Mark A. Kilmer's Political Annotation

Kerry Plans to Define Self, II

But the Colorado Rocky Mountain high
I’ve seen it rainin’ fire in the sky
The shadow from the starlight is softer than a lullaby
Rocky Mountain high (high Colorado) Rocky Mountain high (high Colorado)

Mitt Romney and Capital Punishment

One of the major recommendations is raising the bar for a death penalty sentence from the normal legal standard of guilt "beyond a reasonable doubt" to a finding of "no doubt about the defendant's guilt." The commission has also proposed that a defendant in a capital case be given the option of facing two separate juries -- one to try him and, if he is convicted, a second to sentence him.

About Ted Rall

Saleh is Out

Their initial choice, who outraged victims of the Baathist regime because of past service in Saddam's feared Republican Guard, said he was stepping aside, leaving command of the new Falluja Brigade to former intelligence officer Mohammed Latif.

Vets Say Kerry is "Unfit"

Hundreds of former commanders and military colleagues of presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry are set to declare in a signed letter that he is "unfit to be commander-in-chief." They will do so at a press conference in Washington on Tuesday.

A soldier can kill. A soldier can be killed. It is a special employment, and it must not be considered, for the purposes of winning a war, with the terms used for civilians in peacetime.

Mr. Kerry voted not to fund those troops, thus denying them the rights of soldiers.

He is unfit to be Commander in Chief.

Dodd to seek reelection

Dodd said when he ran for re-election six years ago the economy was strong, the United States had good relations with foreign countries and the country had made strides in health care and education.

Dodd said he was seeking a record fifth term to "protect against the radical and reckless path the Bush administration is putting this country on."

New Judson Cox Column

Approximately 90% of black Americans vote only for Democrats. However, a few decades ago blacks were more likely to vote for the party of Abraham Lincoln than for the party essentially founded by the Ku Klux Klan. Democrats by day/Klansmen by night, like Robert Byrd, Bull Conner and George Wallace were racist segregationists who wielded dogs, fire hoses and clubs in the civil rights battles. [MORE]

Attacking the Catholic Church

The few policy-makers who have been punished or attacked [by the church for their pro-abort beliefs] have not changed their views, and instead have been perceived as more sympathetic candidates, winning elections even when they were the underdogs.

But something has changed in the Vatican and among conservative Catholics: No longer are they simply anti-abortion, they are now Bush Republicans. Like their earlier counterparts in the Moral Majority and the Christian Coalition, winning elections has become more important than practicing good theology. They know that the Catholic vote will play a critical swing role in the 2004 election, and they hope to deliver that vote to George W. Bush. A Catholic Democrat is a serious obstacle to that goal.

Warren Buffet and JF Kerry

"I have only had one talk to John Kerry who called me three weeks ago and said would I work on an economic council with Roger Altman and Bob Rubin [Treasury secretaries in the Clinton administration] and some others and I said yes and that's about it," said Mr Buffett.

"I have not had any meetings yet but I expect I will receive calls asking me to endorse a policy of some sort or another."

"I think the election will be a referendum on George Bush," said Mr Buffett at the close of his annual shareholder meeting in Omaha. "The Kerry campaign is quite unimportant compared to how people feel about Bush when they go into the voting booth."

Buffett said he has become an economic adviser to Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. He said President George W. Bush's tax cuts are ``tilted toward the rich.

``I've got way more money in my pocket because of the tax change and I don't think it's a good idea,'' he said.

The Fight is Not Over?

Kerry plans to define self

The new ad campaign featuring his biography and platform includes substantial ventures into two Republican-leaning states.

[ . . . ]
The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the two new ads -- one that focuses on aspects of Kerry's life such as his Vietnam service and another that talks primarily about his top issues -- also will run on national cable networks.

KOFI ANNAN MEETS THE PRESS

Who will be the Democratic nominee?

Thomas Hamill

A Conspiracy of "Embedded Operatives"

The only war that the Bush administration is fighting with great skill and imagination, aided by wisdom gleaned from past experience, is the war against John Kerry's Vietnam war (and anti-war) record. Bush has had practice: All his previous major national opponents (John McCain and Al Gore) have been Vietnam vets.

Unlike in Iraq, President Bush has the help of embedded operatives throughout the country, locals willing to be even more gung-ho in the viciousness of their attacks than Bush himself. His troops also include his closest White House confidants, including Vice President Dick Cheney and Bush's language-nanny Karen Hughes. They've been sent out to snap and snarl at Kerry.

Rieckhoff on This Week

The Sunday RSN is LIVE

Heard on CNN's Late Edition

Saleh "will not be the head"

The Sunday Morning Talk Shows

The Times digs Koppel

When "Nightline" could not obtain a portrait, the show ran a Department of Defense photograph of flag-covered coffins at Dover Air Force Base, one of many such images that were published over the objections of the Bush administration.

Not all conservatives agreed. "Your decision to deny your viewers an opportunity to be reminded of war's terrible costs, in all their heartbreaking detail, is a gross disservice to the public, and to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces," Senator John McCain wrote in a letter to the chief executive of Sinclair that was published Friday. "It is, in short, sir, unpatriotic."

Saddam's boyz are back in town?

Too bad the Democrats suck so hard because if they didnt this would be the perfect opportunity to nail President Bush to the wall for going wobbly. We have the guys causing all the trouble bottled up in a city the marines are ready to take them down and we BACK DOWN! What sort of bloody bullshit is THAT???? This is pitiful and what we are seeing signals the deathknell of the US chances for victory. Whats next we replace Bremer with Saddam?

Gen. Abizaid names names

"I do favor the inclusion of more international troops, especially more Muslim troops," Abizaid told reporters via teleconference from his base in Doha, Qatar. "For example, Morocco, Pakistan, Tunisia -- they all have very capable and very professional forces that could be added to the stability equation once we move into this new level of political future that develops after negotiations in the U.N., or wherever they may take place."

Late Derby Prediction

The PRC reports on prison atrocities

Assaulting Justice Souter

Touching the Screen

Space Shuttles to Again Fly

Mission Accomplished

Koppel and the war dead

Sharpton invited to speak at the DNC

On Rev. Al Sharpton as a Speaker at the DNC ...

Kerry: "I hope so. Sure ... That's my call ... If he wants to do it, he can do it ... Let me just say to you ... if he wants to do it, I'd like him to do it. I think he'd do a terrific job. I think he'll add something ... there's no plea necessary. It's my invitation."

On Rev. Sharpton's Impact on the Presidential Campaign Season ...

Kerry: " ... He certainly earned the right to be part of this process, and I think he can be very, very helpful in motivating people, in helping to register people."

New Column on the RSN site

Words so often reveal more than the writer intends, and truth can find its way out of the craftiest planted propaganda.

Puerto Rico and the University of Massachusetts were shamed yesterday when their lamentable son Rene Gonzalez sought to wound America as it grieves for football great turned elite Army Ranger Pat Tillman.

Racism and envy were part of the reason Gonzalez called Tillman a "pendejo" (idiot) and a "Rambo" soldier who deserved to die. But the biggest reason of all was the personal cowardice of America hater Rene Gonzalez. [MORE]

Al Gore and the Young American

"This is not going to be a liberal network, or a Democratic network in any way, shape, or form,'' the former vice president said.

John McCain and Ted Koppel

The ABC Television Network announced on Tuesday that the Friday, April 30 edition of "Nightline" will consist entirely of Ted Koppel reading aloud the names of U.S. servicemen and women killed in action in Iraq. Despite the denials by a spokeswoman for the show, the action appears to be motivated by a political agenda designed to undermine the efforts of the United States in Iraq. [emphasis in orig]

[ . . . [
We understand that our decision in this matter may be questioned by some. Before you judge our decision, however, we would ask that you first question Mr. Koppel as to why he chose to read the names of 523 troops killed in combat in Iraq, rather than the names of the thousands of private citizens killed in terrorist attacks since and including the events of September 11, 2001. In his answer, we believe you will find the real motivation behind his action scheduled for this Friday. Unfortunately, we may never know for sure because Mr. Koppel has refused repeated requests from Sinclair's News Central news organization to comment on this Friday's program.

There is no valid reason for Sinclair to shirk its responsibility in what I assume is a very misguided attempt to prevent your viewers from completely appreciating the extraordinary sacrifices made on their behalf by Americans serving in Iraq. War is an awful, but sometimes necessary business. Your decision to deny your viewers an opportunity to be reminded of war’s terrible costs, in all their heartbreaking detail, is a gross disservice to the public, and to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. It is, in short, sir, unpatriotic. I hope it meets with the public opprobrium it most certainly deserves.

It is "Nightline's" failure to present the entire story, however, to which Sinclair objects. "Nightline" is not reporting news; it is doing nothing more than making a political statement. In simply reading the names of our fallen heroes, this program has adopted a strategy employed by numerous anti-war demonstrators who wish to focus attention solely on the cost of war. In fact, lest there be any doubt about "Nightline's" motivation, both Mr. Koppel and "Nightline's" executive producer have acknowledged that tonight's episode was influenced by the Life Magazine article listing the names of dead soldiers in Vietnam, which article was widely credited with furthering the opposition to the Vietnam war and with creating a backlash of public opinion against the members of the U.S. military who had proudly served in that conflict

In closing, I would like to quote for you the words of Captain Kate Blaise of the U.S. Military. Captain Blaise served in Iraq as a member of the 101st Airborne Division and suffered the loss of her husband Mike who was killed while also serving in Iraq. In commenting on exactly the type of practice which "Nightline" intends to employ, Captain Blaise had this to say:

"I was watching the news, watching this anti-war demonstration and they were reading off names of soldiers who had fallen in Iraq and they read off my husband's name. That made me very angry because he very strongly believed in what he was doing and they were using his name for a purpose that he would not have approved of."

The French: "Canadians Hate Bush"

Joe Wilson's Book

"The workup on me that turned up the information on Valerie was shared with Karl Rove, who then circulated it in administration and neoconservative circles," Wilson writes.

Those Pictures of prisoner humilation

"I visited Abu Ghraib a couple of days after it was liberated. It was the most awful sight I've ever seen. I said, ‘If there's ever a reason to get rid of Saddam Hussein, it's because of Abu Ghraib,'” says Baer. “There were bodies that were eaten by dogs, torture. You know, electrodes coming out of the walls. It was an awful place."

"We cannot tolerate it and the military is taking strong action against the individuals responsible for these despicable acts," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.

New column on RSN site

WASHINGTON - We caught up with Sen. John Kerry as he prepared to debate fellow Democrat Stephen Douglas for the right to challenge likely Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 presidential election.

We wanted to clarify Sen. Kerry's position on slavery, the most divisive issue in American politics. Republicans will campaign on a strong anti-slavery platform, while Democrats are equally staunch in their support of the "peculiar institution."

Yesterday at a noontime rally, Sen. Kerry defended the rights of slaveholders in the face of
mounting criticism from Christian clergy, who call slavery immoral and an affront to Christianity. [MORE]

Ronald Reagan U.

Air Support

"Go figure, we spend zillions of dollars and have Anti Virus software running all the time but this crap slips through.

Think of it this way. For all the trouble which can be caused by computer viruses and Iraqi insurgents, they don't get air support. - Mark

To win (reelection), the Prez has to lose (Iraq)

Ordinarily, presidents are rewarded for doing their jobs well. In Bush's case, however, quiet in Iraq would allow Americans to focus on their pocketbooks. While the economy--and Bush's approval numbers on the issue--have rebounded from lows, the president remains far weaker on domestic issues than on international affairs. Democrats can still claim that Bush is the first president since Herbert Hoover to preside over a decline in the number of jobs. The latest Gallup poll shows a 54 percent disapproval rating on Bush's handling of the economy. Bush's best hope for reelection is for the electorate to focus on his leadership abilities--and one way for that to happen is for there to be trouble in Iraq.

New Column on RSN site

There they go again. Another Liberal has decided that loud must somehow equal right. This time Hillary Clinton has decided to join the ranks of Al Gore and Howard Dean by screaming herself into a hysterical frenzy at a pro-abortion rally. Other than making America finally understand why Bill looked outside his marriage for companionship, Hillary's tirade about how she is tired of Republicans calling Liberals "unpatriotic" makes no sense. No Republican has called the Democrats unpatriotic. They have questioned the Liberals dedication to national defense, their commitment to the War on Terror, and the motivations for their Socialist policies, but not their patriotism. Liberals may want to blame the Republicans for their public perception of Anti-Americanism, but the Democrats actually are having a problem with common sense. [MORE]

The Testimony of the President

I want to thank the Chairman and Vice-Chairman for bringing the commission here and giving us a chance to share views on different subjects. And they had a lot of good questions. I'm glad I did it. I'm glad I took the time. This is an important commission, and it's important that they ask the questions they ask so that they can help make recommendations necessary to better protect our homeland. It was -- I enjoyed it.

New Poll (Manet still has brush in hand)

The New York Times-CBS News poll found that 47 percent of those surveyed believe the United States did the right thing in invading Iraq, down from 58 percent in March and 63 percent in December.

New Column on RSN site

LAST WEEK I wrote a column in which I argued that liberals have started addressing conservatives as neoconservatives because the word conservativewithout the divisive prefix of neono longer frightens the American public. By labeling the Bush Administration neoconservative, rather than merely conservative, liberals are trying to undo all of the positive steps conservatives have taken to improve our image. [MORE]

Patterns of Global Terrorism Report

[Top State Department counterterrorism official, Cofer] Black also said al-Qaida "is no longer the organization it once was. ... Most of the group's senior leadership is dead or in custody, its membership on the run and its capabilities sharply degraded." He said more 3,400 al-Qaida suspects have been detained worldwide.

Testifying in Private

The president, who initially fiercely opposed the commission's creation, grudgingly agreed to the session on condition he not be sworn to tell the truth, that Cheney accompany him, and that there be no transcript or recording.

But a poll published Thursday showed Bush's approval ratings in a slump, his race with Kerry a dead heat, and highlighted growing doubts about his handling of the war in Iraq.

And former counter-terrorism aides have publicly called into question Bush's response to the growing threat from Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network after he took office in January 2001.

Election Law Broken in South Dakota Senate Race

"Their hypocrisy is unbelievable," said Thune's campaign manager, Dick Wadhams. "It's either blatant disregard for the law or incompetence."

The state of the nation is…

Gore gives $4m to the DNC

"I didn't support John Kerry. President Carter didn't support John Kerry. President Clinton didn't support John Kerry," Gore said. "John Kerry earned the nomination of this party. He won it the hard way."

Infiltration

"I think they don't understand either just how much of New York City is not prepared to welcome them," said Amanda Hickman, who described herself as a community gardener from Brooklyn. "I don't think that has clicked."

PA Redistricting Plan Stands

McDermott's Pledge

WANTED: People who aren't there

Clinton's Vial of Powder

Hot Judicial Nomination

Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Republican of Utah and the committee chairman, extolled Mr. Kavanaugh as a graduate of Yale Law School and a law clerk to three judges. Mr. Hatch also said the American Bar Association had rated Mr. Kavanaugh "well qualified" for the judicial post, on the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

Mr. Hatch said it was wrong of opponents to portray Mr. Kavanaugh as a right-wing ideologue. He has devoted a majority of his career to public service, not ideological causes, Mr. Hatch said.

Thursday's Joint Appearance

White House -- President Bush says Thursday's appearance before the 9-11 commission will be a "good opportunity" to help in the panel's work. He says he looks forward to what he terms "the discussion."

Bush will not be under oath, and there'll be no recording or transcript, when he and Vice President Cheney are questioned together behind closed doors at the White House.

Bush says he expects the panel to ask about "what happened leading up to" 9-11 and administration anti-terror efforts in general.

Questioned by reporters as he met with Sweden's prime minister, the president side-stepped a question about the lack of a transcript. And he wouldn't say why the White House insisted he appear jointly with Cheney.

UN Resolution on WMD

The United States could get a major victory at the UN Security Council on a new resolution aimed at keeping weapons of mass destruction (WMD) out of the hands of terrorists.

But the measure would still pass with 14 votes in favour on the 15-nation council, even if Pakistan abstains. The United States has called for a vote this week, before Pakistan takes over the Security Council presidency in May.

Hoping to get Islamabad's support, the United States revised language to make the measure non-retroactive so that Pakistan would not be held accountable for the spread of the technology by its nuclear mastermind A.Q. Khan.

On Wictory Wednesday

The Mod Squad

The latest...

The latest...

PA Senate...

early Pennsylvania results...

During the Vietnam War

Kerry's three war injuries -- all minor -- were enough to allow him an early return to stateside duty. After petitioning for honorable discharge six months early in 1969, Kerry ran for a House seat in Massachusetts, but later gave up his bid for the Democratic nomination. He joined Vietnam Veterans Against the War and became its leading spokesman. During a protest in April 1971, Kerry threw his war ribbons over a fence at the Capitol.

The high cost of gasoline

``There is no general shortage of crude oil in today's market -- supplies are readily available,'' Naimi said.

Instead, he pointed to ``balkanized gasoline markets'' that required dozens of different gasoline blends to meet local clean air U.S. requirements.

To increase refining capacity in the United States, Saudi Arabia is prepared to spend $70 million to $100 million to obtain environmental and regulatory permits required to build two new U.S. oil refineries, the first such construction in decades.

No new refineries have been built in the US in the past 25 years. And petroleum industry experts say anyone would have to be crazy to launch such an effort -- even though present refineries are running at nearly 100 % of capacity and local gasoline shortages are beginning to crop up.

Why does the industry appear to have built its last refinery?

Three reasons: Refineries are not particularly profitable, environmentalists fight planning and construction every step of the way and government red-tape makes the task all but impossible. The last refinery built in the US was in Garyville, Louisiana, and it started up in 1976.

Energy proposed building a refinery near Portsmouth, Virginia, in the late 1970s, environmental groups and local residents fought the plan -- and it took almost nine years of battles in court and before federal and state regulators before the company cancelled the project in 1984.

Industry officials estimate the cost of building a new refinery at between $ 2 bn and $ 4 bn -- at a time the industry must devote close to $ 20 bn over the next decade to reducing the sulphur content in gasoline and other fuels -- and approval could mean having to collect up to 800 different permits. As if those hurdles weren't enough, the industry's long-term rate of return on capital is just 5 % -- less than could be realized by simply buying US Treasury bonds.

"I'm sure that at some point in the last 20 years someone has considered building a new refinery," says James Halloran, an energy analyst with National City Corp. "But they quickly came to their senses," he adds. [note: They claim their source as Investors Business Daily]

GOP economic Priorities

Kerry's Nowhere in Ohio

He has no field offices. No paid staff. And Kerry bumper stickers are harder to spot than faded "Gore-Lieberman" ones.

Cuyahoga County's Democratic Party headquarters - down the street from the Slovenian National Home in Cleveland, where Kerry appears this afternoon - displays placards in its windows reading, "Elect Dennis Kucinich President."

By contrast, President Bush's re-election campaign, which has had the luxury of time and money to get organized here, fills a Columbus office with 12 paid staffers and acres of signs and bumper stickers. The campaign says it has already signed up 24,000 volunteers, ready to pound on doors for the president.

Charlie Cook on Toomey-Hoeffel

[M]ost Democrats… argue -- and most independents observers agree -- that Hoeffel would have an advantage over Toomey if the Allentown Republican knocks off the incumbent in today's GOP primary.

Apart from the simple fact that the state seems to be trending Democratic, Hoeffel would begin with a strong advantage in the Philadelphia suburbs, including his homebase of Montgomery County, as well as Bucks and Delaware Counties. Historically, this has been Republican territory. But Al Gore won all three counties in the 2000 election and Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell won
them in the 2002 gubernatorial contest.

Like so many suburban counties outside the South, social and cultural issues are driving many suburban voters away from the Republican Party. This is mirrored in the way those same issues tend to be pushing small town and rural voters away from the Democratic Party.

The tough question for the Toomey campaign in a general election is this: Where outside of your congressional district will you do better than George W. Bush did in 2000, when he took 46 percent while running as a much less ideological candidate than you are today? Where will Hoeffel do worse than Gore?

Afghanistan Executes One

Kerry Lost It

The Future of the Party?

Powell never considered resignation

Part of the Revolution

Deaths in the hunt for WMD

The military initially claimed that a detail of U.S. Army soldiers were about to raid a suspected bomb making factory when two were killed after an explosion.

Kerry has been hit

Another new column on the RSN site

Oh, for the days when knights wore shining armor and came to the rescue of damsels in distress. They slew mythical dragons and searched for the Holy Grail. The world has a different kind of knight these days. King Arthur would take an axe to the Round Table if he were alive today.

Today, there is a kind of "knight" in Middle Eastern countries that is held in high esteem but he doesn't don armor--he wears a bomb-vest. He doesn't mount a magnificent steed but steals a police car and stuffs it with explosives. This noble knight tricks ten year old boys with gifts of toys and sends them off to become unknowing, tiny-mobile- killing-machines. This "knight" is not a brave and honorable man, but a coward who kills children and then celebrates his great victory. [MORE]

New Column on RSN site

John Kerry has accused Republicans of questioning his patriotism. Why not question Kerrys patriotism? Should not a candidate for the Presidency of the United States be patriotic? Should he not love and be loyal to the land he hopes to lead? I say yes, and I will question Kerrys patriotism.

Sen. Kerry has a record of engaging in activity that falls just short of treason; he has aided and abetted enemies of the United States. [MORE]

Veep smacks Kerry around

"It's time for Dick Cheney to call off the Republican attack dogs," said Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe.

Clinton Book

"It is the fullest and most nuanced account of a presidency ever written, and one of the most revealing and remarkable memoirs I have ever had the honor of publishing," Sonny Mehta, president and editor-in-chief of Alfred A. Knopf, said in a statement Monday.

Doomsday in Fallujah

No Elections for Hong Kong

"ticked-off radicals"

At a pre-march rally on Saturday night at the D.C. Armory by RFK Stadium, California congresswoman Maxine Waters told George W. Bush to "go to hell." Going to hell with him, said Waters, should be John Ashcroft, Don Rumsfeld, and Condi Rice. In a brief, non-impromptu speech, that's what a member of the United States Congress chose to say. (You'll be amused — or horrified — to know she was introduced as "the future president of the United States.")

Kerry's own religion

The Paulist Center attracts Catholics uncomfortable with some of the Vatican's orthodox teachings or who otherwise feel alienated from the Roman Catholic Church.

The congregation includes gay couples, whose adopted children are baptized there, unlike in some other Boston parishes. In November, its leaders refused to read aloud during Mass from a letter opposing gay marriage, as requested by the Massachusetts bishops.

The congregation is not geographical, but ideological, drawing people from as far as away as New Hampshire, said Drew Deskur, the center's music director and a parishioner for 25 years.

In Fallujah…

Marines at the office, set up between the Marines' base at Camp Fallujah and the city itself, were issuing new identification cards to Iraqi police and civil defense officers - 600 have been given out so far - in a bid to get the Iraqi security agencies functioning again.

Nearby, about 100 sets of shovels, wheelbarrows and axes were piled in a dusty courtyard - part of a Marine effort to, slowly, spread some cash around Fallujah and put the idle back to work. The idea is to hire Fallujans, paying them perhaps $2 a day, to clean up the rubble around the city of 250,000 left by the street battles.

Later, if it's safe, Navy engineers called Seabees will sweep in with front-end loaders to clear out major damage, such as bombed buildings and walls.

Bigger American plans include a new bridge over the Euphrates River, two large secondary schools, two new clinics, an addition to the Fallujah General Hospital and a bypass to the so-called Cloverleaf Highway that links Baghdad to Ramadi and other parts of the province.

Commanders at 1st Marine Expeditionary Force headquarters describe their campaign to re-establish control over the city in a more nuanced way than using superior air and ground power to storm inside.

So jaws dropped across Washington when Kerry responded with just one word after host Tim Russert asked him on "Meet the Press" whether he supported Bush's promises to Sharon.

"Yes," Kerry said.

"Completely?" Russert followed.

"Yes," Kerry said again.

Kerry's Medals/Ribbons

On the program, an interviewer asked Mr. Kerry to explain what was happening in a photograph of a man hurling a medal, apparently during a protest. Mr. Kerry responded that the veterans had decided that the best way to "wake the country up" about the war was to "renounce the symbols which this country gives, which supposedly reinforces all the things that they have done, and that was the medals themselves."

"And so they decided to give them back to their country," he added.

"I never asserted otherwise," Kerry said on Monday -- moments after ABC played part of the 1971 interview in which Kerry indicated he threw his medals over a fence.

"And back then, ribbons, medals were absolutely interchangeable...We all referred to them as the symbols..." Kerry continued. "So the fact is that I have been accurate precisely about what took place. And I am the one who later made clear exactly what happened."

"Good Morning America" anchor Charlie Gibson said he was there 33 years ago when Kerry threw medals over the fence. "I saw you throw medals over the fence, and we didn't find out until later (interrupted) that those were someone else's medals," Gibson said.

Kerry, not listening to the end of Gibson's statement, said, "Charlie, Charlie, you're wrong. That is not what happened. I threw my ribbons across. And all you have to do..." [Gibson tried to clarify that Kerry threw someone else's medals over the fence, but Kerry would not give him an opportunity.]

Kerry eventually clarified that he did throw two medals (not his) over the fence at the request of two veterans.

Kerry said what he did in 1971 was unpopular and polarizing: "I threw my ribbons over; I threw the medals of two veterans who asked me to throw them over -- after the ceremony, completely separate. And I'm the one -- if I had something to hide -- I'm the one who made it known exactly what happened. To me, it's one and the same [ribbons, medals] -- and I'm proud of it."

"We threw away the symbols of the war. I'm proud I stood up and fought against it -- proud I took on Richard Nixon. And I think to this day there's no distinction between the two [medal/ribbons]."

Republicans, nervous about questions regarding President Bush's Air National Guard service, have raised the issue to revive accusations by some veterans that the discarding of medals dishonored those who served and died in the war.

Kerry said he didn't want to throw medals or ribbons over the fence to begin with. "I thought we ought to lay them on a table and put them in front of people in a way that wouldn't be as challenging to many Americans. Other veterans felt otherwise. They took a vote...they voted to throw. I threw my ribbons. I didn't have my medals."

High-Tech Stuff

On broadband, the name for the high-speed Internet connections over phone, cable and satellites, Bush said in a speech last week that America is "lagging a little bit." To encourage more broadband connections, he believes users should not be taxed, and that the government should encourage competition among providers.

Bush has already signed into a law a two-year extension of the Internet Access Tax moratorium, which expired last fall. Now, he's calling on Congress to pass legislation that would extend the moratorium to broadband and make it permanent.

The House has passed a moratorium on user taxes levied against consumers who subscribe to broadband; the Senate is scheduled to address the issue this week.

Democrat Outrage!

“It could have been worse,” Watson added. “Pete could have been identified as John Kerry.”

Chris Gates, chairman of the Colorado Democratic Party, demanded an apology.

Pro-Abortion March

"It doesn't matter if you're Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative, male or female, black or white, ... north or south, east or west, all that matters is your respect for the claim of every life," Cheney said in a 10-minute speech to the National Right to Life Committee Educational Trust Fund.

"To be part of this cause is to believe that every mother carrying a life, that every child waiting to be born deserves understanding," he said.

Ahmed Chalabi

The greatest team in baseball this season

Sox Win! Sox Win! Red Sox win 2-0!

The Bronx Infidels™ have been defeated again!

Thus, the Boston Red Sox have swept the Bronx Infidels for the first time in the Bronx since 1999!

Time to get out the brooms to sweep the Bronx Infidels™ (and their fans) away!

Yankees Suck!

They Chat on TW

Steph talks to Lahkdar Brahimi

"There's a lot of hatred because the very violent and repressive security policy of the Israeli government as well as this determination to occupy more and more Palestinian territory."

The Rightsided Newsletter is Posted

Bandar on Clarke on MTP

Russert hassled Bandar about the 150 Saudi relatives of bin Laden who flew out of the United States after 9-11. Russert insisted that this occurred when Americans were still under the flight ban. Bandar said that they were not. Bandar explained that he had called the FBI to ask if it could be arranged to fly these people out lest they be the victims of natural hostility. The FBI put him in touch with an Administration official named Richard Clarke, who saw no problems with the request. Russert did not follow up at all on Dick Clarke's role in this.

But Bandar characterized the books that have been written about the Saudis flying out of the United States: "In French, it's 'hogwash.'" Pardonnez-moi?

The President Becomes Articulate

With skillful use of language and images, President Bush and his aides have kept the American public from turning against the war in Iraq despite the swelling number of U.S. casualties there.

Political strategists and public-opinion experts say a good part of this resilience of public support for Bush and the Iraq war stems from the president's oratory. They say Bush has convinced Americans of three key points that strongly influence overall support for the war: that the United States will prevail in Iraq; that the fighting in Iraq is related to the war against al Qaeda; and that most Iraqis and many foreign countries support U.S. actions in Iraq.

The Sunday Morning Talk Shows

To whom does the world look?

[Palestinian cabinet member Dr. Saeb] Erekat is a moderate figure and claims to remain hopeful, but even he admitted that without a commitment from the United States for renewed negotiations -- few Palestinians I spoke with during the month I recently spent in Israel and Palestine said they believed the European Union or the United Nations could play a central role -- neither Israelis nor Palestinians would get any closer to peace.

New on the blogroll

New Column on RSN site

Remember Pat Schroeder? She was a congresswoman from Colorado during President Ronald Reagan's administration.

What she is best-remembered for is her frustration at the inability of Democrats to make charges of misconduct against Mr. Reagan stick.

"He's the Teflon President!" she lamented.

Well, Bill and Hillary Clinton definitely are not Teflon-coated. They are just the opposite: Lots of stuff sticks. What distresses is that so little comes of it. [MORE]

Kerry's Health

Senator Kerry visited Dr. Zarins at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Saturday morning, as a follow-up to his shoulder surgery. Campaign staff claimed to be unaware of Kerry's appointment earlier today, but spokesman David Wade now says he had "an appointment" and insists Kerry's shoulder is "doing great."

Doctors have assured me that after treatment for prostate cancer, the recovery rate is 98 percent. But I believe Coloradans deserve a 100 percent guarantee of service."

Kerry and Church Law

Some Catholics argued that Kerry must live to the letter of church law, in public and in private, supporting the prohibition on abortion — or lose the right to Communion and other church privileges. Others accused church leaders of taking too narrow a view of Christian values, saying Kerry proves his faith in other ways, including his support for the poor.

Socialists who dislike taxes

Teresa Heinz's tax records

Kerry's Anti-War Record

Kerry Carries Shrapnel

Woodward says Bandar lies

Brahimi's problem

"There's a lot of hatred because the very violent and repressive security policy of the Israeli government as well as this determination to occupy more and more Palestinian territory," said Brahimi, a U.N. undersecretary-general and Annan's top envoy on Iraq.

Brahimi stressed that an eventual solution to Iraq was tied to the situation between the Israelis and Palestinians.

"The problems are linked," he said. "There is no doubt that the great poison in the region is this Israeli policy of domination and the suffering imposed on the Palestinians as well as the perception of all of the population in the region, and beyond, of the injustice of this policy and the equally unjust support ... of the United States for this policy."

The U.N. spokesman was pressed several times on whether the United Nations believes Israel is spreading "poison" in the region.

"It's a politically complex issue," Eckhard said. "Mr. Brahimi was expressing his personal views. ... The secretary-general's views, as expressed over the last seven years, do not contain the word `poison.'"

Israel's deputy U.N. ambassador Arye Mekel said his country was "very disturbed" by Brahimi's statement which "puts the objectivity and fairness of the top U.N. officials in question and increases Israel's suspicion about the motivation of the United Nations."

Flag Draped Coffins

From the Weekly Australian

WITH large areas of Iraq in chaos, more than 700 US troops dead, and intense criticism of his failure to do more against al-Qa'ida in the first months of his presidency, George W. Bush might have expected to see his re-election campaign take at least a temporary hit.

Instead, Bush appears to have weathered one of the worst periods of his presidency with aplomb, and even increased his margin over Democrat challenger Senator John Kerry, according to two polls this week.

"Conservatives attack Arlen Specter"

Many conservatives have attacked Mr. Specter for voting against the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, against the nomination of Robert H. Bork to the Supreme Court, against school vouchers and against some tax cuts. He has also angered conservatives by supporting abortion rights, opposing a federal constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and pushing for what they consider wasteful spending.

Many liberals have attacked Mr. Santorum for voting for the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, supporting ANWR, supporting President Bush's conservative judicial nominees, favoring the lives of the unborn, and voting for the President's tax cuts.

The War is Kerry's Conundrum

Leaders of progressive [liberal] groups who are backing Kerry despite reservations about his Iraq stands say they doubt Nader will peel away significant support from Kerry in the fall election.

A Dichotomy of War

Catholic Kerry maintains pro-abort stance

"Yes," he replied. "If the person should not receive it, then it should not be given. Objectively, the answer is there."

Toomey vrs. Specter - let's do this

The ban on Ba'athists

A call for Gorelick to testify

Al Felzenberg, spokesman for the commission, said Ms. Gorelick's recusal applies to the time she was deputy attorney general at the Justice Department, so she is free to take part in the investigation and drafting of the report for anything that happened after she left.

Kerry Crashes Pool Party

Looking out at the audience as Edwards stood several paces behind him, Kerry offered up some humor as well: "What a gathering of talent, good looks, brains ... I'm just talking about John Edwards and me."

John Kerry's SUV

"I don't own an SUV."

"The family has it. I don't have it."

"We're going to keep jobs in America and help the industry be more competitive with foreign manufacturers that are building those cars today."

New to blogroll: Café Hayek

Cafe Hayek is run by two lecturers from the Economics Department at George Mason University in Virginia: Prof. Russell Roberts and Prof. Don Boudreaux
.
Their blog is topical, covering topics like how the market will correct overzealous offshoring [outsourcing], and why with trade policy why we should avoid Keynes's phrase: "In the long run, we're all dead."

Dem's know: no one knows Kerry

But so far he [Kerry] has yet to articulate a message and get into rhetorical fighting shape.

If I were running the Kerry campaign, I would simply show over and over again Bush's response at his news conference about why he insists on appearing at the Sept. 11 hearings with Vice President Cheney. Bush had no answer -- none whatsoever -- and even a follow-up failed to get a response. (My follow-up would have been to ask if they were going to dress identically.) The look on Bush's face was both telling and scary. He simply had no acceptable answer.

A new column on the RSN Web site

John Kerry's speaking style has all of the excitement and appeal of listening to electric egg beaters. While Mr. Kerry's supporters may call his style "nuanced" (meaning if you do not like it, you lack intelligence), everyone else who has been forced to sit through one of his sleeping pills of a presentation calls it boring. However, when Mr. Kerry speaks of the United Nations, he gets so enthusiastic that he will actually break from his normal droning monotone, and show some verbal inflection! It sounds something like this, "Bzzzzzzzzzzz The U.N. is good, and America sticks! Bzzzzzzzzzzzz." Another fine speech, Senator. [MORE]

Bush and Missouri

About that NYTimes Editorial

Senator John Kerry's two tours of combat duty in Vietnam should have prepared him well for the political firefight…

One of the few sources of comfort for voters in this endless presidential campaign is that there is time to learn what they need to know about the candidates before the conventions in late summer. As the newcomer to the national election stage, Mr. Kerry has more to tell, and more to lose by not doing so early enough that any questions can be asked and answered before his nomination. Why delight critics, and irritate supporters, with a bout of stonewalling that's hardly worth the fight?

Mary McGrory: R.I.P.

Happy Earth Day!

Sierra Clubs Survives, Still Goofy

New column on the RSN site

THE DIFFERENCE between liberals and lemmings is becoming increasingly unclear. Left-wing columnists, especially, have a mysterious gift for writing exactly the same things as their colleagues. If one writer decides to start shrieking about a certain issue, so will all the others. It is a perpetually hilarious phenomenon.

For the past few weeks, the liberal argument has consisted of calling President Bush and members of his Administration "neocons," or, "neoconservatives." Neoconservatism, of course, is the movement which calls, in part, for an activist foreign policy aimed at spreading freedom throughout the world. (Just from that definition, you can see why liberals don't care for it.) [MORE]

Specter and Electoral Myths

Who will be the Dem nominee?

Bob Woodward's Novel

Rumsfeld: Okay, a couple of things before we start. I am not great with dates or times and I don't have a lot of notes that can be helpful. The last time we met you asserted things, saying, "You did this or you said that," as though you knew what I did, and you were wrong a lot.

Woodward: I apologize for that. It was based on NSC notes and what other people said.

Rumsfeld: Other people, exactly. And your assumption is, if somebody says that to you, that it is correct. Therefore you assert it to me. That causes me a lot of problems, because then I have to stop and say, "No, that's not right." Almost everything you asked me was premised with an assertion that was either incomplete or wrong, and it changed the whole nature of it. You'd be better off with me if you asked those questions about the premises in the question you want to ask.

That’s wrong. It’s just his – for whatever reason – has written something that isn’t so. It is a misunderstanding of the situation. The funds that come from the Congress under the Constitution have to be accounted for and in this instance I am sure they were. It is – there are a whole set of complexities as to how it’s done – what they’re authorized for. Some have quite narrow purposes, others have much broader purposes. We have a wonderful group of people in the (sic comptroller) shop in the Department of Defense who spend an enormous amount of time consulting with members of the Congress and the appropriations committees in the House and Senate and their staffs making sure that they understand what we’re doing.

Woodward's book follows a number of other scathing insider accounts of the Bush White House, including one by former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill and another written by former counter-terrorism czar Richard Clarke.

New column on the RSN site

Children are the least among us, and unborn children the least of those.

To continue abortion in America, liberals must be willing to deny or forget that abortion ends a life - a tiny life of one of the least among us. [MORE]

What Spain has to say for itself

"We are looking to the future," Miguel Angel Moratinos said after meeting US Secretary of State Colin Powell. "The decision to return the troops (from Iraq) is the decision of yesterday."

The main concern of Secretary of State Powell and myself (is) to convey this message that Spain and the United States will be very, very close allies in order to defeat this blight on humanity.

Continuity of Congress

"Kerry's lack of openness may benefit his campaign"

A discussion about Kerry's military service would also persuade many voters to take Kerry's military policy more seriously. Indeed, in pointing out that he personally understands what it means to fight and defend the country -- and even to kill -- Kerry could ease any doubt that he would be soft on terrorism or enemies.

[ . . .]
Further discussion of his record, contrasted with the National Guard records of President George Bush and the military deferments of Vice President Dick Cheney, Karl Rove and others, might make the emergence of such a voting bloc that much more likely and give Kerry just the political gift he's looking for.

Beige Book is out!

Economic activity increased across the nation from mid-February through early April. The growth was widespread as retail sales moved up noticeably, and manufacturing, mining, energy, tourism and services all grew. In addition, new home construction is strong in a number of districts.

New Bush Ad

The Washington Times online

Bush Leads Kerry in Pennsylvania Poll

The institute surveyed 769 registered Pennsylvania voters by telephone between April 13 and April 19. The sampling error margin for the survey is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

Woodward's interview with Rumsfeld

Rumsfeld: Okay, a couple of things before we start. I am not great with dates or times and I don't have a lot of notes that can be helpful. The last time we met you asserted things, saying, "You did this or you said that," as though you knew what I did, and you were wrong a lot.

Woodward: I apologize for that. It was based on NSC notes and what other people said.

Rumsfeld: Other people, exactly. And your assumption is, if somebody says that to you, that it is correct. Therefore you assert it to me. That causes me a lot of problems, because then I have to stop and say, "No, that's not right." Almost everything you asked me was premised with an assertion that was either incomplete or wrong, and it changed the whole nature of it. You'd be better off with me if you asked those questions about the premises in the question you want to ask.

Awards and Vietnam

[I]t's veterans who are raising questions. The ribbons we civilians admire as colorful adornments represent far more to veterans. Admiral Boorda recognized the importance of an award's integrity to men in uniform.

In 1996, a left-wing news service raised questions about two small "V" clips that the chief of Naval operations wore over two of the medals on his chest full of them. The clips are awarded for valor under fire, and there was some doubt about whether Boorda's two tours in Vietnam aboard combat ships qualified him for the awards, although the Washington Post reported that a 1965 Navy manual appeared to support Boorda's right to wear the clips. Unlike Kerry, the awards did not provide grounds for Boorda to shorten his tours of duty.

Hours before he was scheduled to meet with Newsweek reporters to discuss the controversy, the admiral went to his home at the Navy Yard and shot himself in the chest. The CNO had been in command of the Navy during a troubled period and his leadership was being criticized by its senior officers. Still, among the notes he left was one to "the sailors" expressing his fear that the controversy over his decorations might harm the Navy. Boorda had lied about his age to join the Navy and was the first CNO to rise through the enlisted ranks.

Annan tabs Volker

Three persons have been identified on the independent panel that will conduct an inquiry into the Oil-for-Food humanitarian relief effort for Iraq, a United Nations spokesperson confirmed today in response to press questions in New York.

Asked to name the members, Marie Okabe said the three persons who have been identified are Paul Volker, former head of the United States Federal Reserve Bank, Mark Pieth of Switzerland, an expert against money-laundering in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and Richard Goldstone of South Africa, former Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).

Stuck with Kerry

Democrats are
happy they got a nominee quickly and with minimal divisiveness within the party, but the honeymoon is over, and they realize Kerry is not necessarily the best candidate in the world.

Kerry did not so much "win" the Democratic nomination as survive the murder-suicide pact in Iowa between former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri that effectively removed the number one and two contenders, allowing numbers three (Kerry) and four (North Carolina Sen. John Edwards) to move to the top two positions. An interesting parlor game would be to contemplate who would have won the Democratic nomination had Kerry not mortgaged his Beacon Hill townhouse and been the best funded and organized candidate after Dean and Gephardt savaged each other on the Iowa television airwaves.

Wictory Wednesday is upon us

New Kerry campaign theme

Insight on Kerry from the left

It is clear Bush has no shame and should be held to account for what he's done and failed to do. But [Clinton's political guru James] Carville's raging letter and the ''Middle-Class Misery Index'' still leave Kerry himself an enigma. The ABB crowd circled around him as the anti-Bush. No amount of circling the wagons will protect Kerry in the fall if the lead message of his campaign is merely that Bush is a misleader. He can win only if the lead message is how he himself will lead.

New Column on RSN site

With the flare up of hostilities in Iraq and the testimony before the 9-11 Commission grabbing headlines, it is not surprising that many Americans reacted to the recent expansion of NATO with indifference, if they were aware of it at all. The addition of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia brings the number of NATO countries to twenty-seven. [MORE]

Saddam's Prosecutor

Salem Chalabi is the Iraqi lawyer in charge of the war crimes issue. According to him, "We'll tailor the trial procedures in such a way that shows we learned the lessons of the Milosevic trial. We don't want the tribunal and people like Saddam to be the principal teller of the history here. We want to bring very specific charges. And the defendants would only be allowed to bring witnesses and make their cases in connection with those specific charges."

New Column on RSN site

New Mexico Magazine has an entertaining feature called "One of Our 50 is Missing," in which readers cite examples of bureaucrats and others in mostly Eastern states who are convinced the state of New Mexico is a foreign country.

When my wife's mother, born in Las Cruces, attended college in St. Louis decades ago, she was asked if people in New Mexico wore shoes, had indoor plumbing and fought off Indian attacks.

For those of you who live east of Texas, New Mexico became the 47th state on January 6, 1912. [MORE]

Kerry's War Records

"Our intent is to make all of those records available," Jean Shaheen, a top adviser to Mr. Kerry, said on CNN. "Most of them are — they're all available on the Web site that we have today. John Kerry has a military record to be proud of. He was decorated in Vietnam."

"If he's changed again that's appropriate," said Ken Mehlman, the campaign manager, appearing on the same CNN program. "We think it's good. He has always said he believes in public disclosure."

President's religion "a concern"

"I also have this belief, strong belief, that freedom is not this country's gift to the world. Freedom is the Almighty's gift to every man and woman in this world," Bush said during a news conference last week. "And as the greatest power on the face of the Earth, we have an obligation to help spread that freedom."

Bush's mix of religion and policy could be harming the United States' ability to get more international help in Iraq, according to James Hudnut-Beumler, the dean of Vanderbilt University's Divinity School.

"It probably further damages prospects for the internationalization of the Iraq solution," Hudnut-Beumler said. "Almost nowhere else would a head of government actually speak about the Almighty being the reason for the push of a foreign policy aim. While (Bush's) words just about passed unnoticed here, I guess in places as close as Ottawa, they clunked."

Quinnipiac poll: Specter in trouble

Bifurcated Blog Roll

Maybe Kerry believes that we are to have blind faith in what he says, and not believe those lying reporters who get things wrong or those evil Republicans sworn to distort his record. But Kerry on Sunday confused more than he clarified. And that's the tragedy at this point of his campaign. The nation needs clarity, and Kerry came across fuzzier than ever.

The bi-partisan 9-11 Commission

JF Kerry: The Ultimate Null

Nader's Military Strategy

"How do you separate the mainstream Iraqis from the insurgents when the mainstream Iraqis now are increasingly opposed to our presence there and increasingly, quietly or otherwise, supporting the insurgents?'' Nader asked.

"The way you do it is you declare you are getting out,'' he said.

Hillary travels like Tyson

New Column on RSN Web Site

President Reagan said, "I did not leave the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left me," when explaining why he became a Republican. Reagan's values were incongruent with Democrats of the 1980's. However, many readers may be surprised at how many of the best principles that guided the Democratic Party of the past find their home in Republican values of today.

Consider the following quotes: [MORE]

Negroponte to run Iraq embassy

The PRC censors the Veep

But the broadcast received no advance promotion or even listing in the Chinese news media and was not repeated. The authorities promptly provided leading Web sites with a "full text" of the vice president's remarks, including his answers to questions after the speech, that struck out references to political freedom, Taiwan, North Korea and other issues that propaganda officials considered sensitive.

The censorship showed that even a hopeful sign of political progress in China can be more like a mirage. Officials sought to convey a relaxed attitude about what Mr. Cheney might say in public but worked to alter the record. "What they do to control the media is sometimes surreal," said Yu Maochun, a China expert at the United States Naval Academy who noticed discrepancies between Mr. Cheney's speech and the Chinese transcript. "Censorship is a habit they can't kick."

National Snapshot

last month Kerry led Bush by 15 points among all Americans in trust to handle the deficit; today there's just a single point between them. Kerry led by 12 points in trust to handle the economy; today they're even. They were about even on Iraq (Kerry +1); now it's Bush +11. Even on same-sex marriage, a much lower-tier issue, trust has gone from an even split to a 16-point Bush advantage. And Bush's 21-point lead in trust to handle the campaign against terrorism is unchanged.

Kerry, Saudi Arabia, and Oil Prices

"That is outrageous and unacceptable to the American people," Mr. Kerry, the presumed Democratic presidential nominee, declared during a campaign stop in Florida, where the price of gas is a serious issue given the state's reliance on the automobile and fuel costs' effect on tourism.

A New Column on the RSN site

Did you ever have a day when you feel like you are at the Mad Hatter's Tea party? I've had a week like that. I fully expect that White Rabbit to pop up and announce how late he is for that very important date.

This was the week we all heard a plethora of reporters grill the President on such vital topics as, "When are you going to admit you are responsible for the September 11, 2001 attack on America?" and the immortal, "When are you going to admit you've made so many mistakes." My guess is that the enemy passed out popcorn and was rolling on the floor with spasms of laughter over that press conference that gave him a total pass for the 9/11 attack. Those on the left forgot that it was the terrorists, aka--"the enemy"--that carried out that attack. You remember "the enemy"--not George Bush--I'm referring to Osama bin Laden and company--that enemy. [MORE]

New Sentencings for Death Row?

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled in September that Arizona inmates sent to death row by judges prior to the Supreme Court ruling should have their sentences commuted to life in prison.

Theresa Heinz and Arlen Specter

[Teresa Heinz] cut a TV ad for [Pennsylvania's liberal Republican Senator Arlen] Specter in 1992 during his tough post-Anita Hill race. She even gave $1,000 to his short-lived White House bid in '95, the same year she married Sen. John Kerry.

While current events have cooled relations between Specter and Heinz (she's not backing him this year; he's not backing her husband's prez bid), it's somehow easier to make sense of their bond than the one between Bush and Specter. Sure, both men have Rs next to their names, but they're on opposite sides of many key issues, including abortion, gun control and some tax cuts.

An International Coaltion

Albania told the United States it was prepared to send more non-combat troops to Iraq, the government said Monday, in a possible expansion of the 71-member-strong contingent patrolling the northern city of Mosul under U.S. command.

Albania, a predominantly Muslim country, was one of the most vocal backers of the U.S.-led war in Iraq. Although it was unable to provide significant military support, it opened its airspace and offered U.S.-led forces the use of its bases.

Brussels aims to bring Albania closer to Europe with a view to its entry into the EU.

Brussels is looking to lay down the principles and priorities to be adopted by Albania so that it can accelerate its assimilation to European norms.

Zapatero's Internationalism

"I think Kerry will win. I want Kerry to win," Zapatero told Britain's Guardian newspaper, just four days before he swept to victory riding a wave of anti-U.S. feeling sparked by the al Qaeda train bombings in Madrid.

Two days earlier Zapatero had blasted Aznar's alliance with the U.S., calling the Bush administration "the most reactionary American administration in recent times."

"We're aligning ourselves with Kerry," Zapatero proclaimed to the International Herald Tribune. "Our alliance will be for peace, against war, no more deaths for oil, and for a dialogue between the government of Spain and the new Kerry administration."

No Spanish-American War

For now, Spain will continue with scheduled troop replacements, including 190 troops to head to Iraq later Monday, the Defense Ministry said. About 240 new troops went to Iraq last week, in addition to 165 earlier this month, a ministry spokesman said. Corresponding numbers of troops in Iraq returned home.

"This decision should not affect bilateral relations between Spain and the United States," [Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel] Moratinos said. He said aside from the issue of Iraq, Spain's agenda with the United States would be "wider and more attractive" under Zapatero.

"We will continue our close coooperation with our NATO ally Spain in fighting the war against terror," White House spokesman Ken Lisaius said.

"We will work with our coalition partners in Iraq and the Spanish government and expect they will implement their decision in a coordinated, responsible and orderly manner."

Is Condoleezza Rice Married?

A pressing issue of dinner-party etiquette is vexing Washington, according to a story now making the D.C. rounds: How should you react when your guest, in this case national-security adviser Condoleezza Rice, makes a poignant faux pas? At a recent dinner party hosted by New York Times D.C. bureau chief Philip Taubman and his wife, Times reporter Felicity Barringer, and attended by Arthur Sulzberger Jr., Maureen Dowd, Steven Weisman, and Elisabeth Bumiller, Rice was reportedly overheard saying, “As I was telling my husb—” and then stopping herself abruptly, before saying, “As I was telling President Bush.” Jaws dropped, but a guest says the slip by the unmarried politician, who spends weekends with the president and his wife, seemed more psychologically telling than incriminating. Nobody thinks Bush and Rice are actually an item. A National Security Council spokesman laughed and said, “No comment.”

Our Miss Cynthia

"We know there were numerous warnings of the events to come on September 11th. . . . What did this administration know and when did it know it, about the events of September 11th? Who else knew, and why did they not warn the innocent people of New York who were needlessly murdered? . . . What do they have to hide?"

"The Bush administration keeps giving us answers that don't answer, explanations that don't explain, and conclusions that don't conclude," McKinney said in Friday's interview.

She praised the 10-member commission examining pre-Sept. 11 intelligence failures and said she found "absolutely riveting" the testimony by former counterterrorism chief Richard Clarke, who depicted Bush as focused on invading Iraq, even when told that country had nothing to do with the attacks.

Al Gore, Dukakis, and Fritz

Two Tales of Bob Woodward

The White House confirms a passage in the book about a meeting in November 2001 between President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that put the planning in motion, but says that did not mean Mr. Bush was set on a course of attacking Iraq at that point.

The Woodward book is packed with previously secret stories out of the mouths of Mr. Bush and his top aides on the year preceding the president's final decision to go to war against Saddam.

In an interview on the CBS News program "60 Minutes," Mr. Woodward said Mr. Bush first told his senior advisers about his decision in early January 2003. "He told Condi Rice," Mr. Woodward said. "He told Rumsfeld. He knew Cheney wanted to do this. And they realized they haven't told Colin Powell," who was skeptical about the wisdom of invading Iraq.

ondoleezza Rice, President Bush's national security adviser, said today that the president decided in March 2003 to go to war against Saddam Hussein, not in January 2003, as a new book contends.

She said she was with Mr. Bush in Crawford, Tex., in January 2003 when he expressed his frustration with how weapons inspections were proceeding in Iraq. "He said, `Now, I think we probably are going to have to go to war, we're going to have to go to war,' " Ms. Rice recalled today on the CBS News program "Face the Nation." "It was not a decision to go to war. That decision he made in March when he finally decided to do that."

Rice on Woodward

Dr. Rice, Bob Woodward, and FTN. Though not physically on this morning's FTN, a Bob Woodward interview will air on tonight's episode of 60 Minutes on the same network, so this was the perfect place to plug it.

They played a clip with Woodward describing to Mike Wallace a conversation between President Bush and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice in which the President is alleged to have told Rice that we had to go to war with Iraq. Rice supposedly told the President that he had better tell Secretary of State Colin Powell. Rice, who had nothing but nice things to say about Woodward, explained that Powell was not in Texas at the time, and that it was not a Presidential decision to go to war. The President was merely pointing out that if the diplomacy was not working, we would have to go to war. Rice told the President -- though she insisted that he of course knew this -- that he should talk to Powell before a final decision was made.

The second item from Woodward's book with which Rice was accosted was that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Richard Myers had briefed Saudi Ambassador Prince Bandar about the war plans before Powell was told of them. Rice explained that Bandar was told because he represented an important regional country, and that Powell knew all of this beforehand.

Karen Tumulty of Newsweek, who had joined Schieffer in asking questions, wanted to know about Woodward's allegation that CIA Director George Tenet had told the President that Saddam Hussein possessing weapons of mass destruction was "a slam dunk case." This was in response to the President asking why the intelligence didn't fit the story.

Rice explained that "everyone believed at that time" that the WMD existed. Tumulty insisted that everyone had been wrong. Rice answered: "The stockpiles have not been found, and no one can account for them." This is similar to what British Prime Minister Tony Blair said later (see below).

Tumulty would not accept Rice's description of events, so: "Mrs. Tumulty, I was there. The President asked why the intelligence did not match what he was told." It was not what Woodward wrote about as if he had participated. This is a Woodward trick which stirs the drama of the book but renders it essentially a work of quasi-historical fiction.

"George Tenet is a fine director of Central Intelligence."

Kerry's Foreign Friends

Russert this morning: "But you have talked to foreign leaders?”

Kerry: "Tim, what I said is true. You can go to New York City and be in a restaurant and meet a foreign leader. There are plenty of places to meet people without traveling abroad.”

"I would be stupid if I were to sit here and start saying, 'Well, so-and-so told me this,' because they have dealings with this administration," he said. "This administration doesn't talk about its private conversations and nor will I."

Kerry said it was inaccurate to conclude that trips abroad or foreign leaders' visits to the United States were the only opportunities "where I might be able to meet or talk" to them.

"I invite you ... go to Europe, go to foreign capitals, travel in the world," he said. "Talk to any American businessman who has been abroad. Talk to any of our colleagues who have traveled abroad, and the conversations they've had."

"We're not trusted, and this administration is not liked."

Today's Rightsided Newsletter online (finally)

Kerry and Republicans

Few politicians want to admit the split, but it's getting almost impossible to ignore. Former Bush counterterrorism chief Richard Clarke, a Republican who has served four administrations – three of them Republican – slammed Bush this week for a weak response to the threat of terrorism before the Sept. 11 attacks.

Now he's being savaged by fellow Republicans who have, in essence, accused him of working to aid the Democrats.

. McCain, the Arizona senator, along with Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, have made headlines by openly defending Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, a fellow Vietnam vet, against Bush campaign charges that Kerry's weak on national defense.

The White House is incensed.

JF Kerry on Meet the Press

Carl Levin on This Week

John Kerry on Meet the Press

Book of the Month

Pyongyang, April 16 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il's famous work "The Workers' Party of Korea Is the Party of the Great Leader Comrade Kim Il Sung" was brought out in booklet by the National Education Publishing House of Guinea on April 6.

It's Sunday morning…

Pataki criticized the Clinton administration for not properly responding to the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, attacks on U.S. embassies in Africa, the bombing of the USS Cole and an attack on a U.S. military barracks in Saudi Arabia.

Sad news from Kosovo

Kosovo became a U.N. protectorate in 1999, after NATO launched a 78-day air war to stop Serb leader Slobodan Milosevic from cracking down on ethnic Albanians seeking independence.

The Sunday Morning Talk Shows

"Bake Back the White House

Deaths in the Middle East

“We knew that Bush is the enemy of God, the enemy of Islam and Muslims. America declared war against God. Sharon declared war against God and God declared war against America, Bush and Sharon,” Rantisi said.

“The war of God continues against them, and I can see the victory coming up from the land of Palestine by the hand of Hamas,” he added.

Tenet should Resign?

The book, which is due out on Monday, also claims that CIA director George Tenet (shown here), personally assured the president that weapons of mass destruction existed.

Bush, it is claimed said: "I've been told all this intelligence about having WMD and this is the best we've got?"

To which Tenet reassured Bush: "Don't worry, it's a slam-dunk case."

If true, then Tenet should resign and finally accept responsibility for his mistakes. After all, it's a slam-dunk case.

Woodward's book supports testimony by former White House counterterrorism adviser Richard Clarke that the Bush administration was focused on Iraq instead of Afghanistan after September 11, if not before.

How 9-11 Could have been Prevented

A report on the case released this week noted that "publicity about the threat" posed by Moussaoui "might have disrupted the plot." Commission Chairman Thomas H. Kean (R) said the conclusion is based in part on extensive psychological profiles of the Sept. 11 hijackers, who were "very careful and very jumpy."

"Everything had to go right for them," Kean said. "Had they felt that one of them had been discovered, there is evidence it would have been delayed."

What Bob Shrum Must Do

What we learned last night

Camel Spider

Osama bin Laden, JF Kerry, and Halliburton

This war makes millions of dollars for big corporations, either weapons manufacturers or those working in the reconstruction [of Iraq], such as Halliburton and its sister companies...

Kerry vs. Halliburton

"John Kerry loves to vilify Halliburton," James Taranto writes in his Best of the Web Today column at www.OpinionJournal.com.

"In a December 2003 press release, the candidate blasted the company over an alleged fuel overcharge, which remains under investigation by the Pentagon. Kerry waxed indignant about how the $61 million Halliburton putatively overcharged could have been used to buy 40,000 sets of body armor for soldiers — this two months after he voted against funding the war and reconstruction efforts," Mr. Taranto said.

One thing Mr. Kerry does not mention is "the risks that these contractors are taking to help stabilize and reconstruct Iraq."

RUSH LIMBAUGH: [I]t's going to make it harder and harder for them to rip Halliburton, Halliburton people are giving their lives here, but just as an example here's John Kerry echoing the bin Laden statement that Halliburton is evil.

KERRY: Those aren't Exxon prices, those are Halliburton prices.

RUSH: All right, so we've got Osama bin Laden, the terrorist leader of the world, echoing the sentiments expressed by the Democratic Party's presumed presidential candidate.

9-11 Commissioners Defend Gorelick

John Kerry's Mind, "unmade up" and unkempt

Plan of Attack

"I knew what would happen if people thought we were developing a potential war plan for Iraq," Bush is quoted as telling Woodward. "It was such a high-stakes moment and ... it would look like that I was anxious to go to war. And I'm not anxious to go to war."

Bush and his aides have denied accusations they were preoccupied with Iraq at the cost of paying attention to the al Qaeda terrorist threat before the September 11, 2001, attacks.

Jessie Ventura 4 Prez

"No party, no nothing," he told the news service, adding that his campaign message would be, "Elect someone who truly is not controlled by special-interest money. With me, you would get a true check and balance."

An admission from Teresa Heinz

"I do my own hair. I washed it myself yesterday. Problem is, in the rain it gets curly. In humidity, it frizzes. As for the dining, some small hotels don't even serve after 10 o'clock. I've already gained 10 pounds from the quick snacks and junk food. My husband doesn't gain because he can go without eating. I can't. I get fuzzy-headed. I discovered you usually can get salad, so for a while it was always chicken Caesar until I had it twice in one day and then it was no, no, can't do that again. I'm thinking of getting a cooler because at least there's juices and good yogurt.

"They call me the Scarf Lady. I never wore scarves before. But throw a red scarf onto a black suit and it's a lift. Change scarves and the outfits change. And dress in layers. Who knows whether you'll be hot or cold."

Parental Notification and Rape

But Bullard said her party had it wrong -- and that she was uniquely qualified to say that because her mother helped her through the tough times.

''I am a victim,'' Bullard said, quieting the room.

``I want you to know that I have something to say and that is to share that I am a victim. I draw my strength from being a victim. Because at the end of the day, the only way I could bring closure to being that victim was to talk to who? My mother -- and eventually forgive my father.''

Kerry invents more people

Kerry spokesman Bill Burton said it probably was easy for Bush to say at the $100 a plate luncheon that the economy was doing well, "but if you talk the three million who've lost their jobs since George Bush became president I think they'd probably have a different view. President Bush and his son are both good people who did a bad job with the American economy."

Alaska conservative takes on Murkowski

"Both are liberals, so the only issue would be nepotism - and Lisa Murkowski loses to Tony Knowles," he said. "In a race with Mike Miller, Tony Knowles would have to talk about issues."

The WMD Hearings

The Commission shall assess whether the Intelligence Community is sufficiently authorized, organized, equipped, trained, and resourced to identify and warn in a timely manner of, and to support United States Government efforts to respond to, the development and transfer of knowledge, expertise, technologies, materials, and resources associated with the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, related means of delivery, and other related threats of the 21st Century and their employment by foreign powers (including terrorists, terrorist organizations, and private networks, or other entities or individuals).

If voters are going to be able to make an informed choice in November, the presidential commission on pre-war intelligence headed by former Senator Charles Robb and federal Judge Laurence Silberman must hold public hearings before the election. The 9/11 hearings that just finished have convinced me of that.

Director of Intelligence

New Column on the RSN site

If you have spent any time over the last few months reading about the 9/11 Commission, one thing should be readily apparent: America is to blame. Forget the notion that the Commission's goal is to help prevent another 9/11 from every happening again. Laugh away the idea that the Commission wants to objectively look at the intelligence failures that made the attack possible. And, do not even entertain the thought that reality might interject its ugly face into their deliberations. The 9/11 Commission is proving that it would rather be a sound bite factory for the media, where Democrats and Republicans take turns demonizing the other for allowing 9/11 to occur, rather than acknowledging the truth. Neither the Clinton nor the Bush Administrations are to blame for 9/11. [MORE]

Larry Sabato rules out Ms. Rodham

Political analyst Larry Sabato on Sen. Hillary Clinton as a Kerry running mate: “She'd make the blue states bluer and the red states redder. She's a polarizer.”

Terrorists love fear…

Fabrizio Quattrocchi, one of four Italian security guards abducted earlier this week, was shot to death Wednesday after Italy refused to bow to the kidnappers' demands that it withdraw its troops from Iraq.

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said a video recording of the killing showed that Quattrocchi was hooded when his kidnappers put a gun to his head.

"When the murderers were pointing a pistol at him, this man tried to take off his hood and shouted: 'Now I'm going to show you how an Italian dies'. And they killed him," Frattini said.

"He died a hero," he added.

The $%@& President won't Apologize

The president acts as if he is being asked to apologize for the terrorist attacks themselves, which is untrue. The attacks were the work of the al-Qaida terrorist network. But it would be reasonable for the president to apologize to the public for the many government failures that left the country far more vulnerable to its enemies than it should have been.

And an apology for the administration's shrill but mistaken assumptions about Iraqi weapons should have been tendered to the public, Congress and the international community a long time ago.

- Bush could have demanded better intelligence on Iraqi weapons programs -- or presented the American public and the international community with more realistic appraisals of the uncertain information that was available.

- The president should not have issued his premature declaration of victory last year.

- Bush could have done a better job of determining how many troops were needed in Iraq. The current numbers are clearly insufficient.

- To avoid obvious repercussions in the Islamic world and even in Europe, the president could refrain from citing religious motivations, as he did again on Tuesday, for American actions abroad.

How to lose a war

''Secretary Rumsfeld's comment that 'people are fungible' is further indication of this Administration's continuing disregard for the men and women who put their lives on the line every day in Iraq. Secretary Rumsfeld has it wrong. Troops are not chess pieces to be moved on a board, they are real people with families and loved ones who depend on them. From failing to provide our troops with adequate body and vehicle armor to breaking their commitment not to extend assignments beyond one year, this Administration has continually let them down. They deserve more than cold impersonal calculations when their tours are extended, they deserve compassion and understanding of the sacrifice they and their families are making for their country.

The Race for the Dem Nomination

TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO POSTCARD:

Hi, this is Patch Adams, and I am thrilled to be putting up another postcard for Dennis Kucinich. I've had the wonderful opportunity this year to go around the country and not so much speak for Dennis, but for what Dennis represents.

I never did this before. The idea that a candidate runs on the peace ticket, and getting out of the WTO and NAFTA, and is for Universal Coverage Single Payer health care, and to really try to derail the vulgar greed and power-hungry corporate world.

I'm there for Dennis in every way, and I entreat anyone who wants a country by the people, for the people and of the people to vote for Dennis.

Air Franken Radio

Arthur Liu of Multicultural Broadcasting, owner of network affiliates WNTD/950 AM in Chicago and KBLA/1580 AM in Santa Monica, put Spanish-language broadcasts on those stations Wednesday because, he said, Air America had bounced a check and owed him more than $1 million.

"They've been saying, 'We're going to get you the money' for the past two months," Liu said, referring to a security deposit that he said Air America was supposed to have prepaid in advance of its launch. "They're not honoring our agreement."

One last note. Worry not about the Drudge lies re: checks bouncing. The extra week's worth of publicity will help the station in both the short and long run. Further, unless AAR goes out of business for lack of funds (which we won't), these reports by all these "news" sources will end up being another example of how corrupted and unreliable these sources are.

Kerry promises to Define Himself

"A lot of people don't really know who I am," Kerry said at a breakfast where he raised $2.5 million. "The level of communication we need to establish here is enormous."

Kerry has raised nearly $15 million this week. While he lags far behind the nearly $200 million President Bush has raised, the Massachusetts senator said he has managed to avoid allowing the president to use that financial edge to define him.

Another New Column on RSN site

Much of the folderol associated with the 911 Commission hearings involves assigning blame for the attack on the World Trade Center September 11, 2001.

The Democrats want to blame President George W. Bush, maintaining that what transpired in the eight months he had been in office was more significant than what transpired – or did not – in the eight years of the prior Clinton administration. [MORE]

New Column on RSN site

LIBERALS playing the foreign policy blame-game is an irony worthy of O. Henry. It should top the list of absurd inconsistencies, right along with weeping clowns and fire stations engulfed in flames.

But that's what the Party of No Ideas is doing. They're pointing they're blood-stained fingers at Republicans in an effort to discredit Condoleezza Rice, defeat President Bush, and lose the War on Terrorism to radical heathens. [MORE]

Is JF Kerry Clinton or Gore?

Dodd Apologizes

"He would have been in the leadership crafting this Constitution," he said. "He would have been right at the great moments of international threat we faced in the 20th century."

"You would have been right at the founding of this country, right during the Civil War," Dodd continued.

Dodd said Wednesday he is sorry if anyone was offended by his comments during the April 1 tribute of Byrd after the West Virginia senator cast his 17,000th vote.

"Words can sting and hurt," Dodd told The Associated Press Wednesday. "If in any way, in my referencing the Civil War, I offended anyone, I apologize."

Kerry playing the wrong card

It's one thing to accuse Bush of playing fast and loose and another to be seen as a viable alternative," the strategist said. "It's two steps, not just one."

Keep the U.N. out of Iraq

During the Saddam Hussein's near quarter century in power, the Iraqi government used its media monopoly to shape public opinion. Iraqis saw only what Saddam wanted them to see and heard only what the Iraqi government wanted them to hear. Etched into ordinary Iraqis' perceptions of the United Nations were comments Secretary-General Kofi Annan made at a February 24, 1998, press conference. "Can I trust Saddam Hussein? I think I can do business with him," Annan stated. Iraqi television repeatedly rebroadcast this clip, framed as an implicit endorsement of the Iraqi leader.

They still don't like Clinton

But the tax-exempt status means that [founder Dean] Erickson and co-founder John LeBoutillier, former Republican congressman from New York, will not be able to keep names of contributors or land acquisitions secret for long. Counterlibe Corp. will have to file that and other information with the IRS next year.

Erickson said his organization also needs overt financial and public relations support from prominent Republicans. Erickson already counts on kind words from conservative media personalities like Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh and help with documents from insiders including fired Clinton adviser Dick Morris.

"Choose or Lose" dialogue bubbles

Zacarias Moussaoui and The 9-11 Commission

Members of the panel this week questioned top FBI, Justice Department and CIA officials over why they failed to capitalize on information they had on Moussaoui before the attacks.

The emerging picture is one in which field agents and others with firsthand suspicions of Moussaoui never connected with higher-ups who might have seen the early outlines of a devastating plot.

At the time of his arrest FBI agents found flight manuals for the Boeing 747-400, a flight-simulator computer program, binoculars, two knives, fighting shields and a laptop computer. They later learned that French intelligence officials suspected Moussaoui of involvement with Islamic extremists. The FBI team applied to Washington for a special warrant to go into Moussaoui’s computer but were turned down: as it turned out, a disc contained information about spraying pesticide from a plane. “All I can tell you is that the agents on the scene attempted to follow up aggressively,” FBI director Robert Mueller said this week. “The attorneys back at the FBI determined that there was insufficient probable cause for a [warrant], which appears to be an accurate decision. And September 11 happened.”

Amusements: Kerry's Cabinet

Stand down, Jamie

"I believe the commission's work and independence will be fatally damaged by the continued participation of Ms. Gorelick as a commissioner," Sensenbrenner wrote.

"Commissioner Gorelick's memo directing a policy that 'go[es] beyond what is legally required' indicates that her judgment and actions as the deputy attorney general in the Reno Justice Department are very much in question before the commission."

Onward to Wictory

The Return (to the news) of Cruz Bustamante

California's Fair Political Practices Commission created a loophole by which a candidate can have unlimited contributions to his old campaign committee then roll them over to a new one, thus allowing Bustamante to circumvent the law's $21,200 contribution limit.

Bustamante admitted 44 violations of the voter-approved proposition, which limits individual contributions for candidates for governor to $21,200. He conceded that he improperly raised $3.8 million into an old account with the intention of using it for his governor's race and then, facing criticism, redirected the money into yet another campaign account to pay for ballot measure ads featuring him.

Kerry's Purple Hearts

"There were an awful lot of Purple Hearts--from shrapnel, some of those might have been M-40 grenades," said George Elliott, who served as a commanding officer to Kerry during another point in his five-month combat tour in Vietnam. (Kerry earlier served a noncombat tour.) "The Purple Hearts were coming down in boxes."

Under Navy regulations, an enlistee or officer wounded three times was permitted to leave Vietnam early, as Kerry did. He received all three purple hearts for relatively minor injuries -- two did not cost him a day of service and one took him out for a day or two.

Heard at the 9-11 Inquisition

Dems Seek to Assassinate Rumsfeld

"And then there's Rumsfeld who said of Iraq 'We have our good days and our bad days.' We should put this S.O.B. up against a wall and say 'This is one of our bad days,' and pull the trigger," the ad read under a banner "St. Petersburg Democratic Club."

"Do you want to salvage our country? Be a savior of our country? Then vote for John Kerry and get rid of the whole Bush Bunch!" The ad then directs financial donations to Kerry's campaign headquarters in Washington.

Pay Your Taxes

The increase in John Kerry's income was almost entirely from capital gains worth $145,805. Those gains came almost exclusively from the March 3 sale of a painting by the Dutch baroque artist Adam Willaerts, which fetched $1.35 million. Kerry's tax payment was $90,575, up from nearly $30,000 last year.

The President's Press Conference

Determining Guilt for 9-11

"Attorney General John Ashcroft blamed the Clinton administration for leaving America vulnerable to terrorist attack, testifying Tuesday that the nation was stunned by the Sept. 11 suicide hijackings because "for nearly a decade our government had blinded itself to our enemies."

The US commission investigating the September 11 attacks criticised FBI readiness to counter strikes on the United States and Attorney General John Ashcroft for not making counterterrorism a top priority.

The attorney general is expected to face intense questioning when he appears before the commission on Tuesday.

A Clear and Present Danger

Kerry's Conundrum

Voting for Ralph Nader, or for any third-party candidate for president, means a vote for a candidate who has no realistic shot of winning the White House. To underscore the danger of voting for any third-party candidate in elections this close, a statistic from the 2000 campaign may prove useful: a total of eight third-party candidates won more votes than the difference between Al Gore and George Bush nationwide.

John Kerry seems to be lost in the argument. Dean tells readers NOT to vote for Nader and that they DON'T want Bush, but he never says who they SHOULD want. In fact Kerry's name is only mentioned once in the column - simply to note who Bush is running against. Bush is mentioned seven times, and Nader is mentioned eight.

Dean's column ends with: "Ralph Nader once said that your best teacher is your last mistake. Too many of us learned the consequences of not standing together four years ago. This November, we can elect a president who fights for average Americans. But we can achieve this goal only if we join together - and don't repeat our last mistake."

And who might that president be?

Beats us.

Blair gets What?

The dangers [with the British public] are obvious - primarily that some will see the visit as Mr Blair supporting a Republican president against his Democratic challenger, and that he will once again be portrayed as Mr Bush's side-kick.

It is absolutely the case that the Labour Party wants Senator John Kerry to defeat President Bush in November.

So any suggestion at the end of the visit that Tony Blair has used his influence in Washington to encourage a different approach, could well boost the prime minister's standing at home.

The final consideration is that even if this meeting had not already been arranged, the crisis in Iraq would probably have made it essential in any case - no matter how difficult it may be for the prime minister.

9-11 Commission this Morning

Specter's AP Interview

"I am not a flip-flopper," Specter said. "I have voted 8,000 to 9,000 times, and you can find a rare occasion where I may have shifted a position when the terrain has shifted."

New Miss USA a Republican

The Furrtails, a family of rabbits, live in their burrow next to Mr. Villman’s farm. Sammy, is not as quick and smart as his younger brother, and soon finds himself stuck in a cage, unable to get out. Each rabbit must use his or her “special” gifts to help free Sammy from the trap.

This story is intended to teach children that each of us have things that we are really good at and things that we may need help with. One is not better than another, only different. This is what makes us all special and unique.

Sadr calling the shots?

Australia's Exit Strategy

John F. Kerry Today

Moqtada al-Sadr: Dead or Alive

"The mission of the U.S. forces is to kill or capture Moqtada al-Sadr," Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, commander of ground forces in Iraq, said in a video conference from Baghdad with reporters at the Pentagon.

I've said it before: Sadr is a punk. He's a little man who got ahead of himself. The real Shi'ite clergy have disavowed him, the Iraqi Governing Council is embarrassed -- all he has are the same militant punks, young and illiterate, who destroy in the name of their god. They can do wonders as Palestinians with bombs strapped to their torsos or sick mutants who fly airplanes into buildings, but not if Allah is taken out of the equation. And he has been.

Gen. John Abizaid, head of Central Command that covers Iraq, on the same video conference said Sadr was being isolated by fellow Shi'ites.

"Moqtada al-Sadr is isolating himself," Abizaid said. "This was not by any stretch of the imagination a Shi'ite uprising."

Gorelick should testify

The questioning can reasonably be expected to focus on steps taken (or not taken) at the Justice Department in the wake of the first World Trade Center attack in 1993 and the 1995 bombing in Oklahoma City — the worst incidents of terrorism inside the United States before the Sept. 11 hijackings. Shouldn't Gorelick provide the commission — and the public — with answers on these topics as well? There is something absurd about the notion that, rather than testifying, Gorelick will instead be asking Reno for information. Are there any questions she can ask to which she does not already have the answer? Gorelick's role with the commission deprives the inquiry of a potentially valuable source of agreement or disagreement with the attorney general's testimony.

Back on Message

Laura Flanders, the author of a new book highly critical of the White House, "Bushwomen," contends that the Bush administration is using Hughes and other female appointees to create "a family-friendly facade on an extremist administration … that is seeking to roll back many of the protections and rights that have helped these women advance."

The loss of Hughes from the White House (she'll still advise President Bush from Texas) removes Bush's top Christian aide from his daily presence. Both Hughes and Bush are serious practitioners of their faith (Hughes and her family church-shopped until settling in at National Presbyterian in Washington). The faith of both influences the way they see the world and policy issues. Most high-profile people in Washington don't get that because most here don't "get" God. Hughes and Bush do and people with sensitive antennae can pick up on that influence in many domestic and foreign policy decisions, especially post-Sept. 11.

Kerry's Veep

Many Democratic primary voters acknowledged voting for Mr. Kerry with the hope that he'd pick Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina as his running mate.

New Column on RSN site

When politicians see television cameras, even the most reasonable and responsible among them become more than willing to sink the ship of our nation with the inflammatory rhetoric spewing from their loose lips. The 9-11 Commission has done nothing to further the prevention of terrorism, but has been a dirty political blame game that must have been very entertaining for Osama bin Laden (assuming he has access to television in the hole he is cowering in). The public hearings have been a dangerous farce, eroding the confidence of some and exposing our divisions to those who wish us ill. [MORE]

Abortion and Scouting

"Some councils attempted to justify their partnership with Planned Parenthood by having parents sign permission slips," Sedlak explained. "We maintain that, as an organization that purports to provide the best for young girls, it is the Girl Scouts organization itself that should be saying NO to Planned Parenthood. We ask every parent of a Girl Scout in areas served by councils that did not respond to our inquiry to insist the councils tell the truth."

As parents find out about local councils, they can use a link on the web site to send corrections/comments to STOPP, and the site will be updated as new information is received. "It is important to understand," Sedlak said, "we are not at war with the Girl Scouts, but that we are trying to protect young girls from the evils of Planned Parenthood. We are simply asking that Girl Scout councils stop their partnership with Planned Parenthood."

The USA, the PRC, and Taiwan

"The so-called Taiwan Relations Act, enacted unilaterally by the United States, has infringed on China's sovereignty and interfered in China's internal affairs," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said in a statement on the ministry's website.

"The United States ... should end the implementation of the Taiwan Relations Act and not send the wrong message to 'Taiwan independence' forces, so as not to harm peace across the Taiwan Straits and the steady development of Sino-US relations," said Kong.

The "Real Scandal"

And the U.S. General Accounting Office has estimated that Saddam skimmed as much as $10 billion from the $47 billion program.

It is not yet clear how much U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan knew about the shameful goings-on, including the extent to which program administrators collaborated with the Saddam regime and conspired in the defrauding of Iraqi Ku.

Note that France and Russia were the biggest recipients of Oil-for-Food largesse. As Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) pointed out last week, "The corruption . . . almost certainly contributed to the international division over containing and ultimately ousting Saddam Hussein."

There they go again.

Senate Democrats are salivating over what they see as the self-inflicted wounds being sustained in the Pennsylvania GOP Senate primary (story, Page 33). They believe their unchallenged candidate, Rep. Joe Hoeffel, will face either a damaged incumbent Arlen Specter or an unyielding conservative in his challenger, Pat Toomey. "We look at this as one of the most competitive races in the country," says New Jersey Sen. Jon Corzine. The Dems' Senate campaign committee chair thinks Specter is bruising himself by moving too far right, but Specter says, "It's too early to focus on Hoeffel."

It is a battle with implications beyond the simple calculus of his own race; indeed, the Keystone State primary has become a proxy fight over whether there is still a role for moderates in the increasingly conservative GOP.

A Quote from Fallujah

"This big fight had to happen at some point," said Baccellieri, 23, from Portland, Ore., as he leaned against a wall of the house during a lull in the fighting. "Let's get it over with, so we can start rebuilding the place and get out of here."

McCarrick and Sanctions

WALLACE: Should a Catholic politician follow the teachings of the church?

MCCARRICK: Well, as a Catholic, he certainly should follow the teachings of the church. The teachings of the church sometimes give the impression that they don't come from God. We believe that what we [the Catholic Church] proclaim is what the Gospel proclaims.

WALLACE: Some church officials are critical of Senator Kerry because of his stands on abortion and stem cell research. Is that fair?

MCCARRICK: It's fair that some bishops are critical of him, because each bishop makes his own decision. Certainly, I think we all would be critical of anyone who did not agree with us.

WALLACE: Which puts Kerry and his church on a possible collision course. Some Catholic leaders have suggested denying communion to politicians who don't obey their church.

At least one archbishop has said that he would not like to see Senator Kerry take communion there in St. Louis. How do you feel about that?

MCCARRICK: I think every archbishop has the right to make his decision in his own area.

I think that there are many of us who would feel that there are certain restrictions that's we might put on people, that there are certain sanctions that we may put on people. But I think many of us would not like to use the Eucharist as part of the sanction.

WALLACE: Would you, if Senator Kerry were at mass that you were...

MCCARRICK: I think I would want to get to talk to him, get to see him and get to understand him before I would make a decision like that.

If a man said to me, "I don't believe in Jesus Christ, I don't believe in the church, I don't believe in holy communion," and then comes up to me, I wouldn't give him communion.

WALLACE: But what if he said, "I disagree with the church's position on abortion and stem cell research"?

MCCARRICK: Well, I'd have to know exactly what his disagreement is all about.

WALLACE: So you're saying it's an issue?

MCCARRICK: Oh, I'm saying it's an issue, yes. These things [are important] because this is the teaching of the church. So it has to be an issue.

Archbishop Sean O'Malley of Boston has not explicitly said that Mr. Kerry may not receive communion, but he has suggested that Catholic politicians whose political views contradict Catholic teaching should voluntarily abstain, saying they "shouldn't dare come to communion."

There were no protesters at today's services, and it was not clear whether Mr. Kerry's receiving communion would bring a response from the church or affect his campaign as he seeks to become only the second Roman Catholic president of the United States, after John F. Kennedy.

Commended to your attention