Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:
Conscientious Objections
An idea from a Florida elementary school teacher to put the names of conscientious objectors on a banner at a Veterans Day observance has prompted hundreds of calls and e-mails in protest. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports Bay Haven Elementary School fourth-grade teacher Rolf Hanson wanted to honor conscientious objectors and give them what was described as more or less equal recognition with veterans.
An irate parent called Rush Limbaugh — and the deluge of negative reaction commenced. The school's principal quickly said that there would be no banner — and that veterans would be honored in what he described as a "very traditional" way.
About Face
Speaking of Veterans Day — Boise State University officials who initially rejected a request by some veterans to hold a 21-gun salute on campus — have changed their minds. The school at first cited the Virginia Tech shootings last April — and said the noise could scare students and staff.
But late Thursday they relented — and said the shots can be fired from the school's football stadium as part of several already-scheduled activities. A Vietnam veteran who works at the school — and who had asked for the salute — says administrators' fears that gunshots would scare people were unfounded.
Big Promotion
There's a new sheriff in town — actually police chief — in the Cleveland suburb of Lorain, Ohio. And Andy Winemiller's appointment to head the city service and safety department is quite a step up from his last position — as a college intern.
Winemiller got the job when the outgoing mayor's first two choices turned him down. So Winemiller goes from making $7.50/hour to a monthly salary of $7,500. But he better save his money — the incoming mayor says he'll pick someone with a little more experience after he takes office in January.
Southern Discomfort
And actor Wesley Snipes says that prosecutors in his upcoming tax evasion trial selected Ocala, Florida as a venue because the area is too racist to allow him a fair trial. Snipes' legal team filed a motion this week seeking to dismiss the charges — or move the trial to New York City.
The motion describes the area as — "A hotbed of Ku Klux Klan activity where Klan members adopted highways to commemorate the Klan and the Confederate flag flies over government property."
The chief assistant state attorney calls that the most outrageous claim he's ever heard in open court. Ocala Mayor Randy Ewers tells FOX News the city does fly a version of the confederate flag — but it is part of a display of several historic Florida flags. And he says if Snipes' attorneys have evidence of Klan activity in the area — he'd like to know about it.
— FOX News Channel's Martin Hill contributed to this report.
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