NATL WEATHER SERVICE UPGRADES THE TORNADO THAT HIT MOORE, OK ON MON TO AN **

WEATHER SERVICE SAYS THE TORNADO'S PATH WAS 17 MILES LONG, 1.3 MILES WIDE **

SPOX SAYS THE AGENCY UPGRADED THE RATING FROM AN EF-4 BASED ON DAMAGE **

IT'S THE FIRST EF-5 TWISTER TO HIT THE U.S. IN TWO YRS **

LAWMAKERS SAY THE GOVT HAS PLENTY OF FUNDING FOR RECOVERY EFFORTS IN OK **

GOVT HAS MORE THAN $11 BIL IN DISASTER RELIEF FUNDS AND RECOVERY COSTS ARE **

WHITE HOUSE SPOX JAY CARNEY AND TOP LAWMAKERS ON CAPITOL HILL AGREED TUES **

DAMAGE FROM MONDAY'S DEADLY TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO EXCEED THAT OF THE **

THE JOPLIN TWISTER CAUSED SOME $3 BIL IN DAMAGE, INCLUDING $2 BIL IN **

JOPLIN'S EF-5 TORNADO KILLED 158 PEOPLE AND INJURED MORE THAN 1,100 NEARLY **

U.S. OFFICIALS ID FIVE MEN THEY BELIEVE MAY BE BEHIND THE DEADLY 9/11 **

OFFICIALS SAY THEY HAVE ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO JUSTIFY SEIZING THEM BY MILITARY **

HOWEVER, THEY DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH PROOF TO TRY THEM IN A U.S. CIVILIAN COURT **

THE ATTACK LAST SEPT KILLED FOUR AMERICANS, INCLUDING AMB CHRIS STEVENS **

IRS OFFICIAL LOIS LERNER WILL PLEAD THE FIFTH AT A CONGRESSIONAL HEARING ON **

IN A LETTER ADDRESSED TO HOUSE OVERSIGHT CMTE CHMN DARRELL ISSA (R-CA), **

ISSA ALLEGES LERNER HAD PROVIDED FALSE AND MISLEADING INFO TO CONGRESS ON **

LERNER IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE IRS DIVISION THAT HANDLES APPLICATIONS FOR **

JURY BEGINNING DELIBERATIONS IN THE PENALTY PHASE OF THE JODI ARIAS MURDER **

ARIAS ASKED JURORS ON TUES TO GIVE HER LIFE IN PRISON INSTEAD OF THE DEATH **

THE 32-YR-OLD WAS CONVICTED EARLIER THIS MONTH OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER IN **

Props? Are guests of the SOTU being used?

There is no question it is fun for someone to attend the State of the Union by any President…and even more fun to be a guest of the President in the balcony sitting with the First Lady.

But each year when I hear the names I wonder, are these guests being used? Are they simply props for the President?  The President has an agenda in his speech and then turns and points to the guest in the balcony.

Every President does it but there is a part of me that feels bad that these people are being used as props.  These are great individuals and I don’t want them to feel used….and perhaps they do not.

I balance the prop factor with the fact that it is really fun for the people invited to attend.  I know they have fun and I hope they do.  There is something else – most (all?) of them have done something for which we admire them.

What do you think?









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