News You Can Use (1000th Post!)

There's too many things I'd like to say only a few words about, so instead of a dozen or so very short posts, here's all your importants stories for today.

First off, the Bush administration has come out swinging in the wake of yesterday's "victory" on the torture bill, charging Democrats with being the party of the "cut and run". Attorney General Alberto Gonzales gives right-wing bloggers the green light to criticize judges who question the President's authority under the Consitution. Congressional Republicans are salivating at the thought of taking back home a message that Democrats are weak on national security, despite supposedly learning that marching in lockstep with the President won't work so well in the coming elections.

The NY Times tells us that Democrats, for their part, are "bucking Bush" with their votes against the torture bill. Our little blog, among others, says otherwise.

The failings in Iraq continue to work against Bush and the GOP, despite the President's attempts to discredit the findings of the NIE. "Some say" that of course the Iraq war has increased the threat of terror. The British may be looking for an excuse to leave. And unfortunately for the Iraqis themselves, they cannot simply argue their way out of reality at a press conferance.

As for the Bush administration itself...Bob Woodward reveals in his newest book that President Bush is out of touch, that senior administration officials argued for the replacement of Rumsfeld, and that they themselves have had a little trouble getting along. But war's stressful for everybody, you know (and the Bush administration denies it all anyway.)

As for ex-Bush administration officials...a federal judge has ruled that former Attorney General John Ashcroft can be held personally liable for misusing his authority to detain material witnesses indefinitely. I wouldn't count on it starting a trend. And while Jack Abramoff was not technically a member of the Bush team, it would seem he was at one time quite cozy with Karl Rove.

Most importantly, T.O.'s mishandling of pain meds is reclassified by the DPD as an "accidental overdose." Now Owens can get back to the job of catching footballs, for which he has so far at Dallas proven less adept than at catching media attention.