadi Is False

Several blogs posted the original story yesterday, I was one of them, Tuesdays Tribulations and there’s no shame in posting and commenting on what’s put out there by the MSM, especially if you read my comment on this ‘alleged’ incident…

It’s up to the MSM to get their stories straight before publishing them or bloggers will take them apart for the garbage they are…

It appears that the initial report came from Iraqi State Television, now there’s a reliable source, right up there with al-Jazeera, and it was confirmed by Iraqi police and military, damn, these are the same guys that are supposed to be standing up on their own and taking over the security of Iraq aren’t they??

Hat tip to NoisyRoom.net for posting this and being gracious enough to not mind my stealing it…

NEW YORK (AP) - Stock prices are higher today, showing some signs of stability after yesterday’s big sell-off. Helping the market today is a satisfactory gross domestic product report and a recovery on some markets in other countries. In mid-morning trading, the Dow is up 72.98 at 12,289.22. Broader stock indicators were higher. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index was up 10.01 at 1,409.05, and the Nasdaq composite index was up 12,49 to 2,420.35.

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Stocks Turn Higher After Big Sell-Off

T’was nothing but a ‘hiccup’… A long over due market adjustment, not the end of the world as we know it, that happens later this year… Reassuring aren’t I??

WASHINGTON (AP) - House Democratic leaders are developing an anti-war proposal that wouldn’t cut off money for U.S. troops in Iraq while requiring President Bush to acknowledge problems with an overburdened military.

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Democratic Leaders Revamp Anti-War Plan

I honestly don’t know who is the biggest bunch of dumbasses, Bush and the Repubs or Pelosi and the Dems, but I do feel this, in 2 or 3 months, at the latest, we’re going to see an offensive in Afghanistan that will be devastating… A Taliban offensive, and the reason is because ‘we stayed the course’ in a place we didn’t need to be… ‘Do overs’ aren’t gonna be easy this time, Afghanistan is going to cost us dearly, all because we didn’t get the job completely done the 1st time, thank you ‘Little Prince’, you wonderful military genius you…

SAN DIEGO (AP) - The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection a few hours before it was to go to trial Wednesday in the first of more than 140 lawsuits accusing priests of sexual abuse.

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San Diego Diocese Files Chapter 11

Well, well, well…. How about that?? Looks like it doesn’t matter how deep your pockets are, you can only transfer, hide and protect the PERVS for so long… It is my opinion that if everyone that was ever molested, or was even the victim of an ‘attempted’ molestation by a priest or nun were to come forward and sue the RCC, there wouldn’t BE an RCC…

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - While Syria said Wednesday it would participate, Iran said it was considering whether to take part in a Baghdad-organized conference of Iraq’s neighbors that the United States plans to attend. Ali Larijani, the head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari contacted Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki to discuss the conference.

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Iran Weighs Invitation to Baghdad Summit

Don’t you imagine that there’s a lot of “What’s in it for me?” going on right now?? And a lot of “How can we make the American devil surrender Iraq to us?” sort of thing?? Iran wasn’t a problem as long as Saddam was alive and in power, he may not have been our ally but he certainly had no ‘love loss’ for Iran, and he did hold them in ‘check’…

WASHINGTON (AP) - North Korea appears to have started complying with a recent nuclear disarmament agreement, but U.S. intelligence officials are telling skeptical lawmakers they will continue to watch the country’s actions closely.

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U.S.: N. Korea Implementing Nuclear Deal

If North and South Korea could work out their differences and somehow reunite, if N. Korea would abandon their “We have got to have a nuclear bomb” campaign and if N. Korea could actually lead it’s people into the 21st century, it would be a great thing… But I have to wonder… If there is an effort put forth by all parties to make this happen, how long before al-Qaida in Korea surfaces?? They pop up everywhere when anything good happens…

WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States and the Iraqi government are launching a new diplomatic initiative to invite Iran and Syria to a “neighbors meeting” on stabilizing Iraq, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Tuesday.

“We hope these governments seize this opportunity to improve their relations with Iraq and to work for peace and stability in the region,” Rice said in remarks prepared for delivery to a Senate committee. Excerpts were released in advance by the State Department.

The move reflects a change of approach by the Bush administration, which previously had resisted including Iran and Syria in diplomatic talks on stabilizing Iraq.

“I am pleased to announce that we are also supporting the Iraqis in a new diplomatic offensive: to build greater support, both within the region and beyond, for peace and prosperity in Iraq,” Rice said, adding that U.S. and Iraqi officials agree that success in Iraq “requires the positive support of Iraq’s neighbors.”

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U.S. Joins Regional Talks to Secure Iraq

What the hell, if you don’t have the GUTS to fight em, ya might as well kiss their asses and negotiate some bullshit treaty that the ragheads and Iranians have no intention of honoring in the 1st place…

And when I say ‘no guts’, I am in no way referencing our wonderful guys and gals in uniform, I am however, pointing directly at their Commander in Chief, ‘The Little Prince’…

Once in a while, you have to fight to maintain, or to establish freedoms in this world, and that is what Bush has ‘claimed’ to be doing in Iraq, I have never believed him, but it’s his story, he can tell it any way he likes, but to bring Iran and Syria into this mix is nothing more than an announcement saying ’stick a fork in us, we’re done’…

I never dreamed I would ever in my life say this but I have grown to hate the policies of this administration, I have tried in the past, tried in every way to find some good reason to support George W. Bush and it has left me feeling sick at my stomach, and I have all but gone over the edge in my feelings towards the politicians that run this nation, from BOTH sides…

When do WE THE PEOPLE get someone that will represent this nation in the manner in which WE deserve?? And not give us, and this nation away to the rest of the world??

I’m not a good ‘global citizen’, I don’t give a damn about the rest of the world, as long as they leave us alone, live and let live, but hell no, they had to start this crap, the USS Cole, the Marine Barracks in Beirut, 9-11, all that stuff, WE didn’t start it, but ‘The Little Prince’ said we we’re going to stop it, and it got him re-elected too, and immediately thereafter, his BALLS took a vacation…

When do we get a president that has the balls to stand, and TELL the world, not ask for permission to say it, but to stand up, proud and tall, and TELL the entire world, ‘America 1st and by God WE mean it??’

Is that asking for too much??

NEW YORK (AP) - Wall Street fell sharply Tuesday, joining a global stock decline sparked by growing concerns that the U.S. and Chinese economies are cooling and that U.S. stocks are about to embark on a major correction. The Dow Jones industrials dropped more than 140 points.

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Stocks Plunge After Big Drop in China

Anyone that reads here more than occasionally knows, I have predicted this for quite some time, I’m not an MBA or an investment banker but I pay good money for the services of one, and as goes the economy of the USA, so goes the world market, and IF the markets go down and the economy ‘cools’, GWB will have lost the only ‘good’ point he had going for him… Sucks huh??

BAGRAM, Afghanistan (AP) - A suicide bomber attacked the entrance to the main U.S. military base in Afghanistan on Tuesday during a visit by Vice President Dick Cheney, killing up to 23 people and wounding 20.

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Cheney OK After Afghan Blast; 23 Killed

OK, this attack was, according to LIVE reports from FOX News, a direct attempt at killing VP Cheney… Now, I have heard several ‘bleeding heart’ idiots talk about how WE can’t do that, we can’t assassinate the likes of Chavez and Ahmadinejad and to that I say, all you have to do is have the BALLS to give the order, poof, assholes disappear, and that new .50cal can get it done from a mile and a half away, and don’t even think of saying it can’t be done… Now FOX has Tony Snow on and he’s saying it may ‘not’ have been an attempt on the VP… Yep, gotta maintain that PCness Tony…

A car bomb exploded near a park west of Baghdad on Tuesday, killing up to 18 boys on a soccer field, police said. Police said the blast occurred in Ramadi, a hotbed of the Sunni insurgency, and that 19 people, most of them children ages 10 to 15, were killed or wounded. State television Iraqiya said 18 children had been killed.

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Car bomb kills 18 Iraqi children

OK, WHEN do we take the gloves off?? When do we put the necessary numbers on the ground to sweep this trash OUT of Iraq and when do we actually get it on?? And I mean in a full offensive… Not some PC bullshit ’surge’, I mean in a real live WAR?? When do WE show the world what it’s like to piss off the most powerful nation on earth?? With the president we have now, my guess is NEVER…

FORT BENNING Ga. — An Army medic pleaded guilty Tuesday to the shooting death of a fellow soldier in Iraq during a night of heavy drinking. Spc. Chris Rolan, 23, initially was charged with premeditated murder in the Nov. 16, 2005, death of Pvt. Dylan Paytas, 20, while the two were serving with Fort Benning’s 3rd Infantry Brigade in Iraq. He pleaded guilty to unpremeditated murder and other charges under a deal with prosecutors.

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Army Medic: I Shot, Killed Fellow Soldier in Iraq

My big question is, where did the troops get the booze?? It was my understanding that troops had a really hard time obtaining booze in Iraq, what with it being a Muslim nation, ‘Religion of Peace’ and all… I know, black market, home brew, I know… Been there, done that… It’s a sad state of affairs though, 2 young lives, one lost and one ruined, over booze…

The Prince of Wales told a nutritionist in Abu Dhabi Tuesday that the “key” to people eating healthily was to ban McDonald’s fast food restaurants. Prince Charles was attending the launch of a public health awareness campaign aimed at fighting diabetes in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He visited the Imperial College London Diabetes Centre and watched as a group of children chose from a selection of “good” and “bad” snacks for their school packed lunches.

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Prince Charles Calls for Ban on McDonald’s Restaurants

Eating at Mickey D’s will give you bad teeth, big ears, a funny accent and a desire to marry ugly women too Chuck… How many ‘Happy Meals’ did you eat??

WASHINGTON (AP) - Strained by the demands of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is a significant risk that the U.S. military won’t be able to quickly and fully respond to yet another crisis, according to a new report to Congress.

The assessment, done by the nation’s top military officer, Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, represents a worsening from a year ago, when that risk was rated as moderate.

The report is classified, but on Monday senior defense officials, speaking on condition on anonymity, confirmed the decline in overall military readiness. And a report that accompanied Pace’s review concluded that while the Pentagon is working to improve its warfighting abilities, it “may take several years to reduce risk to acceptable levels.”

Pace’s report comes as the U.S. is increasing its forces in Iraq to quell escalating violence in Baghdad. And top military officials have consistently acknowledged that the repeated and lengthy deployments are straining the Army, Marine Corps and reserve forces and taking a heavy toll on critical warfighting equipment.

The review grades the military’s ability to meet the demands of the nation’s military strategy - which would include fighting the wars as well as being able to respond to any potential outbreaks in places such as North Korea, Iran, Lebanon, Cuba or China.

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Gen. Pace: Military Capability Eroding

I have a message for each and every one of you ‘Bush Bot’s’, to all of you that think ‘The Little Prince’ can do no wrong, and to all of you that think that he is such a magnificent military leader…

You can ALL kiss my BIG FAT TEXAS ASS, twice…

Individually or collectively, makes me no difference, stroll on over here and pucker up, because you’re ALL fools and unless you’re prepared to call Pete Pace a liar too, and call him someone that doesn’t support the troops, you’re gonna need some seasoning with all that CROW you have on your plates…

Several of us have tried to tell you, for a long time, that Bush, and Rummy before he left, were bleeding the nation dry, were mismanaging the DoD, were totally screwing up the so called ‘War in Iraq’ and had absolutely no idea as to what the hell they were doing…

An all volunteer army is a great and noble experiment in peacetime, or for a quick strike, but if you intend to engage in a prolonged battle, such as we have in Afghanistan and Iraq, you MUST do so with sufficient NUMBERS of men and materials, ‘The Little Prince’ did a good job in Afghanistan but when he declared his intentions for Iraq, anyone with half a military brain had a puckered sphincter, and for damned good reasons…

So, all of you ‘Bush is God’ asshats, read it and weep, our military is screwed, and thru no fault of their own, and ya know, I am 100% certain that ’some’ Generals DID try to tell ‘The Little Prince’ what was needed, and he likely blew em off because HE thinks his decisions are magnificent military strategery…

Nucaler Strategery…

WASHINGTON - A new study, certain to be controversial, maintains that chimpanzees and humans split from a common ancestor just 4 million years ago — a much shorter time than current estimates of 5 million to 7 million years ago.

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Chimp-human split just 4 million years ago

I know that I personally have seen some folks that I can’t help but believe had a degree of separation that was as recent as their birth…

JERUSALEM (AP) - Archaeologists and clergymen in the Holy Land derided claims in a new documentary produced by James Cameron that contradict major Christian tenets, but the Oscar-winning director said the evidence was based on sound statistics.

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Scholars, Clergy Slam Jesus Documentary

If you take every word of the Bible at it’s literal face value, this is an impossibility, Jesus was risen and taken into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father… If you’re a scientific type, well, this does open up some ‘different’ perspectives… Interesting, to say the very least…

WASHINGTON (AP) - The nation’s first vaccine against bird flu is even less effective than previously thought, according to Food and Drug Administration documents released Monday. In clinical trials, the two-shot series appears to provide protection to just 45 percent of adults who received the highest dose of the Sanofi Aventis SA vaccine.

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FDA Tests Bird-Flu Vaccine Effectiveness

I wonder?? Will the bird flu get us before global warming wipes out humanity?? And what about that asteroid they keep talking about that ‘could’ hit earth in 2036 or so?? Well, I guess we just don’t have a choice do we?? We’re gonna live ’til we die and that’s that…

CHICAGO (AP) - Garlic doesn’t do much for the breath and it stinks for lowering cholesterol. That’s the conclusion of the most rigorous, head-to-head study of raw garlic and popular garlic supplements, despite promoters’ claims to the contrary. Whether it was eaten raw in heart-healthy sandwiches, or in pills made of powdered or aged garlic, the strong-smelling herb had no effect on cholesterol in people whose levels were already elevated, the government-funded study found.

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Study: Garlic Won’t Lower Cholesterol

Yeah well, a little Country Crock and some good strong garlic powder sprinkled on some fresh baked Italian bread, toasted lightly, and a good glass of wine, it’s the perfect compliment to a great plate of pasta and veal… What the hell, ya gotta die of something… Enjoy the ride…

TEHRAN, Iran — The Iranian rocket that went into space was actually of suborbital range and was launched for educational and research purposes, an Iranian space official has been reported as saying. The deputy head of Iran’s Space Research Center, Ali Akbar Golrou, was quoted on state television’s Web site as saying the rocket soars no higher than 93 miles into the atmosphere.

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Iran: ‘Space Rocket’ Launch for Educational Purposes

Sure it was… We believe you, and yeah, no doubt it was for ‘educational purposes’, to educate you on the processes needed to build a long range nuclear platform and possibly an ICBM… But yeah, the educational thing sounds good, stick to that one…

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraq’s Shiite vice president escaped an apparent assassination attempt Monday after a bomb exploded in municipal offices where he was making a speech, knocking him down with the force of the blast that left at least 10 people dead. Adel Abdul-Mahdi was bruised and hospitalized for medical exams, an aide said. Police initially blamed the attack on a bomb-rigged car, but later said the explosives were apparently planted inside the building.

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Iraqi Vice President Dodges Bomb; 10 Die

I hate to say it but maybe a few ‘close calls’ like this is what it will take to get the Iraqis off their lazy asses and have them ordering their troops to ‘get on the stick’… For damn sure it doesn’t look like anything we’ve done is motivating the Iraqi troops, and apparently, they are really hard to train too, how long has it been since ‘Mission Accomplished’ and training started??

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Three Frenchmen were killed Monday and at least one other was injured when they came under fire while traveling in the Saudi Arabian desert north of Medina, a spokesman for the kingdom’s Interior Ministry said.

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Report: 4 French killed in S. Arabia

And there is NO truth to the rumor that France actually surrendered today, the Saudis told France they didn’t want them or their smelly cheese… I know, that’s pretty cold and hard hearted, but seriously, what the hell is France going to do??

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Vice President Dick Cheney warned Monday that al-Qaida is “regrouping” in Pakistan’s remote border region and sought President Gen. Pervez Musharraf’s help in a stiffened push against Taliban and al-Qaida militants, Musharraf’s office said.

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Al-Qaida regrouping in Pakistan?

What happened to all that ‘bravado’?? “We WILL pursue the terrorist in to any nation” and that one about “If you’re harboring terrorists, we’re coming after you too” and my personal favorite, “You’re either with us or you’re against us”, I just loved that one… Asking the Paki’s to help?? Bullshit, drop some MOABS on the al-Qaida and Taliban camps, we know where they are, take em out… Damn, it would be nice if we had a president with the balls to stand beside his statements…

HONG KONG - Former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan warned Monday that the American economy might slip into recession by year’s end. He said the U.S. economy has been expanding since 2001 and that there are signs the current economic cycle is coming to an end.

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Greenspan warns of recession risk

I wouldn’t be surprised in the least, actually, I expect it… I’m not an MBA but I know enough about business and the stock market to know that we can’t sustain the current levels forever, I’d love to see them go up instead of down but we’ve been riding a really tall wave for a long time now… It’s bound to happen…

NEW YORK (AP) - The Rev. Al Sharpton said he wants a DNA test to determine whether he is related to former segregationist Sen. Strom Thurmond through his great-grandfather, a slave owned by an ancestor of the late senator. “I can’t find out anything more shocking than I’ve already learned,” Sharpton told the Daily News, which on Sunday reported the link based on genealogists’ findings.

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Sharpton Wants DNA Test

Be careful what you ask for Al, you may turn out to be closely related to the deceased Senator… Wouldn’t that be a hoot??