"The Bancroft family has accepted," John Prestbo, editor and executive director of Dow Jones Indexes, told reporters on Tuesday in Chicago. Dow Jones "will be part of News Corp," he said.

This is really unfortunate. While the Journal's editorial page was always in fantasy land, the main section was about as good as they come. With Murdoch running the show, the #1 financial paper just became Financial Times (that funny orange newspaper). The Wall Street Titanic just ran into iceberg Fox.

Bancroft family accepts News deal - DJ executive�|�Technology, Media & Telecommunications�|�Reuters.co.uk

A group of House Democrats will introduce a resolution calling on the Judiciary Committee to begin impeachment proceedings against Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

Prediction: Fredo is done for and will resign at the beginning of next week so Bush can make an interim appointment of a new AG. That AG will be current Cheney counsel David Addington.

(no, I don't have an inside source, I just find that to be the most likely option. Fredo is toast, and a resignation while Congress is at recess means recess appointment)

First Read : Impeach Gonzales?

LINDEN LAB, hallowed creator of the Second Life virtual world, has announced that all in-world casinos and miscellaneous gambling joints are herewith to be shut down.

Saw this one coming and think I linked it about 8 months ago? Next question, there are games out there that have gambling but don't have the direct conversion of $ to in game $, so how will that be viewed?

Second Life shuts down casinos

The letter by director of national intelligence at the time, John Negroponte, as well as public testimony by CIA Director Michael Hayden, seems to contradict sworn testimony by Gonzales this week about a crucial intelligence briefing for congressional leaders on activities in the White House Situation Room on March 10, 2004. The letter specifically lists the March 10 meeting as one of a number of “briefings” about the “Terrorist Surveillance Program.”

So which is it? Are there more programs and he was lying about that, or is there just the one and he was lying about the disagreement and now the statement that the disagreement was about a different program?

Terror Watch: New Questions About Gonzales's Credibility - Newsweek Terror Watch - MSNBC.com

By denying DeFazio's reasonable request to view these documents, the White House has done much to encourage and nothing to quell such speculation. The administration would be wise to reverse its decision and allow DeFazio, or any other member of Congress with the required clearance, full and immediate access.

If the White House doesn't do so, the American public is left with this unsettling thought from Congressman DeFazio: "Maybe the people who think there's a conspiracy out there are right."

Congressman DeFazio asked to see the plans relating to how the government would respond to different disasters, either natural or man-made, and was told by the White House no. He has the requisite security clearances, is part of the homeland security committee that should know such things, but was rejected.

This has gone beyond ridiculous. But gee, he's a Democrat, and that makes him the enemy. The enemy of the White House isn't terrorists, it isn't foreign powers that have no interest in the well being of the US, no, for the White House, the enemy is the other party and anyone who agrees with them. Enough.

The Register-Guard, Eugene, Oregon, USA

While the rest of the world is enjoying a boom in tourism, and our own tourist industry is begging the government for a let-up on such draconian policies, the abysmal way we are treating air passengers – even those who have nothing to do with visiting America as tourists – is costing the country millions of dollars a day, our reputation as debased as our currency.

A very pointed account of what international travel is like these days, or rather, what it is like if you're coming to, or even passing through, the US.

Crooks and Liars » Nonny Mouse Goes Down Under

Republicans said Democrats couldn't win this fight, noting the White House has offered to make top presidential aides available for private interviews about their roles in the firings. Republicans also suggested that the Democrats' rejection of the offer leaves only one reason for the dispute: politics.

Okay, this is completely wrong on multiple fronts. First, the issue here is not whether claims of executive privilege are valid or not, it is whether they allow someone to ignore a properly issued subpoena. Short of being dead or hospitalized, and there may be other reasons, I am not aware of one. There is a very big difference between showing up and refusing to answer questions and not showing up at all. On those grounds the Republican objection is very wrong, and refusal to appear on grounds of executive privilege is not the same as showing up and refusing to answer questions.

Second, given the previous statements of administration officials under oath, Rove going to the grand jury FIVE TIMES, Libby's conviction, Gonzales' non-answers, prevarications and bald faced lies, the case for WMD's, etc., putting questions to them not under oath, without transcripts, and in private session is about as useful as shoving a car exhaust pipe up your ass. All you'll get is burned with a lot of smoke blown up it.

You will further note, Sara Taylor is not one of those for whom a contempt citation was issued indicating the issue is not the claim of executive privilege, but refusal to appear. I agree the executive privilege part of this will probably be needed to be handled in some other manner, but the refusal to appear issue is a proper reason for issuing the contempt citation.

House Democrats Pass Contempt Citations - The Huffington Post

Mr. Specter has accused Mr. Gonzales before of dodging questions, and he did so again today. At one point, the senator said, “I see it’s hopeless.” At another point, he said acidly, “Let’s see if somewhere, somehow we can find a question that you’ll answer.”

That would be Arlen Specter, Republican from Pennsylvania who has been until recently trying to find a way to capitulate to the White House. Not so much anymore. Ouch.

Gonzales Denies Any Attempt to Pressure Ashcroft - New York Times

The troubled saga of Lindsay Lohan took another dangerous turn early Tuesday when police charged her with drunken driving and cocaine possession after a frightened woman dialed 911 to report being chased by Lohan's SUV.

I see rehab didn't really take....

Movie News - Lohan Arrested Again for DUI, Cocaine - AOL News

I haven't seen this elsewhere but someone I was talking to mentioned this and it was sufficiently disturbing I want to toss it out there to be considered.

In this morning's Times, they reported Bush has restarted the CIA secret interrogations. But last week he dropped an executive order saying no torture. Those two things are at complete odds with each other.

He also issued a directive to the Justice Department that they are not to press any Contempt of Congress proceedings if executive privilege has been requested. That cannot be anything the Republicans want in existence if the other party is in the White House.

He issued the new executive order on asset seizure, in complete violation of both the 4th and 5th amendments.

He has worked to turn the Justice Department into an arm of the Republican party.

He has worked to pack the Judiciary, with a fine example of his work in Judge Bates who dismissed the Plame case.

I can go on and on, but that should be sufficient for the conclusion.

These are not the actions of a person who expects to release power in 18 months. Especially not if the person who will assume the reins is a member of the opposition party, and all polling says it will be, in a landslide.

While I think Bush may be stupid enough to not see that far into the future, I don't see Cheney doing that, not unless there was already a plan to ensure that control would remain either in their hands or in the hands of someone they have hand picked to take over. The national lottery we call elections is no where near a secure enough mechanism to deal with that problem.

Something with what they're doing doesn't add up.