The document says that Syria's legislative elections, scheduled for March 2007, "provide a potentially galvanizing issue for... critics of the Assad regime." To capitalize on that opportunity, the document proposes a secret "election monitoring" scheme, in which "internet accessible materials will be available for printing and dissemination by activists inside the country [Syria] and neighboring countries." The proposal also calls for surreptitiously giving money to at least one Syrian politician who, according to the document, intends to run in the election.

I don't know how to comment on this, except wait, I do. Bashir Assad was trained as an opthamologist and took over the Syrian government when his father died. He is generally seen as a moderating force between his hardline military and his equally hardline, albeit in a different direction, civillian government. I'm quite sure with a little pushing we could get Assad out. I am also quite sure the results of doing so would be a debacle somewhat worse that the Bay of Pigs, but probably not as bad as the current situation in Iraq. Unfortunately, with Syria right next to Mess O' Potamia, I think it's safe to say it would have a multiplicative effect.

If the White House pushes ahead with this, the only way we're getting a result even marginally favorable to the United States is if the entire region is nuked into a giant plain of fused glass.

TIME.com: Syria in Bush's Crosshairs -- Page 1

In it, he also proudly recounts his retort to a Muslim student who asked him why he did not include the Koran with The Ten Commandments on his wall. "As long as I have the honor of representing the citizens of the 5th District of Virginia in the United States House of Representatives, The Koran is not going to be on the wall of my office," he says he told the student.

This is exactly why there is a little thing called "freedom of religion." I would like to thank Mr Goode for identifying himself as a bigot, and hope we find out he's been taking bribes from Jack Abramoff so he can be sent to prison and get buggered.

GOP Rep Fears Influx of Muslims

"I am not opposed to her getting a vote," Brownback said before a lunch with potential donors and supporters in Davenport. "I would like her to come back through committee so she can testify what took place, factually ... her legal views on same-sex marriage and her ability and willingness to be impartial."

Neff has said she attended the commitment ceremony as a friend of one of the two women, a longtime neighbor.

She insisted in an Oct. 12 letter to Brownback that the ceremony had no legal effect and would not influence her ability to act fairly as a federal judge.

Hey Senator Brownface, she already answered the question unlike most of the asshats who show up, and you're holding her up, after she's already been passed by the committee, for something she's already done? This is called being a putz.

From our good friends at UrbanDictionary.com:
Putz
Literally, vulgar slang for penis, not to be used lightly. More offensive than the schmuck, which can be used affectionately or teasingly. Rarely used to describe the member, schmuck does that. Def. from the "Joys of Yiddish" by Leo Rosten

Brownback wants to re-question nominee - Yahoo! News

Perhaps it's because the mainstream media are too timid to declare the difference between right and wrong. Imagine if journalism consisted of more than a collage of conflicting talking points. Imagine the difference it would make if more brand-name reporters broke from the bizarre straitjacket of "balance," which equates fairness with putting all disputants on equal epistemological footing, no matter how deceitful or moronic they may be.

There's a market for news that weighs counterclaims and assesses truth value. It just hasn't kept up with demand. No wonder Jon Stewart has such a loyal audience: He has a point of view, and it's rooted in the reality-based — not the ideology-based — world.

Good call from Marty. Less "balance," more "fair," meaning make a damn call.

Does Iraq need more debate? - Los Angeles Times

U.S. growers produce nearly $35 billion worth of marijuana annually, making the illegal drug the country's largest cash crop, bigger than corn and wheat combined

'nuff said.

Marijuana top US cash crop, analyst says - Yahoo! News

Gunmen in Iraqi army uniforms burst into Red Crescent offices on Sunday and kidnapped more than two dozen people at the humanitarian organization in the latest sign of the country's growing lawlessness.

....

On Thursday, gunmen in military uniforms kidnapped dozens of people in central Baghdad, police said. The attackers drove up to the busy Sanak area in about 10 sport utility vehicles and began rounding up shop owners and bystanders. Police said 50 to 70 people were abducted, but at least two dozen were later released.

Every time something like this comes up I want to know how we got to someplace that things this screwed up could happen. The answer of course is simple. The current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. doesn't give a damn about anything. He doesn't care that he's responsible for what will probably end up being the biggest slaughterhouse of the decade. He doesn't care about the troops he's shoved into this hellhole. He willfully ignored anyone who had a different thought about how things would go in Iraq, most noteably the people who the military had designing their contingency plans for what to do if we did invade Iraq, and who had figured out you could take out the Iraqi military with a minimal force, but maintaining order would take close to half a million guys before you got to break even chances of sucess. He doesn't care where Osama bin Laden is.

The situation in Iraq has degenerated to a point where it is no longer solvable. Had anyone in power bothered to act on what was already known this was possibly preventable. It is not now. The sheer manpower needs (and let's put this 20,000 troop "surge" idea away, right now, it's crap) would mean bringing in NATO, the Russians, the Chinese, and all of the Middle East and Africa. That would create even more chaos. Instead, we're doing what we've done foe decades, training the death squads.

It was never time to invade Iraq, the administration lied and bamboozled us in. Once we did, it was always time to get out.

28 kidnapped from aid office in Baghdad - Yahoo! News

The act provides that parental consent must be given for a minor to obtain body waxing on or near genitalia.

Say what??? Just out of curiosty, what state interest is served by this?

MO law on waxing...

With a social system gone awry and a religious vision to match, believers look outside themselves to find and judge sin. Out of control, they seek to control others and their bodies.

A very interesting article covering where things were, where they are and maybe how we got here from there. Worth the five minutes.

The Revealer: Feeding Desires, Judging Sin

The Bush administration warned Wednesday against threats by terrorist groups and other nations against U.S. commercial and military satellites, and discounted the need for a treaty aimed at preventing an arms race in space.

Let me make sure I understand this... Al Qaeda on the ground wasn't enough, now we're supposed to be worried about, I can't even say it, so we'll go straight to the jeering.

This threat is about as real as PIGS IN SPACE was on The Muppet Show, and just as threatening. At least their fabrications before were marginally plausible. This is pathetic.

U.S. warns of threat to satellites - Yahoo! News

Barnes:…and the day before he leavers office—carry out the military option in Iran. Wipe out their nuclear facilities….

Well, if there were any question about Freddie Barnes being a nutcase, I thing this answers them. "Hey, let's bomb the crap out of Iran and leave it for the next guy to deal with." I have to agree with Amato on this one, only on Fox...

Crooks and Liars » Fred Barnes hopes the “lame Duck” Bush bombs Iran on the way out the door