Watercooler Stories

Conservative epithet of choice: 'Socialist

WASHINGTON, March 2 (UPI) -- "Socialist" has apparently arrived as a favorite negative term for conservatives to use in describing political opponents, The New York Times said Sunday.

In an analysis of rhetoric employed recently by conservative political figures, the newspaper noted that "socialist" has apparently replaced "liberal" as the preferred epithet. Talk radio and Internet sites feature wide use of the term, which also was applied liberally at last week's annual gathering of the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington.

Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., Friday called President Barack Obama "the world's best salesman of socialism."

In an address at CPAC, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee compared Obama and the Democrats' agenda to that of the former Soviet Union.

"Lenin and Stalin would love this stuff," Huckabee said.

"Socialism is something new for us to hit Obama over the head with," said Joshua Bolin of Augusta, Ga., founder of Reagan.org -- which he told the newspaper was something of an answer to the liberal site MoveOn.org.

The newspaper noted that the left has for decades called the right names such as "fascists" and "fundamentalists."

Use of the term "socialist" gained traction during the 2008 presidential campaign when the GOP ticket of John McCain and Sarah Palin picked up on a remark Obama made at a campaign stop in which he mentioned the idea of spreading wealth around.

Charles Geisst, a financial historian at Manhattan College in New York noted that conservatives routinely called President Franklin Roosevelt a socialist during the 1930s, but the term doesn't pack the punch it once did as a political slur.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. -- who is a socialist -- said the United States could benefit from a debate on the real-world experience of countries like Swede, Norway and Finland, where socialist policies are the norm.

Hero of flight 1549 must complete testing

NEW YORK, March 2 (UPI) -- Capt. Chesley Sullenberger, who safely landed US Airways Flight 1549 in New York's Hudson River, must retrain before getting going back to work, rules say.

Federal Aviation Administration regulations require Sullenberger to complete three takeoffs and landings before he may pilot airline flights again, the New York Post reported.

The takeoffs and landings must all be completed with a 90-day period, and may be conducted in a flight simulator or a real airplane.

"He's going to probably lose his 90-day currency, so he'll have to come back and train in the simulator," said Capt. James Ray, a US Airline Pilots Association spokesman.

Sullenberger, 58, said following his successful Hudson River landing on Jan. 15 that he plans to return to US Airways.

His union informed the Post the pilot's next scheduled flight is some time in March.

Woman facing charges for multitasking

KETTERING, Ohio, March 2 (UPI) -- Police in Kettering, Ohio, say a woman faces charges for allegedly driving her car, talking on a cell phone and breast-feeding her child at the same time.

Kettering Police Officer Michael Burke said Genine Compton, 39, was tracked down by police after a concerned motorist contacted authorities about her alleged vehicular multitasking, the Dayton (Ohio) Daily News reported.

The unidentified motorist told police he attempted to confront the woman, only to be taunted by her.

"I tried to say something to her," the man was quoted as saying during Thursday morning's incident. "She literally has the little girl on the steering wheel and I said, 'I can't believe you have that kid in your lap' and she said, 'You want to pop your titty out and breast-feed this kid?' That's what she said to me."

Burke said Compton faces up to 180 days in jail plus fines of up to $1,950 if convicted on charges of child endangerment and unlawfully restraining her child, the Daily News reported.

Men urged to add sperm donations to wills

DANDENONG, Australia, March 2 (UPI) -- Men should rework their last will and testaments to allow for or deny their sperm being passed on to their romantic partners, experts in Australia say.

Michael Buist, an intensive care director at a hospital in Dandenong, said the recommendation stems from a growing number of women requesting the sperm of their late partners, The Age reported.

"It's certainly something we have seen a bit more of recently. For people who practice in (intensive care or hospital emergency departments) it's a request that takes most people by surprise," the hospital official said.

Monash University law lecturer Sarah Middleton agreed that romantic partners will likely be denied access to harvested sperm without proof, the Age said.

"She may have a conflict of interest," said Middleton, who said written proof is likely the safest way to ensure such bequests are honored. "It's about the man's reproductive rights, and I think they should survive your death."