New Mexico women’s soccer defender Elizabeth Lambert has been suspended indefinitely after engaging in rough play — including hauling an opposing player to the ground by her pony tail — in the Lobos’ 1-0 loss to BYU in the Mountain West Conference semifinals.

Lambert is prohibited from taking part in practices, games and conditioning, coach Kit Vela announced Friday.

“Liz is a quality student-athlete, but in this instance her actions clearly crossed the line of fair play and good sportsmanship,” Vela said.

Video footage of the game shows Lambert, a junior, committing a series of excessively rough plays, including kicking, tackles, a forearm shiver to the back — in response to an elbow to the ribs — and yanking BYU forward Kassidy Shumway to the ground by her hair.

Lambert was assessed a yellow card during the 76th minute, apparently for tripping.

On Friday, Lambert apologized for her actions, saying she was “deeply and wholeheartedly regretful.”

“I let my emotions get the best of me in a heated situation. I take full responsibility for my actions and accept any punishment felt necessary,” Lambert said. “This is in no way indicative of my character or the soccer player that I am. I am sorry to my coaches and teammates for any and all damages I have brought upon them.

“I am especially sorry to BYU and the BYU women’s soccer players that were personally affected by my actions. I have the utmost respect for the BYU women’s soccer program and its players.”

The Mountain West said it endorsed New Mexico’s discipline of Lambert, saying her actions violated the conference’s sportsmanship policy. The conference said it would continue an internal review of “the overall dynamic involved in the match” and said it would not comment further.

“Liz’s conduct on the field against BYU was completely inappropriate,” said Paul Krebs, New Mexico’s vice president for athletics. “There is no way to defend her actions.”

BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe, in a news release, said Krebs had contacted him after the incident.

“It’s an unfortunate incident that occurred in the game Thursday afternoon,” Holmoe said. “The University of New Mexico and the Mountain West Conference have reviewed the situation and have acted appropriately … I am pleased with his immediate response to the matter.”

New Mexico (13-5-3) was the No. 4 seed in the tournament. Top-seeded BYU (17-2-2), ranked No. 17 in the NCSAA/adidas College Soccer Women’s Top 25, advanced to the tournament final against San Diego State with the win.

The Cougars scored the game’s lone goal on a Carlee Payne header off a direct kick in the 31st minute.

The team from ABC’s heartwarming and popular reality series “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” may give worthy families a whole new house. But yet another family who appeared on the show learned that they don’t guarantee you’ll keep that house forever.

The Wofford family of Encinitas, California, got their house from the show five years ago, but now claim that after struggling for two years to pay their bills, they’re facing foreclosure . Dr. Brian Wofford, a widower and father of eight, explained the crisis, telling 10News: “A lot of people think when you get the house, you get the mortgage. Well, you don’t.”

The Woffords aren’t the first family featured on the show to face serious financial problems after their home makeover. The Harper family of Atlanta, who received the show’s biggest house to date, along with the money to pay taxes on it for 25 years, famously faced foreclosure last year after taking out an ill-advised $450,000 loan using the house as equity. And at least four other “Extreme Makeover” recipient families have had to sell or lose the homes they won on the show. ABC is probably considering changing the show’s rules (maybe the houses don’t need to be quite so lavish, for example) to help avoid such disasters in the future.

 However, there’s still hope for the Woffords. Loan modification papers are being promised by their bank, OneWest, next week. If they don’t go through, the house will be auctioned by the bank in two weeks, but Dr. Wofford is optimistic about his family’s future: “If I have my family and I live in a tent, I’m in good shape. Better be a big tent though.”

By KATHY L. GREENBERG | Tribune correspondent | Published: November 24, 2009

Zuzu’s petals. Bedford Falls. Jimmy Stewart. Clarence the Second-Class Angel. Ring any bells? It should if you’ve ever watched the 1946 movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Frank Capra’s classic has pretty much become ubiquitous in American culture, so even if you’ve never seen it (gasp!), you’re sure to appreciate Steve Murray’s stage adaptation, “This Wonderful Life.”

American Stage Theatre Company produced this touching one-man tribute, directed by Todd Olson and starring the highly watchable Christopher Swan. Swan plays the role of Narrator and All the Residents of Bedford Falls. For approximately 80 minutes, he enthusiastically retells the cautionary tale of George Bailey, that “scurvy little spider” Mr. Potter and the events that lead to George’s crisis of faith.

Quick plot summary: George is a frustrated man who only realizes his worth when an angel shows him a world that never knew him. And it’s not pretty.

American Stage Theatre Company produced this touching one-man tribute to 'It's A Wonderful Life,' directed by Todd Olson and starring the highly watchable Christopher Swan.

The validity of Murray’s “CliffsNotes” version of the sweet but Capra-corny holiday pleaser seemed dubious at first. Words like “overkill,” “why” and “yada yada yada” came to mind. The playwright was probably banking on the story’s inherent goodness to offset the making of a redundant blunder. But, by gum, it worked. Between Swan’s everyman appeal and Murray’s loving script, it became harder and harder to blow off the notions of life being a gift, believing in yourself, generosity of spirit and … yada yada yada.

Under the glow of spare but illustrative special effects, Swan sprang deftly from one character to the next — from a sweetly nostalgic narrator to a Jimmy Stewart-inspired George to fragile-voiced Zuzu to the chair-bound, crotchety jerk Mr. Potter. He brought dimension to both stable and fleeting characters using malleable voices, facial expressions and personas. Swan was charming and quite moving, especially in the scenes depicting George at his lowest point.

By stripping away cameras and cast, rendering 130 minutes of sentimental goo into a Jell-O Snack Pack cup, Murray brought out the best parts of the film. There’s brilliance in effectively messing with tradition, which must make Murray a pretty bright guy.

Note to those who have never seen “It’s a Wonderful Life”: Watch it already. Then check out the recap at American Stage.

THEATER REVIEW

‘This Wonderful Life’

WHEN: Through Dec. 27; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

WHERE: American Stage Theatre Company at the Raymond James Theatre, 163 Third St. N., St. Petersburg; call (727) 823-7529 or visit www.americanstage.org

HOW MUCH: $26-$45, depending on date and time of performance

RUNNING TIME: Approximately 80 minutes

“I can tell you we did not party-crash the White House,” Tareq Salahi said on Tuesday’s Today show, where he appeared with wife Michaele.

The Salahis — who maintained they were not being paid for the interview contrary to previous reports — said they have e-mail proof that they were invited to the dinner. “I am certain we’ll be completely exonerated,” Tareq Salahi said.

Secret Service apologizes for breach by White House party crashers

Because of the continuing internal review by the Secret Service, the Salahis declined to offer more details, including who invited them, but said they are “working closely” with the Secret Service and have turned documentation over to the agency.

“We were invited. Not crashers. There isn’t anyone that would have the audacity or the poor behavior to do that,” Michaele Salahi said.

However, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs and Michelle Jones, a senior Pentagon official, both issued statements to Today saying that the Salahis were never invited to the party.

“I specifically stated that they did not have tickets and in fact that I did not have the authority to authorize attendance, admittance or access to any part of the evening’s activities,” Jones said. “Even though I informed them of this, they still decided to come.”

White House party crashers shopping story to networks

“In our view, it’s clear to us [that we were invited] and based on the timeline, I think the American public is going to be extremely surprised with all the details that went from beginning to end into what was supposed to be a beautiful evening,” Tareq Salahi said.

Tareq Salahi also denied a Fox report that said the couple — aspiring Real Housewives of D.C. cast members — crashed the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Awards dinner in September and were escorted out.

He said he and his wife were invited by a large law firm. “We were a proud guest of theirs. Were we escorted out? Of course not,” he said.

According to the Fox report, Bravo requested access to film the Salahis at the awards dinner, but was denied. Bravo cameras were also turned away at the door, Fox said.

TVGuide.com’s calls to Bravo were not immediately returned.

Tim Allen, The Santa Clause

After Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) inadvertently causes Santa Claus to fall off his roof, the divorced father and businessman ends up accidentally assuming the jolly old elf’s identity and all the responsibilities that go with it. He awakes the next day thinking it was all a dream, but as time passes, he begins to pack on the pounds and grows a long white beard he can’t seem to lose. Talk about contractual obligations!

===================================================================================

Elizabeth Mitchell, The Santa Clause 2: The Mrs. Clause

Every great Santa needs a Mrs. Claus — and eight years into his contract, Scott Calvin realizes he must find a mate or Christmas will cease to exist. Enter principal Carol Newman (Lost’s Elizabeth Mitchell), who Santa Scott meets after his son gets in trouble at school. The two soon end up happily ever after, even though the following Christmas, Mitchell’s pregnant Mrs. Claus worries that Santa will be out making his deliveries while she’s making one of her own.

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Ed Asner, Elf

After an orphan baby crawls into Santa’s bag of toys and is accidentally carried back to the North Pole, Santa Claus (Ed Asner) has the baby raised as an elf. Sure, the movie is mostly about Buddy (Will Ferrell) and his attempt to reconnect with his real dad, but Asner adds wisdom and charm to the role, two vital ingredients in any Santa depiction.

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Paul Giamatti, Fred Claus

What would happen if Santa had a deadbeat younger brother? That’s exactly what Nicholas (Paul Giamatti) is up against with sibling Fred (Vince Vaughn), who claims living in Santa’s shadow has made him the way he is. When Nick has to bail his baby brother out of jail, Fred is forced to become an honorary elf in Santa’s workshop. Santa never stops giving.

===================================================================================

Miranda Richardson, Fred Claus

The British actress’ good-hearted Mrs. Claus disapproves of brother-in-law’s Fred’s antics. She urges her hubby, Nick, not to bail his brother out all the time. But naturally, everyone’s one big happy family by the end.

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Edmund Gwenn, Miracle on 34th Street

Did you know Santa’s an Oscar winner? Or at least one of his portrayers is. The late Gwenn picked up a supporting actor statuette for his incarnation of Kris Kringle, who is institutionalized in the film because he claims he really is Santa. “Now I know there is a Santa Claus!” Gwenn said upon receiving his Oscar.

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Billy Bob Thornton, Bad Santa

While most of the Santas on our list made the cut for being upstanding, heartwarming role models, Billy Bob Thornton’s angry, alcoholic department store-robbing mall Santa is a dose of reality for adults. It doesn’t hurt that he — and his interactions with his partner-in-crime elf (Tony Cox) and “the Kid” (Brett Kelly) — are pretty hysterical.

===================================================================================

Lauren Graham, Bad Santa

OK, she’s not technically a Mrs. Claus because she’s not married to Santa. (And her Santa of choice is skinny, drinks whiskey and wears a fake beard.) But Graham’s raunchy nymphomaniac bartender is as close as you’ll get in this thoroughly non-Christmas-y Christmas movie. (Bonus: The role is a far cry from her Gilmore Girls character.)

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David Huddleston, Santa Claus: The Movie

This 1985 flick tells two tales. The first half explores how good ol’ St. Nick became Santa Claus way back in the 14th century after he was given immortality to become the “Chosen One.” After assuming his new identity, the perfectly portly and jolly Santa travels to the modern day, where he must deal with his head elf, Patch (Dudley Moore), who winds up in cahoots with an evil toy manufacturer.

===================================================================================

Judy Cornwell, Santa Claus: The Movie

Mrs. Claus gets a first name here — Anya — and credit for coming up with Santa’s staple Nice and Naughty list. Anya didn’t believe disobedient children ought to be rewarded with presents. Now that’s what you call tough love.

===================================================================================

Douglas Seale, Ernest Saves Christmas

Don’t overlook this movie because of its comedic tomfoolery — Seale’s Santa is one of the better portrayals on celluloid. After he leaves his magic sack in the taxi driven by Ernest (Jim Varney), he struggles to convince anyone he is Santa and complete his task of hiring a successor (Oliver Clark). Though all the problems in the plot are resolved, the film also delivers an emotional message about the true meaning of Christmas.

===================================================================================

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

What? You don’t think of Martians when you think of Christmas? Rich’s portrayal of Mrs. Claus is most notable for being the first live-action depiction of Mrs. Claus in a motion picture. And, you know, because she helped Santa battle Martians.

Published: December 1, 2009

TAMPA – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed punter Sam Paulescu to replace injured Dirk Johnson.

Johnson was placed on injured reserve Monday, one day after tearing a hamstring muscle during Tampa Bay’s 20-17 loss at Atlanta. Johnson was hurt attempting a pass on a fake punt early in the fourth quarter.

He was replaced in the game by kicker Connor Barth, who had not punted since high school.

Paulescu, who worked out for Tampa Bay on Tuesday, played one game with Denver in 2007, 10 games with Dallas in 2008 and one game with Washington earlier this season. His career average is 42.4 yards, with a 36.1-yard net average.

In addition to punting, Paulescu will be asked to hold for Barth on kick attempts. If he is unable, Tampa Bay’s other possible holders include receiver Brian Clark, backup quarterback Josh Johnson and tight end Kellen Winslow.

Paulescu played collegiately at Oregon State.

By DAVE NICHOLSON | The Tampa Tribune
Published: December 1, 2009

The Florida Strawberry Festival’s eclectic lineup draws from rock, country, including Lynyrd Skynyrd and Darius Rucker.

PLANT CITY – The Florida Strawberry Festival’s headline entertainment is going beyond country in 2010 to include rock music’s REO Speedwagon and Lynyrd Skynyrd, best known for the 1974 Southern anthem “Sweet Home Alabama.”

The festival stage will include members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, including Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Righteous Brothers’ Bill Medley, and Country Music Hall of Fame members Roy Clark and Mel Tillis.

The festival is best known as a country music venue but “we worked real hard to get a cross section and something for everyone,” festival General Manager Paul Davis said of the 2010 lineup.

The annual celebration of the area’s biggest crop is March 4-14 at the festival grounds, 2202 W. Reynolds St.

Entertainer Debbie Reynolds will be featured on the festival’s new Red Hat Day on March 9, intended to attract members of the Red Hat Society.

Big-name entertainers include the Country Music Association’s 2009 new artist of the year Darius Rucker, former Trick Pony member Heidi Newfield, and singer and two-time “Dancing with the Stars” winner Julianne Hough.

The festival didn’t stray far from its roots with such festival favorites as The Oak Ridge Boys, Patty Loveless and Josh Turner. Gospel music star Michael W. Smith also returns to the festival stage.

The lineup also includes comedian Bill Engvall, whose credits include hosting CMT’s “Country Home Fried Videos.”

“It’s probably as diverse as it can be,” said festival director Joe Newsome, who has headed the entertainment committee for more than 30 years.

The festival decided to broaden its offerings by bringing in acts that appeal to more than country fans, Newsome said.

The festival attempts to juggle getting the best acts without busting its budget, and often faces an uphill battle because of its limited run and the expense of top entertainers, Newsome said. Many new entertainers prefer to tour with an established act, he said.

“This is our toughest year ever,” he said.

After hitting a high of $45 for Taylor Swift’s 2008 festival show, top concert prices will recede this year. The most expensive tickets, $25 and $30, are for Lynyrd Skynyrd’s March 14 show.

At each headline show, there are about 3,000 free grandstand seats available on a first-come basis.

Reserved-seat prices do not include gate admission, which remains steady at $8 in advance for ages 13 and older and $4 for ages 6 to 12. Children 5 and younger are admitted free with a paying adult. Admission at the gate will be $10 and $5, respectively.

The festival worked to keep prices down for 2010, realizing that times are tough for many of its fans, Davis said.

“We think this is some of the greatest entertainment for the dollar,” he said. “For the price of a night out at the movies, a family can enjoy a day of entertainment at the festival.”

IF YOU GO

Here is the lineup of headline entertainment, including artist, performance time and date, and ticket prices:

ROY CLARK, 3:30 p.m. March 4, $10 and $15

BILLY CURRINGTON, 7:30 p.m. March 4, $15 and $20

BOBBY BARE, 3:30 p.m. March 5, $10 and $15

JULIANNE HOUGH, 7:30 p.m. March 5, $10 and $15

TO BE ANNOUNCED, 3:30 p.m. March 6

MICHAEL W. SMITH, 7:30 p.m. March 6, $15 and $20

HEIDI NEWFIELD, 3:30 p.m. March 7, $10 and $15

DARIUS RUCKER, 7:30 p.m. March 7, $20 and $25

MEL TILLIS, 3:30 p.m. March 8, $10 and $15

BILL ENGVALL, 7:30 p.m. March 8, $20 and $25

DEBBIE REYNOLDS, 3:30 p.m. March 9, $10 and $15

JOSH TURNER, 7:30 p.m. March 9, $15 and $20

AARON TIPPIN, 3:30 p.m. March 10, $10 and $15

BILL MEDLEY/SAM MOORE, 7:30 p.m. March 10, $15 and $20

THE OAK RIDGE BOYS, 3:30 p.m. March 11, $10 and $15

REO SPEEDWAGON, 7:30 p.m. March 11, $15 and $20

TO BE ANNOUNCED, 3:30 p.m. March 12

TO BE ANNOUNCED, 7:30 p.m. March 12

CLAY WALKER/LEE BRICE, 3:30 p.m. March 13, $10 and $15

PATTY LOVELESS, 7:30 p.m. March 13, $10 and $15

SARA EVANS, 3:30 p.m. March 14, $15 and $20

LYNYRD SKYNYRD, 7:30 p.m. March 14, $25 and $30

Concert and gate admission tickets go on sale at 8 a.m. Monday at www.flstrawberryfestival.com or the Florida Strawberry Festival ticket office at 2209 W. Oak Ave. To order by telephone, call (813) 754-1996.

Reporter Dave Nicholson can be reached at (813) 627-4727.

The Associated Press
Published: December 1, 2009

BRUSSELS – President Barack Obama announced today he was dispatching 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, accelerating a risky and expensive war buildup, even as he assured the nation that U.S. forces will begin coming home in July 2011. The first new Marines will join the fight by Christmas.

The escalation — to be completed by next summer — is designed to reverse significant Taliban advances since Obama took office 10 months ago and to fast-track the training of Afghan soldiers and police toward the goal of hastening an eventual U.S. pullout. The size and speed of the troop increase will put a heavy strain on the military, which still maintains a force of more than 100,000 in Iraq and already has 68,000 in Afghanistan.

“The 30,000 additional troops that I am announcing tonight will deploy in the first part of 2010 the fastest pace possible so that they can target the insurgency and secure key population centers,” Obama was to say in his prime-time speech tonight. The White House released excerpts in advance.

The increased troops, Obama said, “will increase our ability to train competent Afghan security forces, and to partner with them so that more Afghans can get into the fight. And they will help create the conditions for the United States to transfer responsibility to the Afghans.”

Looking to America’s experience in Iraq, Obama put said a U.S. withdrawal would be executed “responsibly, taking into account conditions on the ground.”

“We will continue to advise and assist Afghanistan’s security forces to ensure that they can succeed over the long haul. But it will be clear to the Afghan government and, more importantly, to the Afghan people that they will ultimately be responsible for their own country,” Obama said.

Obama also leaned heavily on NATO allies and other countries to join in escalating the fight.

“We must come together to end this war successfully,” the president said. “For what’s at stake is not simply a test of NATO’s credibility. What’s at stake is the security of our allies, and the common security of the world.”

Obama’s speech to cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., to be broadcast nationally, ends three months of exacting deliberations that won praise from supporters and criticism from opponents. Former Vice President Dick Cheney said Obama was “dithering,” too inexperienced to make a decision on the troop buildup requested in September by commanding Gen. Stanley McChrystal.

Senior officials said Obama also would underscore his commitment to stabilizing Afghanistan and scouring corruption out of the government of President Hamid Karzai. Obama has vowed to prevent Afghanistan from again becoming a safe haven for al-Qaida boss Osama bin Laden and his terrorist organization.

Most of the new forces will be combat troops. Military officials said the Army brigades most likely to be sent will come from Fort Drum in New York and Fort Campbell in Kentucky. Marines, who will be the vanguard, will most likely come primarily from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

There will be about 5,000 dedicated trainers in the 30,000, showing the emphasis on preparing Afghans to take over their own security. And the president is making clear to his generals that all troops, even if designated as combat, must consider themselves trainers.

Announcing a start to a U.S. withdrawal by July 2011 does not tie the United States to an “end date” for the war, officials said. They all spoke on condition of anonymity because the speech had not been delivered.

The address could become a defining moment of the Obama presidency, a political gamble that may weigh heavily on his chances for a second White House term. It represents the beginning of a sales job to restore support for the war effort among an American public grown increasingly pessimistic about success — and among some fellow Democrats in Congress wary of or even opposed to spending billions more dollars and putting tens of thousands more U.S. soldiers and Marines in harm’s way.

A new survey by the Gallup organization, released Tuesday, showed only 35 percent of Americans now approve of Obama’s handling of the war; 55 percent disapprove.

Even before the president spoke, his plan was met with skepticism in Congress, where Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., and liberal House Democrats threatened to try to block funding for the troop increase.

Sen. Carl Levin, the Michigan Democrat who chairs a military oversight panel, said he didn’t think Democrats would yank funding for the troops or try to force Obama’s hand to pull them out faster. But Democrats will be looking for ways to pay for the additional troops, he said, including a tax increase on the wealthy although that hike is already being eyed to pay for health care costs. Another possibility is imposing a small gasoline tax that would be phased out if gas prices go up, he said.

Meanwhile, Republicans said that setting a timetable for withdrawal would demonstrate weakness.

“The way that you win wars is to break the enemy’s will, not to announce dates that you are leaving,” said Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee and Obama’s campaign rival in last year’s presidential race.

If the timeline for the troop increase holds, it will require a costly logistical scramble to send in so many people and so much equipment almost entirely by air. It will also probably require breaking at least an implicit promise to some soldiers who had thought they would have more than 12 months at home before their next deployment.

At the same time, NATO diplomats said Obama was asking alliance partners in Europe to add 5,000 to 10,000 troops to the separate international force in Afghanistan. Indications were the allies would agree to a number somewhere in that range. The war has even less support in Europe than in the United States, and the NATO allies and other countries currently have about 40,000 troops on the ground.

The main mission of the new troops will be to reverse Taliban gains and secure population centers in the country’s volatile south and east. The addition of some Marines before year’s end would provide badly needed reinforcements to those fighting against Taliban gains in southern Helmand province.

Obama briefed dozens of key lawmakers Tuesday afternoon, before setting off for West Point.

Late Monday, the president spent an hour on a video conference call with Karzai. The White House said Obama told the Afghan leader “that U.S. and international efforts in Afghanistan are not open-ended and must be evaluated toward measurable and achievable goals within the next 18 to 24 months.”

Today Obama contacted Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari to tell him the United States wanted to open a long-term commercial and security relationship. Obama also had planned to speak of a need to help Pakistan stabilize itself from the threats it faces not only from al-Qaida but Taliban forces that are increasingly behind terrorist bombings in that country, officials said.

The United States went to war in Afghanistan shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, al-Qaida terrorist attacks on the United States.

Bin Laden and key members of the terrorist organization were headquartered in Afghanistan at the time, taking advantage of sanctuary afforded by the Taliban government that ran the mountainous and isolated country.

Taliban forces were quickly driven from power, while bin Laden and his top deputies were believed to have fled through towering mountains into neighboring Pakistan. While the al-Qaida leadership appears to be bottled up in Pakistan’s largely ungoverned tribal regions, the U.S. military strategy of targeted missile attacks from unmanned drone aircraft has yet to flush bin Laden and his cohorts from hiding.

By MIKE SCHNEIDER
Associated Press Writer

     ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods did not appear to be driving under the influence and showed no signs of having been in a fight in the minutes after his car crash outside his mansion, an attorney for the neighbors who dialed 911 said Tuesday.

     Woods’ injuries were “consistent with a car wreck and inconsistent with him being beat up,” attorney Bill Sharpe said. “The scratches on his face were consistent with someone who maybe was in a minor car accident and hit his head on the windshield. … None of his injuries looked like he was beat up by his wife.”

 In its initial accident report, the Florida Highway Patrol said alcohol was not involved.

 Sharpe said neighbor Linda Adams and her two adult sons went outside their home in the exclusive gated community of Isleworth after hearing the crash and Woods’ wife, Elin Nordegren, asked them to call 911.

 He said the neighbors found Nordegren kneeling beside her husband, upset about his injuries. Sharpe said Woods appeared woozy and had scratches on his face and that his wife was trying to console him. The Adams wrapped Woods in a blanket and made sure he didn’t move.

 According to the Florida Highway Patrol accident report, Woods crashed his SUV into a fire hydrant and a tree at 2:25 a.m. Friday. The airbags did not deploy in the crash, and Woods’ wife told Windermere police she used a golf club to smash the back windows to help him out.

 Tabloid speculation has focused on whether Woods and his wife were fighting before the accident. The crash came two days after The National Enquirer published a story alleging that Woods had been seeing a New York nightclub hostess, and that they recently were together in Melbourne, where Woods competed in the Australian Masters.

 The woman, Rachel Uchitel, denied having an affair with Woods when contacted by The Associated Press.

 Sharpe said the Adams family did not see the crash and did not see Woods’ wife with a golf club.

 ”One thing we want to make clear is that Mrs. Woods’ attitude was consistent with her being concerned about her injured husband,” Sharpe said. “Mrs. Woods was trying to help him. Mrs. Woods was worried about her husband. She was concerned.”

 Woods withdrew Monday from his own golf tournament, citing injuries from the crash.

 Sharpe says the Adams family hired him to get out the message that they’ve told investigators everything they know about the crash and aren’t hiding anything.

 © 2009 The Associated Press.

WASHINGTON – A Republican senator contended today during rancorous floor debate that President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul will shorten the lives of America’s seniors by cutting Medicare.

“I have a message for you: You’re going to die sooner,” said Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., an obstetrician-turned-lawmaker.

A senior Democrat decried such comments by Republicans as scare tactics designed to kill legislation that he said would improve some benefits for the elderly. As the Senate pushed toward the first votes on the sweeping legislation, the debate recalled the raw charges and countercharges of the summer’s town hall meetings.

Going to the floor after Coburn had spoken, Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., said the cuts would make Medicare a smarter buyer and would improve prescription coverage.

“I hate to say it … these are scare tactics,” Baucus said. “Sometimes you’ve got to call a spade a spade.”

The Senate was debating an amendment by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., that would strip from the bill more than $400 billion in Medicare cuts to home health providers, hospitals, hospices and others.

Polls show that seniors are concerned that expanding coverage for the uninsured will come at their expense. But Medicare spending actually would keep growing under the Democrats’ legislation, albeit at a somewhat slower rate.

Despite the partisan tone, the first amendment offered was bipartisan, a measure to increase preventive care for women co-sponsored by Sens. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine. Snowe was the only Senate Republican to vote in favor of Democrats’ health care legislation in committee.

Their amendment would give the Health and Human Services secretary authority to require health plans to cover additional preventive services for women and was inspired in part by controversial recommendations last month that women undergo fewer mammograms and Pap smears to test for cancer. Republicans seized on those recommendations as early signs of rationing of care they say would happen under the Democrats’ 10-year, nearly $1 trillion health bill.

“The Sen. Mikulski amendment also makes clear, no matter what the Republicans claim, that the decision whether or when to get a mammogram should be left up to the patient and the doctor,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. “That decision should not be made by some bureaucrat, a member of Congress or someone they’ve never met.”

However the amendment doesn’t specifically address mammograms or spell out what additional services would be covered, leaving that to the discretion of the HHS secretary. The Congressional Budget Office said the amendment would cost $940 million over a decade.

Last month, a government-appointed but independent panel of doctors and scientists said women generally should begin routine mammograms in their 50s, rather than their 40s. Then, in an apparent coincidence, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said most women in their 20s can have a Pap test every two years — instead of annually — to catch slow-growing cervical cancer.

Neither the task force, which provides advice to government officials who may or may not act on it, nor the doctor’s group sets federal policy.

But the recommendations could not have come at a worse time for majority Democrats, especially Senate leaders trying to hold together the 60 votes required to advance the health care overhaul.

“We know that some in Washington have wanted government-run health care for years. And it’s hard to escape the conclusion that these same people saw the current economic crisis as their moment,” said Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. “Earlier this year, some in the administration said that a crisis is a terrible thing to waste. Americans are hoping this bill isn’t what they meant. But they’re concerned it is.”

The legislative struggle is expected to last for weeks in a test that pits GOP senators determined not to give ground against Senate Democrats intent on delivering on Obama’s signature issue.

Dozens of amendments are likely to be offered, with the measures seemingly designed as much to court a skeptical public as to reshape Reid’s 2,074-page bill.

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that 31 million uninsured individuals would receive insurance if the bill were enacted, many of them assisted by federal subsidies. The legislation would be paid for through a combination of cuts in projected Medicare payments, a payroll tax on the wealthy and taxes on drug makers, medical device manufacturers, owners of high-cost insurance and others.