Video rumored to show Bush daughter naked
Oh man! You can almost see the late night TV ads: "From the producers who brought you 'Girls Gone Wild' it's the hottest video this side of the Potomac. It's 'Barbara Bush's Booty Call!' Yes, you too can have the video of the ultimate First Family party girl, gettin' down and nasty for the cameras ..." How much would you like to bet that every available Secret Service agent is busting down dorm rooms and condos all over campus looking for this tape?

Justice alerted to false lab testimony in McVeigh case

"Ten days before Timothy McVeigh was executed, lawyers for FBI lab employees sent an urgent letter to the attention of Attorney General John Ashcroft alleging that a key prosecution witness in the Oklahoma City bombing trial might have given false testimony about forensic evidence. The allegations involving Stephen Burmeister, now the FBI lab's chief of scientific analysis, were never turned over to McVeigh, though they surfaced as a judge was weighing whether to delay his execution because the government withheld evidence. 'Material evidence presented by the government in the OKBOMB prosecution through the testimony of Mr. Burmeister appears to be false, misleading and potentially fabricated,' said the June 1, 2001, letter to Ashcroft obtained by The Associated Press. The letter cited Burmeister's testimony in a civil case as evidence contradicting his earlier McVeigh testimony. It was sent to Ashcroft's general fax number and by courier with the notation 'URGENT MATTER FOR THE IMMEDIATE ATTENTION OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.' Justice officials said Wednesday the letter was routed to Ashcroft's clerical office in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, where it sat for nearly two months and then was forwarded to the FBI — well after McVeigh was executed. Neither Ashcroft nor other top officials in the Justice Department who handled the McVeigh case saw the letter, spokeswoman Barbara Comstock said. It was never reviewed to determine if it should be handed over to McVeigh's lawyers, officials said."

All the more reason to be against the death penalty. The McVeigh case continues to not pass the smell test, years after his execution.

Jerry Williams, Part 2
Talk radio innovator pushed hard on issues
Jerry Williams, pioneer in radio talk, dead at 79 Herald radio guy Dean Johnson's piece.
Jerry Williams: Not a bad guy, as legends go Howie Carr's column this morning, although you have to pay to read it.
His obituary made CBS News and the Washington Post this morning.

Jerry Williams, R.I.P.
The Dean of Talk Radio, Jerry Williams, passed away this morning. It is a real loss. I will be posting an editorial on Thursday. But here is some of the reaction so far:
The death of Jerry Williams As always, Dan Kennedy says it all. Both Howie Carr and David Brudnoy had memorial programs today. I missed Carr's but Bruds' show was great.
Jerry Williams, dean of talk radio in Boston, dead at 79 The AP/Boston Globe's obit which was also published on the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Allenstown Times, and the Times Picayune, Louisiana Web sites earlier today.
The Radio Hall of Fame Jerry was inducted in 1996.

Quinnipiac University poll says Bush would win New York
http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x5777.xml If New York Sen. Hillary Clinton challenged President George W. Bush in 2004, the not-so-native daughter would be on the short side of a 47 -- 44 percent split among New York voters, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. Sen. Clinton has a 52 -- 36 percent approval rating and New York voters say 59 -- 37 percent that she should not run for President next year. President Bush has a 58 -- 37 percent approval in New York, up from 50 -- 44 percent in a February 12 poll by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University. "That a president fresh off a wartime win would poll higher than most wannabes isn't surprising. What will surprise many is that President Bush does so well against Sen. Clinton," said Maurice Carroll director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "In 2000, Bush was so far behind in New York, he didn't even bother to campaign here.
"Meanwhile, New Yorkers want Hillary to stay home. They'd rather have her call Chappaqua home than to try going back to Pennsylvania Avenue." Bush is ahead of other leaders in the Democratic Presidential pack:
50 -- 38 percent over Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman;
50 -- 38 percent over Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry;
49 -- 38 percent over Missouri Congressman Richard Gephardt.
As a result of the war in Iraq, 31 percent of New York State voters say they are more likely to vote for Bush for reelection, with 28 percent saying they are less likely and 38 percent saying their position hasn't changed. New York's senior Senator, Charles Schumer, has a 59 -- 22 percent approval rating, including 54 -- 31 percent among Republicans. From April 15 - 21, Quinnipiac University surveyed 885 New York State registered voters, with a margin of error of +/- 3.3 percent.
The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and nationwide as a public service and for research.
I posted a poll here a couple of weeks ago showing Lieberman with a sizable lead in New York over his opponents but Bush showing 11 to 12 point leads is pretty shocking for a solid Democratic state with fiscal conservative leanings.

Protesting ‘Patriots’
ABC News reports on a North Carolina town saying 'no' to the PATRIOT Act. Bravo.

"An Old-Style Centrist"
Ruth Conniff of The Progressive profiles former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and rightfully interviews members of Vermont's Progressive Party and others who say he may not be all he is cracked up to be. "'Few people would have accused him of being a progressive governor in Vermont,' says Paul Burns, executive director of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group (one of the network of consumer and environmental advocacy groups founded by Ralph Nader). 'It was not by accident that a strong progressive party was formed while he was governor here as an alternative to some of the positions he was taking.'"
Ouch. Conniff also mentions that Dean had "strong support" from the NRA. But not unlike Rep. Dennis Kucinich's pro-life voting record, progressives will have to learn to live with a candidate who isn't 100 percent of what they want - if they want to win nationally and be rid of King George W.

"Would U.S. Elect Another President-General?"
FoxNews profiles [aka attacks] Wesley Clark:

"'I don’t think he has a prayer of anyone taking him seriously as a candidate for president, but I do think there is a prayer for someone taking him seriously as a candidate for vice president,' said Rich Galen, a Washington, D.C.-based Republican strategist and editor of Mullings.com ... 'He was wrong on everything,' said Jim McLaughlin, a Republican pollster for the New York-based McLaughlin & Associates. 'I think his candidacy was over before it even started. He is a pundit on television who was mostly wrong about everything he talked about.'"

Of course, Republicans are heavily interviewed in the piece with Democratic pollster Celinda Lake saying some positive things. But the rumor is that Clark won't be a candidate because he has taken some high powered job.

Brits attempt to make trade fair
The singer for Coldplay during an AOL recording session had "maketradefair.com" strategically scribbled on his left hand while he was playing piano. I had to stop and rerun it once to read the scribbling but immediately went to the site. The group is attempting to educate Brits about slave labor manufacturing and farmers who aren't able to survive against large corporate farmers. I know there are similar orgs in America but there weren't any links given. http://www.maketradefair.com

"Please Attack Appalachia"
Mike Bryan contributed a letter to the president on Common Dreams about the state of Appalachia:

"You have promised the Iraqis that they will share in the wealth of their oil. We could use some of that same sharing here. We have coal and timber that is being extracted, yet very little of the profits remain in our area. If the Iraqis are to share in the profits from their natural resources, we would like to share in the profits from ours. You have promised healthcare for all Iraqis. We could use the same thing here. Far too many of us are without health insurance and adequate access to good healthcare facilities. You have also promised to rebuild the schools in Iraq. We too have schools that need rebuilt and that need more funding. Certainly you can find a justification for attacking us. After all, Appalachia is America's third world. Terrorists are breeding everywhere. Where there is poverty there is unrest. Where there is poor education there is suspicion. Where there is neglect there is anger. As far as potential dangers go, Appalachia should be near the top of your list. Stomp out the bad before it turns thoroughly evil. Pre-emptively strike us now before it becomes too late. Do it before we make something else out of our fertilizer ingredients."

Pretty powerful stuff and pretty accurate, too. How quickly we forget that terrorists like Timothy McVeigh, a Gulf War hero, who returned to America where he couldn't find work, couldn't grow a family, and couldn't build a life. He became so disillusioned that he lashed out at the government, blowing up the Murrah Federal Building and killing and injuring hundreds of innocent people. How much longer will it be until more domestic terrorists are created?
Technically, there ARE more domestic terrorists. There are criminals who rob and steal; murder and maim, terrorizing millions of our citizens. As I have said for years, crime and disillusion is all about economics and opportunity.
And the best our government can do is pass more laws rescinding our rights, ship all of the low skill, decent wage jobs to slave states overseas, and give away the store to big business and millionaires. It really is pathetic.

American to Oversee Iraqi Oil Industry
From the Guardian/UK via Common Dreams:

"The US is preparing to install an American chairman on a planned management team of the Iraqi oil industry, providing further ammunition to critics who have questioned the Bush administration's agenda in the Middle East. The administration is planning to structure the potentially vast Iraqi oil industry like a US corporation, with a chairman and chief executive and a 15-strong board of international advisers. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, it has lined up the former chief executive of the US division of Royal Dutch/Shell, Philip Carroll, to take the job of chairman."

Well, I guess it was about oil after all. But one has to wonder if these execs will be paid like the bloated CEOs in our nation.

"Mattapan's horror ignored in Laci land"
Great Margery Eagan column in this morning's Herald although it is a pay to read column. Eagan talks about Chauntae Jones, the 14-year-old pregnant Mattapan girl who was missing for five weeks in 1999 and later found dead in a ditch.
The Herald and Boston Globe sued for the release of taped confessions from two alleged killers, one, the father of Jones' baby. The tapes were released this week. But not so amazingly, the Jones case has been ignored while at the same time the media has blanketed the news with coverage of Laci Peterson, 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart, and even before that, missing intern Chandra Levy.
"So what is the point here?" asked Eagan. "That some deaths matter more to us than others, obviously. That America, Boston -- even Mattapan, the scene of the crime -- is far more interested in middle-class, good looking, white victims and killers than an average-looking, poor, black victims and killers whose crimes, no matter how brutal, don't seem to shock us much."
Wow.

Congrats to Drew
The Inside Track in the Boston Herald is reporting that Drew O'Brien, state director for John Kerry, is the proud papa of a pair of twins: Matthew Joseph and Natalie Grace. Congratulations to him and his wife Michele.

Primary dates:
Anyone looking for the latest updates on primaries can thank our Secretary of State Bill Galvin for updating the latest map: Year 2004 Primary Dates

NH primary holds on … barely
Michigan Democrats voted today to move their primary to Saturday, Feb. 3, after being threatened by the national DNC if the state moved its primary before NH’s
["Democrats vote on presidential caucus date, new commission"]. The state will join Arizona, Delaware, Missouri, and South Carolina, holding primaries and caucuses on that date [until more changes occur].
The deal made with Michigan is that Terry McAuliffe will create a commission to study the primary system and make recommendations for changes in 2008.
At issue is whether NH is "diverse" enough. In some ways, the democrats who complain about NH’s ‘the first in the nation’ primary status have relevant points. The state is whiter and more conservative than other states. But the issue depends on how you measure “diversity” and over the last 20 years, the demographics in NH have changed.
It has become more politically moderate, with a diversity of incomes, viewpoints, ethnicities, and races, especially as Massachusetts residents have moved north.
Is Manchester as urban as Detroit? No, but that doesn’t necessarily mean letting the Michigan caucus occur before the NH primary will change anything about how the primary process works.
The problems with the primary process have nothing to do with typical complaints about diversity. The problems have everything to do with how the process is structured, not who gets to go first. The “criteria” of being a candidate – viability, electability, the money-raised, how seriously a candidate is taken by the establishment media, etc. – are the biggest problems with the primaries. Allowing Michigan or some southern states to go first, just because there are more blacks or Latinos, doesn’t fix any of these problems. As well, candidates quit too early. They assume that if they don’t win NH or Iowa they are out of it. While this is essentially true, candidates should not forget their political history.
Look at both 1976 and 1992, for instance.
In 1976, after it looked like Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter had the whole thing sewn up, Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown and Sen. Frank Church jumped into the primaries – in May no less – in an effort to stop Carter from getting a first ballot nomination. Because the primaries were spread out, and the democrats had a number of candidates with a collection of delegates who had already dropped out, Carter looked vulnerable.
In the end, neither Brown nor Church was successful. But the point is that they tried to stop Carter. Had only one of them jumped in – or one of the other liberal candidates like Sen. Fred Harris or Gov. Mo Udall hung on through May – that candidate might have succeeded by creating a coalition of dissident voices, and the past would have been a whole hell of a lot different.
In 1992, a similar thing happened: Sen. Paul Tsongas dropped out of the race in early March, handing Brown primary victories in Connecticut and Vermont, with a slim poll lead going into the April 7 New York primary. The ABC – Anyone But Clinton – crowd was fast and furiously working behind the scenes to stop a candidate they thought would be destroyed by Republicans in the final election. But instead of galvanizing behind Brown, the ABC crowd convinced Tsongas to jump back into the primary, which he did. This move – along with Brown’s solicitation of support from Jesse Jackson which angered Jewish voters – was enough to solidify victory for Clinton in New York and Wisconsin. Tsongas quickly dropped out again. But his dirty work was done: Brown’s insurgent campaign was crippled, and Clinton went on to become the nominee and president.
Check out my analysis from March 23 about how the Democratic primaries could play out next year: Woodlief 2004 piece in the Boston Herald

Bush may not make Alabama's ballot in 2004 [!]
Funny stuff here from CNN on the issue of ballot access in Alabama. The late Republican convention could keep Bush off the ballot unless the law is changed. He would have to run as a write-in. "I don't think the people know that if this doesn't pass, they won't get to vote for President Bush," - Rep. Mike Hubbard, Republican.
Gee, you think?

Been distracted ...
Quick note to readers: Sorry for the lack of updates. I have been distracted by work, gigs, and surprisingly, Ebay, where I am trying to get my hands on a cheap used mini-disc player and where I am selling some rare records. :-)

Kerry pulls ahead in NH
American Research Group, one of the better polling firms out of Manchester, is reporting that Sen. John Kerry is capturing the minds of New Hampshire voters. According to the poll, Kerry has 24 percent, with Howard Dean at 19 percent, Dick Gephardt at 15 percent, and Joe Lieberman at 13 percent. Undecideds took 19 percent in the poll. All the others trailed far behind: John Edwards 2 percent; Dennis Kucinich 1 percent; Bob Graham 1 percent; Carol Moseley Braun 1 percent; and Al Sharpton at zilch. Unannounced candidates Joe Biden and Wesley Clark both cornered 2 percent and Gary Hart also had 1 percent.

Iraq, in chaos
Company Chosen By Pentagon To Extinguish Iraqi Oil Well Fires Has History Of Supporting Terrorist Regimes Wow!
Now Free to Protest, Iraqis Complain About Americans
U.S. Inspectors Find No Forbidden Weapons at Iraqi Arms Plant
Cable's War Coverage Suggests a New 'Fox Effect' on Television
Ballots Can Keep Bullets From Flying : A Call To Register For Peace Finally, someone catches up with what I have been saying for months.
Gulf War Syndrome, The Sequel
The Corporate Tax Game

Did Saddam flee Iraq in a UFO?
UFO Roundup is reporting that Saddam may have escaped bombing with the help of alien beings! According to the latest update [Number16]

"On Sunday, April 6, 2003, at about 1 a.m. Baghdad time, five cylindrical UFOs were seen hovering over the Khulfafa mosque in the Shebab district, on the east bank of the Tigris River. The faintly luminous cylinders were "caught by a fixed, night-vision camera" and aired live on FOX (which would have been 4 p.m. Saturday, April 5, 2003 in the USA--J.T.)" [!!!]
"The 'hot gossip' in Iraq's UFO community attributes both of Saddam's incredible escapes to a group of alleged aliens hiding out in Iraq. According to this legend, a UFO crash-landed in Iraq during either Gulf War 1 in 1991 or during Operation Desert Fox in 1998. Saddam supposedly granted the aliens sanctuary in Iraq in exchange for technological information that would keep his armed forces on a par with his enemies--the USA, UK and Israel. The aliens were reportedly staying at an underground base in Zarzi or the ancient citadel of Qalaat-e-Julundi, both located in the as-Zab as-Saghir (Little Zab) river valley north of Tikrit." [!!!]
"The aliens told Saddam that they could not save his regime. However, because he had protected them from the Americans, they would show their appreciation by helping him and his family escape into space. They would not allow Saddam to fall into the hands of his enemies, the Zionists. A large UFO was summoned to Al-Ouja, and Saddam and his family departed. As to where they have fled, no one can say," Mohammed Daud al-Hayyat stated.

Wow, this stuff would make a great science fiction film.

Lieberman leads in national poll
According to politicsnh.com, a new poll released by NBC/Wall Street Journal shows Lieberman leading his opponents nationally: Lieberman 19 percent; Gephardt 14 percent; Kerry 13 percent; Edwards 4; Moseley Braun 4; Graham 3; Dean 3; Sharpton 2; Other 1; None 14; Not sure 23. The poll was taken of 241 Democrats nationwide on April 12-13. The margin of error is +/- 4 percent.
First off, national polls don't really matter very much in the scheme of things. As well, the voters can turn on a dime once the first primary votes are cast. However, the only polls that truly matter are the ones taken on Election Day.

A nation struggling ... some links to read and think about
'Support the Troops': Catch Phrase or Cop-Out Pretty interesting way to look at things here from a woman in Arizona.
Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
The second America
Occupation of Paradise Square is an illusory promise of peace This is one for the scrapbook. Wow.
Riots? Looting?
Privatization in Disguise

Ego vs. Yancey!
For those of you following Boston politics, here is a little ditty that slipped by me yesterday.
According to the Boston Herald, Ego Ezedi, an aide for Rep. Mike Capuano and assistant minister at Morningstar Baptist Church in North Dorchester will run against Charles Yancey, a 20-year Boston City Councilor. Ezedi said everything boils down to Yancey's "lack of leadership." Yancey said Ego was "entitled to his opinion." While the district has one of the lowest voting turnouts in the city, look for this to be a scorcher. Also, look for Capuano to quietly be assisting his young aide behind the scenes. Look out Charles!

Lieberman leads in New York
Politics1.com is reporting that a new independent poll released Friday shows Joe Lieberman holding a comfortable lead in New York, a key early contest state. Lieberman placed first with 21 percent, followed by Kerry and Al Sharpton (D-NY) with 10 percent apiece. Gephardt was fourth with 8 percent, followed by Gary Hart at 5 percent, Dean at 4 percent, and all the others at 2 percent or less. The Marist College poll also showed that 35 percent of NY Dems were undecided.

Media manipulates Saddam statue event?
Thanks to IndyMedia for exposing this possible travesty of truth. ["The photographs tell the story..."] Hmm, Iraqi nationals flown in to see the statue topple and then the American media reports it like it is a liberation. Oh, the propaganda.

War links
America Targeted 14,000 Sites. So Where are the Weapons of Mass Destruction?
Syria could be next, warns Washington
Where is the next regime change?
Zinn: A Kinder, Gentler Patriotism
KEEPING PEACE HARDER THAN WAGING WAR
Frenzy Over Ali, But There are Thousands of Children Like Him
The General from Mississippi: Meet the New Butcher of Baghdad

The Buying of the President 2004
The Center for Public Integrity has posted financial dirt about the presidential candidates on its new Web site for the 2004 presidential campaign: How Much Are They Worth?

So much for "fair and balanced," Part 2
Update: Strangely, Alan Colmes did not return my email. However, tonight Sean Hannity did apologize to Colmes about how he was yelling about the liberals, saying that he wasn't talking about Alan because Alan always supported the troops. But then, Hannity went into a tirade about Rep. Nancy Pelosi and I just had to shut the TV off again.

So much for "fair and balanced," Part 1
Okay, so I decided to watch "Hannity & Colmes" on FoxNews to see the two of them in a right vs. left argument about the supposed "liberation" of Baghdad today. Maybe that was my first mistake. However, usually during the program there will be at least an interesting yelling match between Sean Hannity and a liberal guest, and Alan Colmes and a conservative guest. It can be pretty interesting and informative.
But guess what?
The first guest on was Rudy Guliani, who then proceeded to join Hannity by yelling about the liberals being wrong about the war. No liberal guest.
The second guest?
That right-wing nut Michael Reagan, son of the former president and a radio talk show host. And then Hannity and Reagan again spent 10 minutes blaming liberals for everything that is wrong with the world. Again, no liberal guest.
This is "fair and balanced?" What a friggin' crock.
So, I emailed Colmes about the situation:

"Hey Alan, I am sitting here watching your show like I try to do every day and I am scratching my head wondering "What the hell is going on?" How come you have Guliani and Michael Reagan on with Sean laying into how wrong the left is and there are no counter guests to join you? This is "fair and balanced." Best, Tony"

I haven't heard back yet ... because he is still on the air.

Now, Robert McFarlane, the former National Security Advisor, is on. He worked for Reagan and was involved in the Iran/Contra scandal. A liberal guest? Nope, silence. Again, "fair and balanced?"

War links
CIA Derides Pentagon's Choice to Replace Saddam Whoa!
Looting and chaos in Baghdad
Saddam survived attack on building say British intelligence sources
CPJ condemns journalists' deaths in Iraq
The Press and the Myths of War
Republicans Want Terror Law Made Permanent There go our rights ...

More on Moore, Part 5
Earlier this week, filmmaker Michael Moore posted an interesting rant on his Web site about the backlash he has faced since reportedly being booed from the Oscar stage [My Oscar "Backlash"]
Since the Oscars, "Bowling for Columbine" attendance is up around the country; the number of theaters showing the film has increased; box office grosses are up 73 percent; the film now holds the box office record in the documentary category; there are more pre-orders for the film at amazon.com than "Chicago;" "Stupid White Men" is back at #1 on NYT bestsellers list [eighth week at #1]; almost an entire year on the list [50 weeks]; millions of Web site hits a day; offered a shot back on TV with an updated "TV Nation"/"The Awful Truth."
So much for backlash.

Howard Stern as foreign minister of Iraq?
From Jeremy on the Boston Radio Archives list:

"I wasn't exactly paying full attention to my TV, it was on with CNN in the background, and they were I beleive just starting to talk to someone, I didn't hear much of what he said, but the last thing he said, in a very professional reporter style voice, was, "There's even talk of replacing the Iraqi foreign minister with Howard Stern." It was followed by about a second of silence and the CNN anchor said "Apparently we have the wrong connection, let's go to so and so reporting from baghdad." and that was that. Did anyone else see this? It happened right around noon (Eastern Time) maybe just a little after....."

Classic.

So much going on but ...
... I only have one thing to say today. Look at this site: Regular Everday People

Army chaplain offers baptisms, baths
Oh Lord, give me strength. Thanks to Dan Kennedy for posting this on his Medialog site this morning: ["Onward Christian huckster"].
As a Christian, there is nothing more offensive in my mind than bribing people for their souls. As well, check out this quote from the article: "He calls himself a ''Southern Baptist evangelist,'' and justifies the war and killing with a verse from the Gospel of Matthew, which he often recites:

"Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's. This means we are called upon by our government to fight and that is giving unto Caesar, as the Bible tells us,'' he said."

Well, Josh, your quote has nothing to do with being called upon by your government to fight an immoral war. This scripture had to do with whether the people were to pay tribute [taxes] to Ceasar! Instead Josh, I challenge you to look at other chapters from the Book of Matthew which you may want to take to heart during your stay in Iraq [New International Version]:

5-38-42 "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you."

5-43-45 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate you enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He cause his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."

Lastly Josh, this is the most important one:

7-21-23 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"

You are not doing the work of the Lord, Josh. You are not doing the work of the Lord.

Maximum Leader: Bush is feeling the weight of the world. He should drop it.
Some pretty good common sense here from Reason. Check out this little nugget that even I missed:

"And what to make of the throwaway detail from the USA Today piece that, 'On March 17, before he delivered a 48-hour ultimatum to Saddam, Bush summoned congressional leaders to the White House. They expected a detailed briefing, but the president told them he was notifying them only because he was legally required to do so and then left the room. They were taken aback, and some were annoyed.'"

When is Congress going to get it together? They have so much power, so much clout, and they don't do jack.

In war we trust This Web log has and says it all.

Campaign 2004 updates
Well, it seems like comments by our junior senator have kicked some dust up in the 2004 presidential race. Here are some of the more detailed reactions:
Good for John Kerry Here is a pretty good post from Josh Marshall's Web log. He occasionally writes for Washington Monthly.

"The president's operatives are using the presence of an American army in the field -- Americans fighting and dying in Iraq-- not only to land a few easy shots on the president's opponents but to hit them so hard that they're afraid to hit back. Don't miss the point of this: it's to scare anyone out of uttering any criticism. And it's a cheap use of American blood."

Wow.
'Operation Cancelled Election 2004 is in play...' Pretty good piece by Rich Proctor posted to smirkingchimp.com. Check out the second to the last paragraph. Cancel the election because the nation is at war? Don't be surprised if the fascists running our nation try to pull it off.
Save Our Democracy: A Call to Action I am in the process of reading Hill's "Fixing Elections" which, unfortunately, is a tad on the boring side.
Kerry fires back Thomas from the Daily Review Web log has a transcript of Kerry's speech at the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner on Thursday in Georgia. It is worth a quick breeze through.
Kucinich planning third party run? Ron from Politics 1 is reporting that Rep. Dennis Kucinich is "slipping under the political radar" and might be considering a run as an independent, possibly as the Natural Law Party [NLP] candidate. Kucinich has received praise from both Ralph Nader and, more recently, former NLP presidential candidate John Hagelin, who has endorsed his campaign.

Edwards on C-SPAN
North Carolina Sen. John Edwards is on C-SPAN making a speech at Sen. Tom Harkin's "Hear from the Heartland" Iowa presidential forum. He said that he supports the war in Iraq and gave a number of reasons, noting that 'the oil fields in Iraq belong to the people of Iraq, not us.' This got me thinking a little bit because we have heard this line from Bush, Inc. as well. We know these clowns are "corporate socialists." They believe that big business should own the government. Why else would they allow overseas tax shelter protections to be put into the terrorism legislation? However, listen to their words. Do the people of Iraq truly own the oil fields? If they do, then they would also own the means of production, which is a plank of the Socialist Party! Will "the people of Iraq" control and benefit from the oil fields, or will they be slaves to the oil companies who will reap the majority of the benefits of drilling those oil fields? I doubt in a MILLION YEARS that "the people of Iraq" will benefit from any of this. Sure, they will be free of a madman dictator, but their living standards will not go anywhere. They will still be destitute in the desert, so to speak. The people of Iraq WILL NEVER own or control the oil fields.
Get real.

More good stuff from the foreign press
If you didn't believe it before, you have to believe it now. Americans live in a news bubble, a bubble so powerful that our populace can be whipped up into a yellow ribbon frenzy, completely blind from the facts of this immoral war. Again, thank the Lord for the Internet so you can actually read some real news.
US begins the process of 'regime change' The British understand that there needs to be a UN role. But not Bush, Rummy, and Powell. They are on a "crusade."
Cronies set to make a killing The Guardian has to be commended for touching base with some Mass. officials about Bechtel and the Big Dig. If they are allowed to rebuild Iraq, it will NEVER be finished and the cost to American taxpayers will be endless.
America is opening Pandora's Box ... and in its ignorance is preparing years of pain They are getting it in Glasglow.
US heavy-handedness baffles British

"The American infantryman controlling the checkpoint on the road to Nasiriyah
was clad in so much body armour he looked like Darth Vader ..."

Holy sh*t! US Arms Group [Carlyle Group] Heads for Lisbon
Here is just another example why the American media has its blinders on. The connection between the Carlyle Group, Osama bin Laden, and H.W. Bush is a story that has been virtually ignored. It was reported by a local Wall Street Journal reporter just after Sept. 11. Michael Moore is thinking about doing a documentary on the subject. Now, the group is being brought in to rebuild Iraq. Unbelievable. I will try to find the text from the WSJ article and post it later on this week.

Praise the Lord for the British press
Here are just two examples why I am thankful to have the Internet so I can read some of the news from overseas. First off, there is this report from Patrick Nicholson [The cans and buckets are empty and people are desperate]

"[Umm Qasr] is not under control. It's like the Wild West, and even the most serious humanitarian concern, water, is not being adequately administered."

While we are being bombarded by cowboy video games and commentary by out-of-work generals, the Iraqi people suffer. Yet, we wouldn't know without the Internet.
Then, there is this: Turf War Rages in Washington Over Who Will Rule Iraq
Here we are, worrying about our families and friends dying for oil, and our leaders are gleefully wringing their hands over the spoils. It is sickening and further proves what Kerry said is true: Regime change begins at home.

Manipulation of a headline
On Thursday, I was a bit surprised to hear an interview with Terry Hughes on Howie Carr's show: [Public radio station fires host: Terry Hughes voiced views on war during his show at EMU]. Hughes has become a darling of the conservative-influenced media, always looking for more proof of bias. What could be better than a music host fired for "supporting the troops, Bush?" It is a chickenhawk's wet dream.
The problem is that it isn't true: Hughes was fired - not for his views - but for refusing to run NPR newcasts, and for "denigrating National Public Radio" on the air. He admitted on Carr's show that he repeatedly attacked what he felt was NPR's anti-war, anti-Bush broadcasts. But let's be honest here: If any of us went off on management - live on the air - we'd be fired too. Can anyone say, Jim Hightower? It's too bad. His music show sounded pretty interesting.

Eddie Vedder, Part 2

Pearl Jam Reads Reporter Riot Act The band has issued a statement about the handful of people who complained about Eddie's rant. Keep on rockin' in the free world ... while it is still free.

Late war links

Before I get to today's war links, I would like to say that I have been almost totally war-free today ... and frankly, it has been quite nice. Instead, I worked on putting together next week's newspaper. Along the way, I interviewed second-graders writing home made cards to the soldiers fighting the war. I then spent two hours playing DJ, came home from the radio station, cooked din-din, and did some band business. I tried listening to talk radio while cooking, but that idiot Howie Carr was going on about the "Stalinist sodomites at the New York Times." I shut it off just as quickly as I turned it on. I then put the news on for a bit, and learned that Baghdad was without power and watch as CNN broadcast explosion flashes through night vision scopes. Frankly, I am getting sick of it all. I may just have to keep the radio and television off until the war ends. I really just don't care.

U.S. Says 320 Iraqi Troops Killed in Airport Battle
Waiting to remake Iraq "Wolfowitz of Arabia ..." Yeah, I figured that.
U.S.: Iran will infiltrate 5 Iraqi cities ust laying the ground work ...
Kerry says US needs its own 'regime change' Is Kerry starting to get it or is this just politics?
Some Critical Media Voices Face Censorship More great analysis from FAIR. What liberal media?
Anti-war activists picket Fox News
Halliburton, Dick Cheney, and Wartime Spoils
War profits: Perle's conniving
Nader: Puzzling Questions Arise from Bush's Campaign of Fear
Pearl Jam drives off concert fans with Bush bashing No dissent in Ashcroft's America. Enjoy it while you still have it Eddie.

War links
Iran next on W's list: Nukes program will get U.S. attention after Iraq war Preemptive wars are never going to end.
Strains of war test the allies
Money, Politics And War
Honesty: The Worst Policy
WHITE HOUSE TO END DRUGS & TERROR ADS: Also Stops Study That Found Campaign Wasn't Working Thank God. These ads were so obnoxious and frankly, a big lie.
Dixie Chicks Get Support From Al Gore Ever since Al Gore decided not to run for president again he has turned into a human being. Amazing.

US draws up secret plan to impose regime on Iraq Let's hope this story comes out in the American press ... but I doubt it will.