On Saturday night, I received a call from my aunt asking me if I could take her two sons, Anthony (12) and Patrick (10), to the Mets game on Sunday.  I gladly said yes.  I picked them up Sunday morning and rode the 7 train out to Shea Stadium.  I was impressed with how much Anthony knew about the Mets and how closely he followed the game.  We discussed the game as it went on, including why the Mets would bring in an inept Guillermo Mota.  Patrick was, as usual, only moderately interested, but appreciated the extra attention and the day out.  It was a pleasant day, and it was great to be able to spend that time with my cousins.

It would seem like a perfectly normal day out for kids of their age but for the fact that it was their cousin rather than their father taking them to the game.  You see, their father was unable to do so.

Six years ago today, he went to work.  He called my aunt to say that he had arrived safely, just as he did every day.  She took the kids to school and went home.  Then their lives changed forever.

The children at school knew only that something was wrong.  They had heard no details and, like everyone in New York who had no idea what was going on that day, they were frightened.  The adults at their school were acting strangely, especially toward them.  Before long, they were called down to the principal’s office where their mother was waiting.  That is when they heard the words that no child should ever have to hear: “Daddy is gone, and I will take care of you.”

Looks like someone in the Romney camp has some explaining to do.

A top adviser to former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney appears to be behind the launch of a new Web site attacking GOP presidential rival Fred D. Thompson during his first week on the trail.

The site, PhoneyFred.org, painted an unflattering picture of Thompson, dubbing the former TV star and senator Fancy Fred, Five O’clock Fred, Flip-Flop Fred, McCain Fred, Moron Fred, Playboy Fred, Pro-Choice Fred, Son-of-a-Fred and Trial Lawyer Fred. Shortly after a Washington Post reporter made inquiries about the site to the Romney campaign, it was taken down.

Georgia Lt. Governor Casey Cagle used this technique to success in 2006 to beat Ralph reed in the Primary. The difference being there was no question who was behind it and the Cagle campaign took advantage of the publicity.

UPDATE! From Nate in the comments.

The AP says the site was created by an independent author named donehue and was disavowed by Romney’s campaign.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gr0Xwu5yNACaKvIjgYE37-EJV3R

It was just a silly pledge. Why should a Presidential Candidate be held to what they say?

“Just a little more than a week after Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign promised Iowa Democrats she would not campaign in states that broke party rules by scheduling early primary contests, Clinton held six events in Florida Monday,” reports the Sioux City Journal.