Prostitution is alive and well in Raleigh

Thanks to your General Assembly, your tax dollars will now be used to pay billboard owners five times their annual income when they're ordered to take down a billboard.

How do I know this is a give away to one industry? I'll let Joe Hackney, D-Orange, who is far too good for the NC General Assembly, explain it:

Hackney also said the bill singles out the billboard industry for favor, noting that it doesn't require governments to pay land owners who lose rent when a sign is taken down.

"That tells you what this bill is about," he said.

I'd love to see the correlation of campaign contributions to votes on this one.

[heavily edited to remove ranting]

Krugman: Who Lost Iraq?

Krugman files a scathing piece on the seemingly doomed occupation of Iraq. . .

"Let's say the obvious. By making Iraq a playground for right-wing economic theorists, an employment agency for friends and family, and a source of lucrative contracts for corporate donors, the administration did terrorist recruiters a very big favor."

How much more does Kerry need?

From Cnn.com:

The poll, based on interviews with 1,005 adult Americans, was conducted by telephone June 21 through June 23.

A Kerry-Edwards ticket either satisfied or made 80 percent of the Democrats enthusiastic, along with 62 percent of Republicans.

Mr. Vice President, your pants are on fire...

Jon Stewart demolishes the Vice President.

Thanks to Doug McDaniel, from the comments on Federal Review.

Divide and conquer?

The Republican Party's dream for many years has been to use wedge social issues, on which many African Americans are markedly closer to positions described as "conservative" than is the Democratic Party, to split off some black votes from the Democrats.

This story in the Raleigh News & Observer indicates they may have some success on the issue of gay marriage and social acceptance of homosexuals, at least insofar as the church mentioned in that article is concerned.

If the Republican Party wishes to appeal to folks like that particular minister, who has decided that his religio-political beliefs should trump all others, and that no others should even be discussed in a public forum, then more power to them. Somewhere, Vernon Robinson is smiling.

Watch the President lose his cool . . .

on Irish Television, about 21 minutes into this clip, observe a real journalist at work (although whew, what an overbite).

The President slips repeatedly into lecturing the woman, and many many recitations of "let me finish!" result.

Oops...

Economic growth slower than originally stated in first quarter. 3.9% is still pretty good, but it's not 4.4%, and as with so many other pronouncements in the last three years, that one was wrong and has been, ahem, restated.

Think this one will lead news coverage tonight, the way the 4.4% figure did?

Aw man, now I have to clean the coffee off my screen...

"A lake is beautiful. People go there to relax and meditate and enjoy their family. It's everything Jesse Helms stands for."

Congressman Walter "Freedom Fries" Jones, on why Raleigh's Falls Lake should be renamed in Helms's honor.

Okay, now this is pretty funny:

Political Wire's Quote of the Day, from Ahnold.

Another comparison

'Nuff said.

The cool kids won't ask you this one, but we will...

That's right. John Kerry is a bass player. That officially transforms him from "stiff and kinda dorky" to "moody, self-reflective, and cool." That's it. Kerry needs to stop trying to be John Kennedy, and start trying to be John Entwistle.

Seriously, the dude is pretty cool. Can you imagine George W. Bush laying down a riff like the one on "Yellow Jacket", found here? Courtesy of Electrasrockandrollband.com and Kerryrocks.com.

Cheney = liar

Thanks to The Apostropher:

Transcript, CNBC’s "Capital Report," June 17, 2004

Gloria Borger: Well, let’s get to Mohammed Atta for a minute, because you mentioned him as well. You have said in the past that it was quote, "pretty well confirmed."

Vice President Cheney: No, I never said that.

BORGER: OK.

Vice Pres. CHENEY: Never said that.

BORGER: I think that is...

Vice Pres. CHENEY: Absolutely not.


Transcript, NBC’s "Meet the Press," December 9, 2001.

Vice-President Cheney: "It’s been pretty well confirmed that he did go to Prague and he did meet with a senior official of the Iraqi intelligence service in Czechoslovakia last April."

But hey, who's paying attention? Certainly not the ever-compliant Ms. Borger, who let herself get pushed around and didn't stick the damn quote up on the wall and call the Vice President of the United States on his latest blatant untruth.

Lord, won't you please send us some actual journalists? Please?

By the way, here's what Republican Thomas Kean, chair of the 9/11 Commission said about the alleged meeting on Meet the Press, June 17, 2004: "We have no evidence that that occurred. In fact, we have some evidence that we think Mohammed Atta was actually in this country at that time.

MATTHEWS: That's the paper trail evidence, right?

KEAN: Yes."

Consequences of Conservative Activism

The Supreme Court of the United States, in the Hillbell case today ruled that a person has no right to refuse to give his identity to a police officer, and may be arrested for such refusal.

I am going to read this decision tonight and comment later, but how far is it from this decision to "your papers please"?

This is just weird

Congressmen crown Rev. Moon, who calls himself "the second coming" in ceremony held in Senate office building.

All together now: "What the f...!????"

Thanks for your application, Tom. No thanks...

MSNBC reports disturbing news about Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, reportedly under consideration as Veep. I haven't read the statute in question, but if he willingly signed something like what Vernon Robinson is preaching here, then he should just go on back to Iowa and forget being on the ticket of the Democratic Party.

Gov. Tom Vilsack, a potential vice presidential candidate, signed a measure two years ago declaring English the state’s official language. That could hurt his chances of joining the Democratic ticket.

Maybe it's just me, but in an election that could hinge nearly exclusivelky on the Democratic Party's ability to carry Florida, Arizona, and New Mexico, I don't want a VP candidate who will spark well-justified opposition from Latino voters.

No.

It has to be Edwards.

The Plain Truth

The plain truth it may be, but it's old news. No one who's been truly paying attention can be surprised at the 9/11 commission's "revelation" that there has never been any evidence of a connection between Al Qaeda and Iraq. Nor should anyone be shocked by the conclusion that the Bush administration knew that no such connection existed when it sought to justify the invasion of Iraq to the American people as part of a global battle against terrorism.

Further, it is certainly logical to conclude, as did the author of the linked editorial, that the commission's findings lead to two alternatives: One, that Mr. Bush knew his claims were false, or two, that he was acting out of "politically motivated self-deception."

Unfortunately, there is a third alternative; specifically, that Mr. Bush is a dangerously misguided religious zealot who truly believes that his actions are directed by God. To ascribe purely political motivations to Mr. Bush's decision to invade Iraq assumes too much of this remarkably incurious and intellectually limited man. Clearly, Mr. Bush often acts in the interests of maintaining his office, but taken as a whole, the domestic and foreign policies of this administration clearly indicate a man driven primarily by religious ideology.

Certainly, Mr. Bush has his political motivations, and he's obviously surrounded and influenced by incompetent pawns of the oil and defense industries motivated by personal greed. And yes, he's capable of lying, and of a certain political "self-deception" as well. But, underlying almost all major policy decisions of this administration, from the ridiculous stem cell research "compromise" to the shameful positions regarding funding and aid to HIV research groups, to the overt efforts to undermine the separation of church and state, is the consistent agenda of a Christian fundamentalist, and the war on Iraq is in large part an extension of this philosphy.

In Mr. Bush's mind, he's on a mission from God. And that, is the plain truth.

Farenheit 9/11

Name the news organization that wrote this review:

But once "F9/11" gets to audiences beyond screenings, it won't be dependent on celebrities for approbation. It turns out to be a really brilliant piece of work, and a film that members of all political parties should see without fail.

As much as some might try to marginalize this film as a screed against President George Bush, "F9/11" — as we saw last night — is a tribute to patriotism, to the American sense of duty — and at the same time a indictment of stupidity and avarice.

Yeah, that's right. Fox News.

Hefty hefty hefty

From Political Wire comes this interesting tidbit:

Is there a connection between weight and politics? This chart and these statistics from the CDC show that, with the exception of the mountain states region, states with higher obesity rates tend to vote Republican.

Has anyone checked McDonald's-related political giving? Could the Supersize fry be a Republican plot to convert voters?

Dang. I'd better go run tonight.

This just in: Osama wins

One of the main goals of Al Qaeda in general and Osama bin Laden in particular is to drive Americans from Saudi Arabia.

The United States Government just acquiesced to that demand.

The U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia traveled to this oil-industry city Monday with a message for Americans in the kingdom: Go home. We cannot protect you.

Add that nice bit of confidence-boosting to the April 15, 2004 State Department travel warning -

The Department of State warns U.S. citizens to defer travel to Saudi Arabia. Private American citizens currently in Saudi Arabia are strongly urged to depart.

So, class, let's review. Under the leadership of President George W. Bush, America:

was attacked on 9/11 leading to the deaths of nearly 3,000 American civilians on home soil,
responded by declaring a "never ending" War on a tactic, instead of on an entity or state,
put too few soldiers into the war in Afghanistan,
ignored the problem of Wahabism in Saudi Arabia,
invaded Iraq, provoking a world-wide increase in terror attacks,
lied about those attacks in an official report ,
tortured and sexually molested prisoners of war,
employed Justice Department lawyers to ignore international law and to justify such treatment as a Presidential prerogative,
held American citizens without legal counsel or charges,
lied to the Supreme Court about that treatment,


AND NOW

has done exactly what Osama bin Laden wanted us to do in the first place.

Yes, we really should re-elect this man. He's done so well...

Ron Reagan, Jr.

What he said:

Big as he was, he never tried to make anyone feel small. Powerful as he became, he never took advantage of those who were weaker. Strength, he believed, was never more admirable than when it was applied with restraint. Shopkeeper, doorman, king or queen, it made no difference, dad treated everyone with the same unfailing courtesy. Acknowledging the innate dignity in us all.
...

Dad was also a deeply, unabashedly religious man. But he never made the fatal mistake of so many politicians wearing his faith on his sleeve to gain political advantage. True, after he was shot and nearly killed early in his presidency, he came to believe that God had spared him in order that he might do good. But he accepted that as a responsibility, not a mandate. And there is a profound difference.

All things said and done...

Putting politics aside for the briefest of instances, I would like to say that the funeral of Ronald W. Reagan was handled with the class and dignity befitting the office which he once occupied. Margaret Thatcher's eulogy was, I think, the perfect expression of admiration for this truly significant man.

I simply cannot agree with her opinion that his policies while President were an expression of God's light, but I can accept that her words perfectly encapsulated the reason people from all walks of life admired and loved Ronald Reagan.

The music selections, especially what I believe was Wilhousky's arrangement of The Battle Hymn of the Republic, were outstanding. We should all be lucky enough to have the Marine Band perform at our funeral.

In all respect, I wish the Reagan family well and hope they can achieve some measure of peace and rest. The length of the goodbye doesn't make it any easier, I am sure. For the rest of us, media overkill aside, I hope that in reflecting on the better angels of this man's nature, we do not forget to view him as he was - a complex man with a complex record who did strive to achieve great - but not necessarily always good - things. There is no doubt that he made his mark on the country and on the world. We should leave it to those more removed from the immediate effects than we to determine history's judgment.

Rest in peace, Mr. President.

Count on a Bush to politicize a funeral

George H.W. Bush:

The New York Times wrote, "People in 100 years will thank God that FDR was in the White House." Well, it won't take 100 years to thank God for Ronald Reagan.

Nice, Poppy. Real nice.

Rhenquist, Scalia and Thomas: Conservative Champions of States' Rights. . .

unless, of course, it's politically inconvenient.

Ray Charles dead

Ray Charles died today. His first hit was in 1949, at the age of nineteen, and 55 years later, he could still fill a venue and rock with the best of them.

He invented soul music - as defined as a blend of gospel and R&B - with "I Got a Woman" in 1954, which climbed the charts to #2. He had innumerable hits over the years, and if you can listen to his version of "America the Beautiful" without crying, well, you need to re-adjust your priorities in life.

Goodbye, Mr. Charles, and thank you.

Oh, it's cryin' time again, you're gonna leave me
I can see that far away look in your eyes
I can tell by the way you hold me darlin' Oooh
That it won't be long before it's cryin' time

Now they say that absence makes the heart grow fonder (fonder)
And that tears are only rain to make love grow
Well my love for you could never grow no stronger (stronger)
If I lived to be a hundred years old

Oh, it's cryin' time again, you're gonna leave me
I can see that far away look in your eyes
I can tell by the way you hold me darlin'. Yeah now
That it won't be long before it's cryin' time

Now you say you've found someone that you love better (better)
That's the way it's happened every time before
And as sure as the sun comes up tomorrow ('morrow)
Cryin' time will start when you walk out the door

Oh, it's cryin' time again, you're gonna leave me
I can see that far away look in your eyes
I can tell by the way you hold me darlin'. Alright now
That it won't be long before it's cryin' time
(That it won't be long before it's cryin' time)

Nancy Reagan rebuffed by Bush on eve of funeral

While using her husband's image at every turn to try and make a buck, the Bush Administration is stiffing the 40th President's long-suffering widow by refusing to consider the repeal of his nonsensical directive banning the production of additional stem-cell lines for Alzheimer's research.

And he's not even man enough to do it himself. While he essentially carries around a cardboard cutout of Reagan to place beside him at photo-ops, he send his wife out to do the dirty work:

But Mrs. Bush said she did not endorse Nancy Reagan's call, already rebuffed by the White House, to allow greater stem cell research to proceed in the hope it would provide some answers to the disease or possibly a cure.

The Bush administration has placed restrictions on embryonic stem cell research and opposes using stem cells from most embryos, a stand Mrs. Bush said she supported.

"There are stem cells to do research on and ... we have to be really careful between what we want to do for science and what we should do ethically," the first lady said. "Stem cell ... is certainly one of those issues that we need to treat very carefully."

Pressed on whether she was prepared to endorse Mrs. Reagan's impassioned call for restrictions to be lifted, she replied, "No."

Compassionate Conservatism indeed.

Meanwhile...

While the nation's outpouring of genuine and not-so-genuine grief continues, we should remind the country that the man currently sitting in Ronald Reagan's chair, has put together a governmental team that gives advice like this:

"The president, despite domestic and international laws constraining the use of torture, has the authority as commander in chief to approve almost any physical or psychological actions during interrogation, up to and including torture."

and

To protect subordinates should they be charged with torture, the memo advised that Mr. Bush issue a "presidential directive or other writing" that could serve as evidence, since authority to set aside the laws is "inherent in the president."

This was written by the same crack legal team in the Solicitor General's Office that later assure dthe Supreme Court that "[i]t's . . . the judgment of those involved in this process [of interrogating POW's and enemy combatants] that the last thing you want to do is torture somebody or try to do something along those lines." (Deputy Solicitor General Clement - during oral argument in the Padilla and Hamdi cases).

Nah. These people are just good folks. No reason to mistrust them. None at all. Move along. Nothing to see here. Look! It's the Petersen trial! Hey! Michael Jackson! No need to publish anything else... Move along. Your rights are intact. We promise...

The Cranberry Incident

The world of the almost-three-year-old is one where magic is real, Muppets are alive, and bugs are the most interesting things.

It is also where cranberries are autonomous.

The doctor, to my son: "So, Duncan, what do you have in your nose?"

Says Duncan, cheerily: "A cranberry! I was just watching TV, and it went up there." As if it were the most natural thing in the world to all of a sudden have a cranberry stuck in your nose.

All is well - the doctor removed the transgressing Vaccinium macrocarpon and Duncan is no worse for wear, although he is far less likely now to shove things up his nose.

Amusing "The Note" story of the week

GOPers from swingy West Virginia have adopted an "anti-abortion, pro-gun, pro-business, anti-taxes, anti-gambling and pro-death penalty," platform that they say will attract Democrats, according to Phil Kabler over at The Charleston Gazette

In other news - Democrats in California have adopted a "pro-choice, anti-gun, pro-estate tax, pro-environmental regulation, anti-death penalty platform, which calls for the legalization of marijuana and prostitution and the end of prayers before legislative meetings," which should really attract Evangelical Southern Baptists...

Adam Felber

Equal opportunity satire from Adam Felber, circa 1/2004:

Despite his Iowa freak out and the fact that he's now trailing John Kerry by a couple of points in New Hampshire, Dean still holds a strong position in the polls, even widening his margin against some of the others in the past two days. This fact was not lost on his fellow candidates.

- In Manchester, Joe Lieberman was quick to point out that he himself has a rougher, wilder side. "I'm not perfect either. I have been known, on occasion, to raise my voice. I sometimes shoot from the hip as well. I go out without a hat in extremely chilly weather. And I don't particularly like golden retrievers, even the puppies. See? I'll say things like that. Because I'm real."

- "I'm also a deeply, deeply flawed man," said General Wesley Clark, stumping in Concord. "I have a bad temper, an attitude, and I have some personal habits that are frankly disgusting. It's hard for people to get close to me, and when they do they usually end up getting hurt. I'm afraid of double decker buses. And it's that kind of real-ness that going to help me beat George Bush in November."

- In Nashua, John Edwards quickly rose to the challenge. "Hell, I'm crazy. I'm a fast-talkin', rebel-yellin' Southern sumnabitch and I don't care WHO knows it. That's how I'm going to beat George Bush - 'cuz I'm real. I drool at night, wear mismatched socks, drink and yell and whoop it up every Saturday night until my kids cry with fear. Because I'm real, not some over-styled overly careful Yankee robot. Woof, as they say. Yeeeeha!"

- "Are you kidding me?" asked Dennis Kucinich rhetorically during a stump speech at a Manchester gas station. "I'm twice as flawed as any of those guys. I destroy everything I touch, can't communicate my ideas, and lash out at anyone who comes near me. What you see is what you get, and that kind of genuineness is the only thing that can beat George Bush. Realness.

"I'll tell you everything about me, straight up. I wake up every morning weeping and vomiting, I steal things from drugstores, little things, just to see if I can get away with it. I cut myself so I can feel alive, if only for a moment, and I still have strong sexual feelings for my mommy that I know are wrong but I just can't help it. Sometimes I just wanna blow myself up and take everyone with me... that's what makes me the only candidate real enough to beat George Bush."

"Where was I?" mused Kucinich to a frightened and dwindling crowd, "Oh yeah - I have awful breath, I'm terrified of Swedes, I torment small animals that I catch in my yard. Wait, wait, there's more..."

Obit

From Adam Felber, an obit for Ronald Reagan.

Reagan preached a simple, easy message: Smaller government, less taxes. He delivered on the latter, and if the result was higher deficits, it was because of Reagan's higher calling. While managing the economy into better, prouder times, he also singlehandedly caused the downfall of the Soviet Union, freed the American hostages from Tehran, and gave Americans something to believe in again, and this was the secret to his enormous popularity.

Read the rest.

Southern California mourning

I don't have much time to post about this, but I wanted to get something down before I forgot it. I just had lunch in a restaurant here in Raleigh, and I had the rather surreal experience of watching the funeral procession in Southern California on the TV over the bar.

Almost exactly 10 years ago, during another NBA Finals in another hot June, I had a similar experience, as I sat in a restaurant in DC and listened to Tom Brokaw discuss the "Shakespearean tragedy" of O.J. Simpson's long slow run from the LAPD.

Have we come to this in America? Will the iconic image of the death of a beloved (by many) figure become not the pomp and ceremony of a State Funeral, but a slow-speed chase through the freeways of Los Angeles? I half expected to have CNN break in with a cell-phone call and hear "this is A.C. - I have Nancy in the limo..."

The similarity is eerie: the hearse is accompanied by sirens and flashing lights and motorcycle cops zoom by on the emptied freeway, as traffic in the opposing lane stops dead, and CNN anchors drone on endlessly without actually adding any facts to the discussion. The same helicopters hover overhead like bees, while Southern Californians who evidently are drawn like flies to televised events on the freeways, crowd the bridges and sell Tshirts to commemorate the occasion.

It's quite sad.

Am I the only one to have noticed the parallels?

Vinroot

In the N&O this morning:

"I led my city out of recession by holding the line on taxes and cutting waste," Vinroot says in one spot. "As a result, we created 30,000 new jobs. That's what I want to do for North Carolina."

...and just after that, the horse and buggy was replaced by the automobile, and the Wright Brothers finally flew...

How long until this guy realizes his time has passed?

So glad they won't exploit this...

Received from the Bush Campaign:

Dear John,

America has lost one of its greatest leaders. President Reagan's optimism and vision restored America's spirit and helped to spread freedom and democracy.

On behalf of President Bush's campaign I would like to offer our sincerest condolences to Nancy Reagan and the Reagan family. Our nation mourns with you.

In this time of mourning, I encourage you to go to www.GeorgeWBush.com to read some of President Reagan's greatest speeches.

Sincerely,

Marc Racicot
Chairman,
Bush-Cheney '04

The next letter will say: "Help George W. Bush continue Reagan's legacy - donate here." Then the next one will say "John Kerry fought Ronald Reagan every step of the way. Help President Reagan's legacy by fighting against John Kerry. GIVE NOW!!"

Statement from Senator John Kerry

For Immediate Release

June 5, 2004


Statement from Senator John Kerry on the Death of Ronald Reagan

Boston, MA - Senator John Kerry released the following statement today:

"Ronald Reagan's love of country was infectious. Even when he was breaking Democrats hearts, he did so with a smile and in the spirit of honest and open debate. Despite the disagreements, he lived by that noble ideal that at 5pm we weren't Democrats or Republicans, we were Americans and friends. President Reagan and Tip O'Neill fought hard and honorably on many issues, and sat down together to happily swap jokes and the stories of their lives. The differences were real, but because of the way President Reagan led, he taught us that there is a big difference between strong beliefs and bitter partisanship.

"He was the voice of America in good times and in grief. When we lost the brave astronauts in the Challenger tragedy, he reminded us that, 'Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue.'

"Now, his own journey has ended-a long and storied trip that spanned most of the American century-and shaped one of the greatest victories of freedom. Today in the face of new challenges, his example reminds us that we must move forward with optimism and resolve. He was our oldest president, but he made America young again.

"Our prayers are with his family, and the wife he loved in a way all the world could see. And to the end, she loved him with courage and complete devotion. She helped all of us better understand the cruel disease that took him away before it took his life, and what we must do to prevent and cure it.

"Teresa and I and our family extend our deepest sympathies to Nancy Reagan and the Reagan family. Today, from California to Maine - 'from sea to shining sea' - Americans will bow their heads in prayer and gratitude that President Reagan left such an indelible stamp on the nation he loved."

Quick, what is the main news in this story?

Is it "Veterans prefer Bush" or "Public prefers Kerry 49-41"?

You decide. And then tell me about how "liberal "CBS News is.

Bush's Erratic Behavior Worries White House Aides

More worrisome news out of the White House according to this Capitol Blue article that purports to quote White House aides and staffers. If all of this is true, be thankful that you live in a democracy. Be thankful in any event. My favorite quote:

"West Wing staffers call Bush and Ashcroft “the Blues Brothers” because “they’re on a mission from God.”"

Now that's priceless.

Fourth Estate Failing: An Eye On Power

Read this excellent speech on TomPaine.com by Bill Moyers. Moyers details how the media has severely curtailed regular reporting on the Federal government, while local affairs receive almost no airtime at all. Moyers rightly blames lust for the almighty dollar - and unprecedented government secrecy. . .

"We know what happens when robust journalism bites the dust. The Pew report tells of examples like Cumberland, Md., where the police reporter had so many duties piled upon him he no longer had time to go to the police station for the daily reports. But newspaper management had a cost-saving solution: put a fax machine in the police station and let cops send over the news they thought the paper should have. The report by Pew includes a 1999 survey that showed a massive retreat in coverage of key departments and agencies in Washington, including the Supreme Court and the State Department. At the Social Security Administration, whose activities literally affect every American, only The New York Times was maintaining a full-time reporter. At the Interior Department, which controls five to six hundred million acres of public land and looks after everything from the National Park Service to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, there were no full-time reporters around.

That's right here in Washington. Out across the country there is simultaneously a near blackout of local politics by broadcasters. The public interest group Alliance for Better Campaigns studied 45 stations in six cities in one week in October. Out of 7,560 hours of programming analyzed, only 13 were devote to local public affairs—less than one-half of one percent of local programming nationwide."

Fahrenheit 9/11 Trailer

Great trailer for what I'm sure will be a great film. Hope it's shown in Raleigh. . .

Bush lawyers up

George W. Bush, President of the United States, has hired a lawyer to defend him in the Valerie Plame investigation. In other words, the FBI is getting too close for comfort, and like a character actor cowering from an Andy Sipowicz beating, the President has lawyered up.



So says NPR: "The White House confirms that President Bush has contacted a private attorney in case he needs representation in a grand jury investigation into who leaked a CIA officer's identity to journalists."

Honor and integrity, baby.

UPDATE It gets worse. If this story in Capitol Hill Blue is true, Georgie Porgie is in up to his eyeballs in a lot more than Puddin' and Pie.

Witnesses told a federal grand jury President George W. Bush knew about, and took no action to stop, the release of a covert CIA operative's name to a journalist in an attempt to discredit her husband, a critic of administration policy in Iraq.

Their damning testimony has prompted Bush to contact an outside lawyer for legal advice because evidence increasingly points to his involvement in the leak of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame's name to syndicated columnist Robert Novak.

The move suggests the president anticipates being questioned by prosecutors. Sources say grand jury witnesses have implicated the President and his top advisor, Karl Rove.

Bush: Chalabi who?

"My meetings with him were very brief," Bush said. "I mean, I think I met with him at the State of the Union and just kind of working through the rope line, and he might have come up with a group of leaders. But I haven't had any extensive conversations with him."

Shameless. Truly shameless. Even Tom Friedman called the President out on this one on Imus this morning.

Hey George, he sat NEXT TO YOUR WIFE at the State of the Union. You had dinner with him in Iraq. Besides that, it doesn't matter if YOU had extensive meetings with him - your administration did - and it based pretty much its entire invasion rationale and strategy on the word of a two-bit swindler, embezzler and wanted fugitive.

I'm glad the grown-ups are in charge, aren't you?

Kerry speaks out on Nuclear Terrorism

John Kerry gave a thoughtful and insightful speech yesterday on the dangers of nuclear terrorism and the surprising lack of preparedness in the United States for such a threat. It is an important issue and a clear political gauntlet thrown at the feet of the Bush Administration, which seems to think it can run unopposed on terrorism issues.

This is clearly an issue of substantial import to both the current political race and our very survival. How long will it be before someone in our media remarks on Kerry's choice of a tan suit?

Shrub withering in the summer heat

Not a good news day for the Shrub and his handlers:

The Washington Post has a nice analysis of his weak management style;

The New York Times is reporting on the Chalabi blunder;

The Boston Globe is reporting more allegations of Halliburton malfeasance by the Dick;

Variety is reporting that Palme d'Or winner Farenheit 9/11 has locked in a distribution deal (6/25 release); and

CBS has released some video showing just how pleasant Bush's Enron buddies are.

Did I mention it's not even noon on the east coast?

Chalabi Reportedly Told Iran That U.S. Had Code

Remember when good old Ahmad Chalabi was the most favored son of Iraq to the neo-cons running the Bush Administration? This despite many printed warnings about his corrupt past. The President used this man's "intelligence" to justify the invasion of Iraq. He was put in a position of power and apparently given access to classified information. And now the idiots running this country realize what they've done: climbed another rung on the ladder of incompetence. They trusted Ken Lay, they trusted Ahmed Chalabi: why should you trust them?

Franken beats Limbaugh

Salon's "War Room" metablog has this beautiful story:


Arbitron shocker: Franken beats Limbaugh

Talk radio novice Al Franken's new Air America show beat conservative kingpin Rush Limbaugh in New York City where the two go head-to-head every weekday afternoon from noon to three o'clock. That's according to preliminary Arbitron rating estimates for April.

Franken and the rest of Air America's 10 a.m-to-3 p.m lineup grabbed a 3.4 rating among listeners age 25-to-54. By contrast, Limbaugh who has been the most highly rated political talk show host in America for the last decade, and who is heard in New York on talk radio powerhouse WABC, lead the station to just a 3.2 rating. There's more (although the Times forgot to mention it): Among listeners 18-to-34, Franken and WLIB won in a knockout, garnering a 2.9 ratings share compared to WABC's dismal 0.4 showing.

While the financial and technical difficulties that have besieged Air America from the getgo are cause for concern, at least the old canard that liberals can't do radio has been put to bed and shot.

Franken is better informed, more consistently funny and has better guests than Limbaugh ever thought of having. Where you put a liberal alternative on the radio, the ratings will be there, and in the right demographic group, too.

One more thing: Franken is not doing his radio show while high on painkillers.