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Ann Coulter: Still Bomb N.Y. Times

Ann Coulter, whose book, "Godless, The Church of Liberalism," has reached runaway best-seller status, won’t back down on comments made about bombing the New York Times main office building in Manhattan.

Coulter’s comments are reverberating around the journalism world. This weekend, Editor & Publisher magazine featured this story: "Coulter Affirms Prevous Statement About Bombing 'NYT' Office.”

Coulter had stated that her "only regret with [Oklahoma City bomber] Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times building."

She added such a bombing would have been appropriate only if Times’ reporters and editors were inside.

Editor & Publisher noted that recently Lee Salem, the head of Universal Syndicate, wrote to the publication explaining that Coulter was simply engaging in satire and did not seek violent harm to liberals.

But E&P says Coulter doesn’t feel the same way.

Asked if she would recant her "bomb the New York Times" remark by Alan Colmes during her appearance last Thursday night on Fox News, Coulter said she stood by her comment.

"No, I think the Timothy McVeigh line was merely prescient after the New York Times has leapt beyond -- beyond nonsense straight into treason, last week," Coulter said.

Coulter was referring to what she called "the latest of a long list of formerly top-secret government anti-terrorism operations that have been revealed by the Times," noting that "last week the paper printed the details of a government program tracking terrorists' financial transactions that has already led to the capture of major terrorists and their handmaidens in the U.S."

An angry Colmes shot back with sarcasm: "This is great humor. This belongs on 'Saturday Night Live.' It belongs on 'The Daily Show.'"

Despite their upset over violence talk, neither Colmes or E&P have yet to express outrage when left-leaning figures called for the killing of prominent Republicans, including:

During the 2000 election, "The Late Show with Craig Kilborn" showed footage of George Bush while the words "Snipers Wanted" was superimposed.

Actor Alec Baldwin appeared on "Late Night With Conan O’Brien" and called for Republican Congressman Henry Hyde and his family to be murdered. Baldwin said: "I’m thinking to myself if we were in other countries, we would all, right now, all of us together ... would go down to Washington and we would stone Henry Hyde to death! We would stone him to death! Wait! ... Shut up! No shut up! I’m not finished. We would stone Henry Hyde to death, and we would go to their homes and we’d kill their wives and their children. We would kill their families."

Al Franken told Matt Lauer on NBC’s "Today” show that Karl Rove and Lewis Libby should be "executed." The comment drew a laugh from Lauer. Franken's comments drew no criticism from the major media, including NBC News.

Late Nite Jokes

Leno

"Time” magazine’s cover story this week is on President Teddy Roosevelt, the man who said, "Speak softly and carry a big stick.” I’m sorry, that was Rush Limbaugh.

I always get those two confused because Teddy Roosevelt is on Mount Rushmore, Rush wanted to mount more.

Rush was talking about it on his show this week. He said that he was on a "boys only trip”. Here’s my question - if he’s on a boys only trip, why is he taking Viagra?

More news coming out about those seven men in Miami that the FBI arrested, that were planning on blowing up the sears tower in Chicago. It seems they pledged allegiance to al Qaeda and were after virgins in the afterlife because they couldn't find any in Miami.

Military commanders in Iraq say the day is fast approaching when we’ll start withdrawing our troops. I believe that day is called Election Day.

In a speech in Washington, D.C., Delaware Senator Joe Biden said although he wants to be president he’d rather be at home making love to his wife. Which is ironic because Bill Clinton said the same thing. He said he also would rather be home making love to Joe Biden’s wife too.

Letterman

Rush Limbaugh was caught at an airport for illegally processing Viagra. Another victory for Homeland Security!

U.S. Still Finding WMD in Iraq

The U.S. military has found more Iraqi weapons in recent months, in addition to the 500 chemical munitions recently reported by the Pentagon, a top defense intelligence official said Thursday.

Lt. Gen. Michael Maples, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, did not specify if the newly found weapons were also chemical munitions. But he said he expected more.

"I do not believe we have found all the weapons," he told the House Armed Services Committee, offering few details in an open session that preceded a classified briefing to lawmakers.

Responding to questions from lawmakers anxious to make political points ahead of the November congressional elections, U.S. defense officials said the 500 chemical weapons discovered in Iraq were "weapons of mass destruction." However their degraded state may make them more dangerous to those who find them than anyone else.

Maples said the pre-Gulf War rockets and artillery rounds recently reported by the Pentagon were produced in the 1980s and could not be used as intended.

If the chemical agent, sarin, was removed from the munitions and repackaged, it could be lethal. Its release in a U.S. city, in certain circumstances, would be devastating, Maples said.

But despite statements of concern by Republicans about the risk of terrorists releasing the chemical in the United States, defense officials said the munitions pose as much a threat to people who try to handle them as potential victims.

When asked by a Democrat to confirm the weapons pose a risk to troops in Iraq, not Americans at home, Maples said, "Yes."

Republican lawmakers, some facing tough election battles amid growing anti-war sentiment, called the discovery of the weapons significant.

Republican Rep. Curt Weldon of Pennsylvania suggested the munitions were in fact the weapons of mass destruction that former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein lied about, leading the United States to war.

"For those who claim that these weapons are not the weapons of mass destruction that the United States went to war over, I would refer them to 17 United Nations Security Council resolutions that Saddam Hussein violated," Weldon said. "It didn't say pre-'91 chemical weapons. It didn't say post-'91 chemical weapons. It said chemical weapons."

But Democrats dismissed such arguments and said the weapons were not the "imminent threat" used to justify the war.

"It's very difficult to characterize these as the imminent threat weapons that we were told we were looking for," said Rep. Ellen Tauscher, a California Democrat.

Karl Rove's 7 Lessons of Teddy Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt was "among our most consequential Presidents, changing America in deep and lasting ways,” according to top White House aide Karl Rove.

Writing in Time magazine, Rove cited several lessons Americans can learn from Teddy:

It is every American’s responsibility to be active in our civic life. "The first duty of an American citizen,” Roosevelt said, "is that he shall work in politics.”

Politics should be animated by large, important ideas. Roosevelt "wanted to grapple with big issues like America’s role in the world, social justice and fairness in competition,” Rove writes.

The U.S., while not flawless, is a profound force for good in the world. "Our flag is a proud flag, and it stands for liberty and civilization,” Roosevelt said. "Where is has once floated, there must be no return to tyranny.”

Leadership matters. Roosevelt believed in "immediate and rigorous executive action” in times of crisis, Rove notes.

A spirited clash of ideas is not only inevitable in politics, but helpful. The "healthy combativeness” of politics clarified differences and choices, according to Roosevelt.

There can be great joy in politics. Roosevelt "relished the thrust and parry of politics, its give and take, the highs and lows,” Rove writes in his Time essay. "Aggressive fighting for the right,” Roosevelt said, "is the noblest sport the world affords.”

Character matters. Roosevelt was a man "of extraordinary self-will,” Rove declared, "a loyal friend and faithful husband.” Rove concludes: "[Roosevelt] strived with all his considerable power to conserve, strengthen, direct and ennoble” the U.S. "He did all that and more, which is why Theodore Roosevelt holds a special place in the American imagination.”

Late Nite Jokes

Leno

Today it was hotter than Dick Cheney reading the "New York Times”.

You know about that story? The White House is mad at the "New York Times” because they broke the story that the white house is secretly tracking our banking transactions. They’re looking out for when people suddenly withdraw large amounts of cash. You know, either terrorists or people who need to fill up their SUV.

Terrible rains in Washington, D.C. this week. In fact, Karl Rove’s office was leaking again.

It rained so hard in Washington, President Bush had to take shelter in a theater showing Al Gore’s movie.

Major flooding struck all parts of the federal government. In fact, the FEMA office had over three feet of water in it. Here’s the sad part, they still don’t know…

Rush Limbaugh was detained for more than three hours at the Palm Beach airport after officials found a bottle of Viagra in his possession with someone else’s name on it. How ironic is that? The one Republican with a plan to get cheap prescription drugs and they try to arrest him. It doesn’t seem fair.

Here’s an interesting fact. Even when Rush Limbaugh is on Viagra, he still "leans to the right.”

What is it with Republicans and Viagra? First Bob Dole, now Rush Limbaugh. Say what you will about Bill Clinton, but the man was always there to answer the call.

Things not looking good for the Pittsburgh Pirates. They have now lost 11 games in a row. To give you an idea of how bad they are, today they got beat by Ghana.

N.Y. Times Aiding Enemy

Former Attorney General Ed Meese accused the New York Times of "giving aid and comfort to the enemy" a term that fits the definition of treason.

Interviewed Monday on Rush Limbaugh's radio show, Meese said the Times' outing of the CIA and Treasury Department's tracking of financial transactions by al-Qaida and other terrorist groups was its "the third offense," Pipeline News reported.

Acccording to Meese, the Times' exposure of of the existence of the NSA program to track al-Qaida communications, their outing of the logging of phone records and now the publishing of the details of the financial tracking operation were cases of newspaper "putting the enemy on notice." That, he said was giving "aid and comfort to the enemy."

Pipeline News pointed out that this "is the classic definition of treason going back at least 600 years, to Britain's Treason Act of 1351, which defines high treason, in part as: 'or be adherent to the King’s enemies in his realm, giving to them aid and comfort in the realm...'"

Late Nite Jokes

Leno

Huge rain storms all the way from Minnesota to New York. Or as Al Gore calls it, global leaking.

Heavy rains caused so much flooding in Washington, D.C. they had to close down the national archives where they keep the constitution. Luckily, the Bush administration not using the constitution anymore.

The flooding was so bad in Washington, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin called the president to say, "You’re on your own pal!”

A 140 year old tree on the white house grounds fell over. Luckily Daryl Hannah, who was in the tree at the time, escaped injury. She was able to ride it out.

The Census Bureau reported that Las Vegas is about to pass Washington, D.C. in population. Of course there’s a huge difference Vegas and Washington. See, in Las Vegas, people gamble with their own money.

Some sad news, the oldest living creature on earth has died. No, not Joan Collins.

A 176 year old tortoise named Harriet. A 176 years old. In fact, do you know how the tortoise died? Sky diving accident.

In an interview this week Paris Hilton said she never discussed sex with her parents. She said she was too shy to ask them about it. In fact, everything she knows about sex she learned from watching her own video.

Prosecute New York Times

The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee urged the Bush administration Sunday to seek criminal charges against The New York Times for reporting on a secret financial-monitoring program used to trace terrorists.

Rep. Peter King blasted the newspaper's decision last week to report that the Treasury Department was working with the CIA to examine messages within a massive international database of money-transfer records.

"I am asking the Attorney General to begin an investigation and prosecution of The New York Times _ the reporters, the editors and the publisher," said Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y. "We're at war, and for the Times to release information about secret operations and methods is treasonous."

The conservative lawmaker called the paper "pompous, arrogant, and more concerned about a left-wing elitist agenda than it is about the security of the American people."

Conservatives have expressed outrage against the media ever since the Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times first reported on the money-monitoring program, but King's call for a criminal prosecution is the strongest denunciation to date.

King said he thought investigators should also examine the reports by the Journal and Los Angeles Times, but said the greater focus should be on The New York Times, because of their previous reporting on a secret domestic wiretapping program.

Times spokeswoman Catherine Mathis did not immediately reply to a message seeking comment Sunday.

But when the Times chose to publish the story, it quoted executive editor Bill Keller as saying editors had listened closely to the government's arguments for withholding the information, but "remain convinced that the administrations extraordinary access to this vast repository of international financial data, however carefully targeted use of it may be, is a matter of public interest."

Following Sept. 11, Treasury officials obtained access to a vast database called Swift _ the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication.

The Belgium-based database handles financial message traffic from thousands of financial institutions in more than 200 countries.
After the revelations of Swift monitoring, Democrats and civil liberties questioned whether the program violated privacy rights.

The service, which routes more than 11 million messages each day, mostly captures information on wire transfers and other methods of moving money in and out of the United States, but it does not execute those transfers.

The service generally doesn't detect private, individual transactions in the United States, such as withdrawals from an ATM or bank deposits. It is aimed mostly at international transfers.

King said he would send a letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez formally requesting a criminal investigation into the report.

The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said Sunday it was too early to talk about investigating the newspaper.

"On the basis of the newspaper article, I think it's premature to call for a prosecution of the New York Times, just like I think it's premature to say that the administration is entirely correct," Sen. Arlen Specter said on "Fox News Sunday."

Lucy Dalglish, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said the paper acted responsibly, both in last week's story and in reporting last year about the wiretapping program.

"Its pretty clear to me that in this story and in the story last December that The New York Times did not act recklessly," Dalglish said. "I think in years to come that this is a story American citizens are going to be glad they had, however this plays out."

Fox Makes Up News, NY Times Editor Says

Former New York Times Executive Editor Howell Raines has leveled a shocking charge against Fox News: The leading cable news network makes up its stories.

In his new autobiography "The One That Got Away,” Raines – who, ironically, resigned over made-up stories at the Times – writes: "Fox, by its mere existence, undercuts the argument that the public is starved for ‘fair’ news, and not just because Fox shills for the Republican Party and panders to the latest of America’s periodic religious manias. The key to understanding Fox News is to grasp the anomalous fact that its consumers know its ‘news’ is made up.

"It matters not when critics point this out to Foxite consumers because they’ve understood it from the outset. That’s why they’re there.”

Further on in the book he attacks Fox again:

"Fox Television showed us the future - outright lies and paranoid opinions packaged as news under the oversight of Rupert [Murdoch], a flagrant pirate, and Roger Ailes, an unprincipled Nixon thug.”

After the conservative Web site Newsbusters ran several excerpts from Raines’ book, one e-mailer wrote:

"Fox may have a conservative slant but it is usually quite clear when they go from straight reporter mode to giving their own two bits worth.”

Another e-mail says: "I guess if there’s anyone who should recognize ‘made-up’ news when he sees it, it would be Howell Raines.”

Raines was executive editor at the Times when the Jayson Blair scandal erupted in 2003. Blair, it was revealed, had fabricated stories, inventing quotes and even entire interviews. Raines resigned about a month later, after less than two years at the job.

Late Nite Jokes

Leno

The U.S. is out of the World Cup. We got beat 2-1 by Ghana. We get beat out every four years in this, we’re like Democrats.

We got beat so bad the other day that U.S. fans tried to start a riot but it’s too hard for two guys to push over a car.

Today was take your dog to work day. What if you work at the pound? How does that work?

Letterman

This is a fun night. We have Al Gore on the show. He’s going to tell us that the earth is dieing.

I’ve been Googling other planets to live on.

Al Gore likes coming on the show. The Ed Sullivan Theater is the only place on earth not touched by global warming.

On this date in 1898 New York City became an official city. And on this date in 1968 it became a living hell.

Celebrity birthday today. Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mack turned 68 today. He admitted today that it might be time to stop thinking about tomorrow.

Here’s something new in law enforcement. In L.A. they are using unmanned drones flying over the city to fight crime. This should take some pressure off Superman.

So far the unmanned drones are a success. Only two have been shot down by motorists.

President Bush, NY Times Scuffle Over Terror Story

The Bush administration and The New York Times are again at odds over national security, this time with new reports of a broad government effort to track global financial transfers.

The newspaper, which in December broke news of an effort by the National Security Agency to monitor Americans' telephone calls and e-mails, declined a White House request not to publish a story about the government's inspection of monies flowing in and out of the country.

The Los Angeles Times also reported on the issue Thursday night on its Web site, against the Bush administration's wishes. The Wall Street Journal said it received no request to hold its report of the surveillance.

Administration officials were concerned that news reports of the program would diminish its effectiveness and could harm overall national security.

"It's a tough call; it was not a decision made lightly," said Doyle McManus, the Los Angeles Times' Washington bureau chief. "The key issue here is whether the government has shown that there are adequate safeguards in these programs to give American citizens confidence that information that should remain private is being protected."

Treasury Department officials spent 90 minutes Thursday meeting with the newspaper's reporters, stressing the legality of the program and urging the paper to not publish a story on the program, McManus said in a telephone interview.

"They were quite vigorous, they were quite energetic. They made a very strong case," he said.

In its story, The New York Times said it carefully weighed the administration's arguments for withholding the information and gave them "the most serious and respectful consideration."

"We remain convinced that the administration's extraordinary access to this vast repository of international financial data, however carefully targeted use it may be, is a matter of public interest," said Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor.

In December, Bush used part of his weekly radio address to criticize The New York Times' initial eavesdropping story as helping to inform enemies, saying "the unauthorized disclosure of this effort damages our national security and puts our citizens at risk."

McManus said the other factor that tipped the paper's decision to publish was the novel approach government was using to gather data in another realm without warrant or subpoena.

"Police agencies and prosecutors get warrants all the time to search suspects' houses, and we don't write stories about that," he said. "This is different. This is new. And this is a process that has been developed that does not involve getting a specific warrant. It's a new and unfamiliar process."

Late Nite Jokes

Leno

What a crowd. You sound like congress after voting themselves a pay raise while voting against raising the minimum wage. Turns out congress gave itself a big raise this week and voted against the minimum raise. Which is kind of ironic, because if anyone should be getting minimum wage it’s congress.

It was so hot today Dick Cheney looked in the mirror just to get his own cold stare.

It was so hot people were standing along the border of North Korea just to catch the breeze coming off the missiles going by.

The U.S. finally has an exit strategy. Unfortunately, it’s for the world cup.

The U.S. soccer team is out of the world cup after a 2-1 loss to Ghana...and today, an angry John Kerry demanded we pull all our soccer players out of Germany.

For years they have been saying that because soccer is so popular in Europe one day it will be popular here too. Yeah, that worked out so well with the metric system.

The government of Afghanistan has sent a letter to the news stations and journalist ordering them to report only favorable news about the government. Which I know sounds harsh, but you have to remember they don’t have Fox News over there.

Congratulations to Phil Mickelson. He actually got a hole in one today. Although it was two golf courses over from the one he was playing at. We love Phil.

Letterman

President Bush says that he wakes up at 5:00 AM and gets Laura a cup of coffee. He has to tip toe softly though because Dick Cheney keeps a gun under his pillow.

Scientists are saying that in the future we will be able to have sex with robots. I tried that once. It was

Ann Coulter Says 'Insane' Democrats Should Win in 2006

Ann Coulter spoke with Neil Cavuto today on his "Your World" program, and covered topics from the economy to elections to why liberals hate her, but she came out swinging right away when asked about John Kerry's proposal to set a date for withdrawing troops from Iraq.

"I just love that [Democrats] each have a different time for when we pull the troops out ... I think they ought to start doing it like 'American Idol' and just start taking requests for what the deadline will be."

She added later, "Can you imagine FDR having to deal with this during WWII? 'What's our schedule? When do we pull out? Can we have a timeline? What's your plan?' Ugh."

Cavuto countered that the Democrats see a method to setting a deadline because they think Americans are sick of the battles in Iraq, to which Coulter quipped: "If it's so obvious that we need a timeline, why can't they decide? Kerry said the end of the year, some other Democrat next July ... it's obviously completely random. That's why they should do it like 'American Idol.'"

Cavuto told Coulter that Democrats were annoyed with Kerry for trying to use a losing proposal to move the party to an extreme position. Coulter agreed that Kerry was annoying, and said that it proved Republicans were smarter than Democrats because "We've been annoyed with Kerry for years."

One Democrat who doesn't annoy Coulter is Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., who Coulter said she admired because he wants to protect the United States and fight the war on terrorism.

She said he wouldn't be the best Republican, but that he should skip running as a third-party candidate and "come all the way and become a Republican ... at least he'd fit in with the party that wants to defend the country."
Some other Coulter quotables:

Democrats "may as well completely change the name of their party if they can't win in the fall election. It's preposterous that they would lose a second time during midterm elections. This has to be their year. It oughtta be their '94 Gingrich revolution ... they should pick up 60 seats in the House and a dozen in the Senate - but they're so insane that may not happen."

"It hurts me when I write a column and I don't get liberals hysterical and foaming at the mouth ... that is their natural reaction. ... Whittaker Chambers said, 'People never get upset when lies are told about them; they get upset when truth is told.'"

Liberals "suddenly elevate what they think of Reagan in order to attack Bush. They never said anything nice about Reagan at the time. They were completely hysterical during the Reagan presidency; he was an idiot [to them]."

When Bush "ran against Gore, he should have lost because the economy was good. The reason Gore lost was because of Clinton, but liberals maintain this myth, the 'miracle' of Bill Clinton."

Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney Wants State Troopers to Arrest Illegals

Mitt Romney wants the feds to OK his plan for Massachusetts state police officers to have the authority to arrest illegal immigrants solely on their immigration status.

"It's one more thing you can do to make this a less attractive place for illegal aliens to come to work," the Massachusetts governor said.

"I think that's a good thing," said Representative Marie J. Parente, a Milford Democrat whose community has enacted licensing regulations that make it more difficult for undocumented immigrants to settle there.

"We need to do something," Parente told the Boston Globe. "I think that will be a message, that the state of Massachusetts welcomes you if you're within the law."

The state legislature would have to approve the arrangement Romney is seeking, and the plan has many critics.

Cambridge, Mass. has already declared itself a safe haven for illegals, and Carol Rose, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts claimed: "This will overwhelm the State Police force, it will hinder real law enforcement, real community law enforcement, and it clearly will lead to racial and ethnic profiling. That's not effective law enforcement, or effective immigration policy."

The first deal of this kind was struck in 1996. Florida, Alabama and a few counties in California and North Carolina have similar compacts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has trained state officers to enforce immigration laws.

Spokesman for Gov. Romney Eric Fehrnstrom told the Globe that, as of now, Mass. state troopers can detain an illegal immigrant only if their status is discovered through an arrest for a violation of state law, and only if officials from the central U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement center in Vermont request it.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has received so many requests for this kind of cooperative policing arrangement that the Department of Homeland Security "is working with a dozen government entities to craft memoranda of understandings tailored to their needs, said Mike Gilhooly, communications director for the department's New England division," writes the Globe.

Gilhooly added that the feds are happy to have the extra law enforcement aid. "It's a force multiplier," he said.

The officers "are enforcing immigration law in the course of their duties," Gilhooly said, disagreeing with the ACLU's characterization of the extra burden on state troopers. "They are not involved in major immigration operations on a daily basis. They are performing their duties, and when they encounter immigration violations or criminals who are illegal aliens, they can and do take action."

Donors Give $2 Million for Libby Defense

Supporters of Vice President Dick Cheney's indicted former chief of staff have raised more than $2 million since late last year for his legal defense in the CIA leak case.

Former Cheney spokeswoman Mary Matalin was hosting a fundraiser at her home Tuesday night to help pay the legal expenses of I. Lewis Libby, who is charged with five counts of perjury, obstruction and lying to the FBI in the Valerie Plame affair.

The $2 million figure came from Barbara Comstock, a member of Libby's legal team. Among the co-hosts for the event at Matalin's home were former Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, former Rep. Bob Livingston and oil industry executive and former Commerce Secretary Don Evans.

Former Republican Sen. Fred Thompson hosted a fundraiser at his northern Virginia home last month to raise money for Libby's defense.

Libby is accused of lying to Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald about how the former Cheney aide learned of Plame's CIA identity and what he told reporters about it.

U.N. Group 'Sleepwalking' on Nuclear Issue

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged the 65-nation Conference on Disarmament Wednesday to take action to stop the world from "sleepwalking" toward nuclear proliferation.

"If ever there was a time to break the prolonged impasse that has stymied your work ... it is now," Annan told the body, noting that it had failed to produce anything of substance since completing the nuclear weapons test-ban treaty nearly 10 years ago.

He said there were signs the conference was beginning to return to action, noting that China and Russia had proposed a treaty to ban arms in outer space and the United States has offered a plan for a treaty to ban the production of the nuclear materials needed to make atomic weapons.

"I hope that these steps represent the beginnings of a new period of productivity," Annan said. "It is long overdue."

The world faces a choice between two paths - reversing moves toward more atomic bombs and "a world in which a growing number of states feel obliged to arm themselves with nuclear weapons, and in which nonstate actors acquire the means to carry out nuclear terrorism," he said.

"The international community seems almost to be sleepwalking down that latter path - not by conscious choice, but rather through miscalculation, sterile debate and paralysis," Annan said.

He said the world was confronted by two specific challenges: North Korea and Iran. Both countries are feared to be moving toward developing nuclear weapons.

Annan urged North Korea to work with other nations toward verifiable denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

"I hoped the leaders of the DPRK (North Korea) will listen to what the world is telling them, and take great care not to make the situation on the peninsula even more complicated," Annan said.

He also urged Iran to enable the International Atomic Energy Agency "to assure the world that its nuclear activities are exclusively peaceful in nature."

That would help restore confidence in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty after two meetings that failed to strengthen it last year, Annan said.

The failure, he said, "sent a terrible signal - of waning respect for the treaty's authority, and of a dangerous rift on a leading threat to peace and prosperity."

By making progress toward related treaties, the conference can help reverse those trends, he said.

"I urge you to put your differences and well-rehearsed arguments behind you and rise to the task," Annan said. "The hour is late, the choice is clear."

Hillary on GOP: 'They Can't Stomach Me'

A recent fund-raising letter from Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is seeking re-election this year in New York, does not mention the state, but it slips eight references to "America" or "Americans" into two pages.

The letter points to a fact of life in the world of New York's junior senator, who many think may be a contender for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination: The national stage is there, and she is making use of it.

In recent weeks, the wife of former President Bill Clinton has begun a series of national policy addresses. The economy was the topic in Chicago in April, and it was energy during a speech in Washington in May. The focus was on privacy in a Friday address to the American Constitution Society in Washington.

At the end of next month, Clinton gives her report to the moderate Democratic Leadership Conference meeting in Denver on the "American Dream Initiative" effort she has led to devise an agenda for the country and party.

Unlike earlier fund-raising appeals, the recent letter contains no mention of potential Senate race opponents. There is plenty of talk about national Republicans and their apparent dislike for her.

"My name is at the top of their list," her Friends of Hillary letter begins as she quickly launches into an attack on "Washington Republicans."

"The Republicans can't stomach the fact that I'm leading the fight against their misplaced priorities," Clinton writes. "That's why Karl Rove was quoted as saying, 'We have to do something about her.'

"It's no secret that they are willing to spend millions of dollars to tear me down between now and Election Day," she adds.

"It's blatant talk about a presidential run that doesn't even attempt to conceal the fact that she's looking ahead to '08," said Brian Nick, a spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Not so, said Clinton campaign spokeswoman Ann Lewis.
"We talk about national priorities because we know that's a big concern for our supporters," Lewis said. "This letter goes to donors around country who support HRC because she is a leader on issues they care about.

"This is about the '06 campaign and making sure we have the resources," said Lewis, noting that the particular letter has been used for several months.

At the end of March, Clinton already had a very big resource advantage - $20 million, according to federal campaign filings. Former Yonkers Mayor John Spencer and Reagan-era Pentagon official Kathleen Troia "KT" McFarland, who are competing for the GOP Senate nomination, each had less than $500,000 on hand.

Statewide polls have Clinton with 2-1 leads over Spencer or McFarland, and national polls put her atop the list of potential Democratic presidential contenders.

"If re-elected, Senator Clinton won't be in the Senate or in Syracuse, she will be gallivanting through the cornfields of Iowa or fundraising in Hollywood with Barbara Streisand, Warren Beatty and Sean Penn," said Spencer's campaign manager, Kevin Collins. "She's already a carpetbagger, now she's an absentee landlord too."

In her more than 30-minute speech to the Democratic state convention in Buffalo two weeks ago, Clinton bashed the Bush administration repeatedly.

"We need a fundamentally new direction," she said as her smiling husband applauded from the audience.

"With hard work, we will take our country back," she promised.

"Mrs. Clinton is an ambitious woman, and I have no problem with that," McFarland told the Associated Press on Wednesday. "But it has become increasingly obvious that her focus is on national politics, not New York. That's unfortunate, because 20 million New Yorkers deserve a senator who is committed full-time to their interests and to their interests alone."

"It's a delicate balance because she is running for re-election now," said Chicago-based Democratic consultant David Axelrod. "But by speaking out on these issues, she fulfills her obligation as a national leader - and she is viewed as a national leader - and she's also speaking out on issues that are important to New Yorkers."

"It serves her interests in running for re-election," said Axelrod, who is not involved with the Clinton campaign. "And it strengthens her if she makes the decision to go forward on the other front."

Pelosi Reveals Dem Takeover Agenda

If they retake control of Congress, Democrats will act quickly to increase the minimum wage, lower prescription drug costs and slash interest rates on student loans, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Saturday.

The ideas are part of the Democrats' new domestic agenda, named "New Direction for America," which the party rolled out during the past week. Pelosi, D-Calif., used the party's Saturday radio address to promote the plan.

"A new direction means expanding access to affordable health care for Americans. We will begin by lowering the cost of prescription drugs by putting seniors ahead of pharmaceutical companies and HMOs," Pelosi said.

"A new direction means broadening opportunity by addressing the soaring costs of higher education. We will begin by making tuition tax-deductible and cutting the interest rates of student loans in half."

Pelosi also pledged to improve security, reduce dependence on foreign oil, maintain Social Security and oppose deficit spending. Under the plan the minimum wage would rise from $5.15 to $7.25 over two years, the interest rate on student loans would be cut to 3.4 percent and Democrats would approve a "pay as you go" budgeting rule.

Most of the ideas have been part of Democratic talking points for months but, facing criticism that they lack a cohesive message, the party is regrouping them as a platform to run on in November's midterm elections. Democrats hope to regain control of the House and Senate, which would take a gain of 15 seats in the House and six in the Senate.

On Iraq, Pelosi said: "2006 must be a year of significant transition. It is time for a new direction in Iraq."

She didn't mention that there's significant disagreement among Democrats on when to begin withdrawing troops.

Pelosi's position on the Iraq timetable — "at the earliest practicable time, the United States must begin the responsible redeployment of its troops," she said — is not shared by everyone in the Democratic caucus.

Rep. McKinney Beats the Rap in D.C.

A grand jury declined Friday to indict Rep. Cynthia McKinney in connection with a confrontation in which she admitted hitting a police officer who tried to stop her from entering a House office building.

The grand jury had been considering the case since shortly after the March 29 incident, which has led to much discussion on Capitol Hill about race and the conduct of lawmakers and the officers who protect them.

"We respect the decision of the grand jury in this difficult matter," said U.S. Attorney Kenneth Wainstein.

His statement, released late Friday, also included support for the officer involved, Paul McKenna, and the Capitol Police. He said, "This is a tremendously difficult job, and it is one that Officer McKenna and his colleagues perform with the utmost professionalism and dignity."

With that, Wainstein closed a case that has simmered with racial and political tension.

"I am relieved that this unfortunate incident is behind me," McKinney said in a statement Friday night. "I accept today's grand jury finding of 'no probable cause' as right and just and the proper resolution of this case."

The encounter began when McKinney, D-Ga., tried to enter a House office building without walking through a metal detector or wearing the lapel pin that identifies members of Congress.

McKenna did not recognize her as a member of Congress and asked her three times to stop. When she ignored him, he tried to stop her. McKinney then hit him.

McKinney described the encounter as "racial profiling," insisting she had been assaulted and had done nothing wrong.

McKinney is black. McKenna is white.

She received little public support for that stance, even within the Congressional Black Caucus.

Wainstein, meanwhile, sought an indictment from a federal grand jury, with assault on a police officer mentioned in the filings as a possible charge. That is a felony that would require an indictment.

The grand jury then subpoenaed several House aides thought to have witnessed the encounter. McKenna, too, testified. The grand jury voted not to indict her. Prosecutors also could have charged McKinney with simple assault without having to seek an indictment.

Members of the black caucus privately urged McKinney to put the matter behind her. The next morning, she appeared on the House floor to apologize.

"I am sorry that this misunderstanding happened at all, and I regret its escalation, and I apologize," McKinney, D-Ga., said April 6. "There should not have been any physical contact in this incident."

Bill Clinton: Democrats Sin by Ignoring Religion

Former President Bill Clinton praised evangelical Christians on Thursday for their recent efforts on global warming and debt relief for poor nations and said he sees growing understanding between people of different faiths.

Clinton made the remarks while accepting an award from the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding. He said that as president he had "a consuming interest in the intersection of religion and politics."

He said evangelicals, few of whom voted for him, "were instrumental in the biggest debt relief initiative in history in my last year as president because they believed in the admonition of the Scripture to alleviate the burdens of the poor."

Clinton also noted the publication earlier this year of "Climate Change: An Evangelical Call to Action," which was signed by many leading conservative Christians and which frames environmental protection as a Christian imperative.

The mission of the New York-based Tanenbaum Center is "to defuse verbal and physical violence perpetrated in the name of religion" worldwide, according to the group's Web site.

Clinton, speaking at the group's awards luncheon, said religion is a problem for both liberals and conservatives in the United States.

"For people in America who are a part of my political tradition, our great sin has often been ignoring religion or denying its power or refusing to engage it because it seemed hostile to us," he said. "For ... the so-called Christian right and its allies, their great sin has been believing they were in full possession of the truth."

Clinton, a Southern Baptist, noted that there was once a resolution at his denomination's convention to expel his church because of his positions in favor of abortion rights and gay rights. It failed.

Bush:GOP Will Win in Fall

President Bush predicted on Wednesday that Republicans will maintain majority control of the House and Senate this November despite polls showing voters favor putting Democrats in charge.

"I believe we're going to hold the House and the Senate because our philosophy is one that is forward-looking and optimistic and has worked," Bush told reporters at a White House news conference.

Last week, the Associated Press-Ipsos poll found that only 24 percent of those surveyed approve of the way the Republican-controlled Congress is doing its job. Fifty-two percent said they want Democrats to capture control of Congress in November, about the same as last month's survey.

Bush said that in 2004 he faced questions on whether he could win re-election despite unfavorable numbers. This year, he contended, is no different.

"The elections are a long way off," the president said nearly five months out. "What's going to matter is who's got the plan that will enable us to succeed in Iraq and keep the economy growing."

He criticized some in the Democratic Party for calling for a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq and offered his oft-repeated line that Democrats want to raise taxes.

FEMA Wasted $1.4 Billion in Katrina Aid

The government doled out as much as $1.4 billion in bogus assistance to victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, getting hoodwinked to pay for season football tickets, a tropical vacation and even a divorce lawyer, congressional investigators have found.

Prison inmates, a supposed victim who used a New Orleans cemetery for a home address, and a person who spent 70 days at a Hawaiian hotel all were able to wrongly get taxpayer help, according to evidence that gives a new black eye to the nation's disaster relief agency.

Agents from the General Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, went undercover to expose the ease of receiving disaster expense checks from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The GAO concluded that as much as 16 percent of the billions of dollars in FEMA help to individuals after the two hurricanes was unwarranted.

The findings are detailed in testimony, obtained by The Associated Press, that is to be delivered at a hearing Wednesday by the House Homeland Security subcommittee on investigations.

To dramatize the problem, GAO provided lawmakers with a copy of a $2,358 U.S. Treasury check for rental assistance that an undercover agent got using a bogus address. The money was paid even after FEMA learned from its inspector that the undercover applicant did not live at the address.

"This is an assault on the American taxpayer," said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the subcommittee that will conduct the hearing. "Prosecutors from the federal level down should be looking at prosecuting these crimes and putting the criminals who committed them in jail for a long time."

FEMA spokesman Aaron Walker said Tuesday that the agency, already criticized for a poor response to Katrina, makes its highest priority during a disaster "to get help quickly to those in desperate need of our assistance."

"Even as we put victims first, we take very seriously our responsibility to be outstanding stewards of taxpayer dollars, and we are careful to make sure that funds are distributed appropriately," he said.

FEMA said it has identified more than 1,500 cases of potential fraud after Katrina and Rita and has referred those cases to the Homeland Security inspector general. The agency said it has identified $16.8 million in improperly awarded disaster relief money and has started efforts to collect the money.

The GAO said it was 95 percent confident that improper and potentially fraudulent payments were much higher - between $600 million and $1.4 billion.

The investigative agency said it found people lodged in hotels often were paid twice, since FEMA gave them individual rental assistance and paid hotels directly. FEMA paid California hotels $8,000 to house one individual - the same person who received three rental assistance payments for both disasters.

In another instance, FEMA paid an individual $2,358 in rental assistance, while at the same time paying about $8,000 for the same person to stay 70 nights at more than $100 per night in a Hawaii hotel.

FEMA also could not establish that 750 debit cards worth $1.5 million even went to Katrina victims, the auditors said.

Among the items purchased with the cards:

An all-inclusive, one-week Caribbean vacation in the Punta Cana resort in the Dominican Republic.

Five season tickets to New Orleans Saints professional football games.

Adult erotica products in Houston and "Girls Gone Wild" videos in Santa Monica, Calif.

Dom Perignon champagne and other alcoholic beverages in San Antonio.

A divorce lawyer's services in Houston.

"Our forensic audit and investigative work showed that improper and potentially fraudulent payments occurred mainly because FEMA did not validate the identity of the registrant, the physical location of the damaged address, and ownership and occupancy of all registrants at the time of registration," GAO officials said.

FEMA paid millions of dollars to more than 1,000 registrants who used names and Social Security numbers belonging to state and federal prisoners for expedited housing assistance. The inmates were in Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Florida.

FEMA made about $5.3 million in payments to registrants who provided a post office box as their damaged residence, including one who got $2,748 for listing an Alabama post office box as the damaged property.

To demonstrate how easy it was to hoodwink FEMA, the GAO told of an individual who used 13 different Social Security numbers - including the person's own - to receive $139,000 in payments on 13 separate registrations for aid. All the payments were sent to a single address.

Likewise, another person used a damaged property address located within the grounds of Greenwood Cemetery in New Orleans to request disaster aid. Public records show no record of the registrant ever living in New Orleans.

Instead, records indicate that for the past five years, the registrant lived in West Virginia - at the address provided to FEMA, the GAO said.

Late Nite Jokes

Leno

How many people had an al Zarqawi weekend? That’s where you get bombed and you can’t find your house.

More news coming out about the death of al Zarqawi. They say he died of complications with his lungs. They said he was smoking when they found him. Not cigarettes. He was actually smoking.

Here’s something bizarre, when investigators were going through the rubble, they found women’s lingerie, leper teddy. Apparently Zarqawi was not only a member of al Qaeda he was a member of al kinky as well.

President Bush made a surprise visit to Iraq today it lasted five hours. Longer than he stayed for any of the National Guard meetings.

Security was very tight. He even had Dick Cheney riding shotgun.

President Bush went to Iraq to boost the new government. That shows how rough the situation is in Iraq when a guy with a 30% approval rating stops by to give you a boost.

Finally some good news for the White House. Today federal prosecutors told Karl Rove he will not be charged in the CIA leak case. This is the best news for the White House since oil hit $70 a barrel.

Sports news. It's the World Cup in soccer and the Stanley Cup in hockey. Americans are so confused, we don't know what sport to ignore.

The Stanley Cup finals on NBC in prime time last night got a two. Not a two rating. Two people watched.

Even Stanley wasn’t watching. And it’s his cup. I don’t think we have ever done worse in the ratings.

Hey Kev, what has 22 arms, 22 legs and no goals in life? The American World Cup soccer team. We haven’t scored a goal yet.

Today Switzerland and France battled to a zero-zero tie. I can’t imagine why this sport hasn’t caught on in America.

Ann Coulter is going to be on the show tomorrow night. Security is very tight. In fact, there is even restricted airspace over the studio. Her people are afraid that Dorothy’s house could drop on her.

Letterman

It’s warm here in New York City. It’s so warm out that even Al Gore said, "To hell with the glaciers.”

Mayor Bloomberg might run for president. Isn’t there a height requirement for that?

Conan

Kevin Federline might be getting into movies he says. Not acting. He’s joining Netflix.

GOP Should Proudly Talk About Iraq

White House adviser Karl Rove said Monday that Republicans facing midterm elections should campaign on the economy's strength and discuss the war in Iraq with no qualms.

"We have no excuses to make for it," Rove said during a fundraising dinner for New Hampshire Republicans. War supporters need not apologize for removing the threat of Saddam Hussein, and with so much work left to do, now is not the time to talk about leaving Iraq, he said.

Rove said Democrats pushing for the withdrawal of American troops should be the ones facing tough questions for wanting to "cut and run." He targeted Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha, both Democrats and vocal supporters of getting out of Iraq.

"They are profoundly wrong," he said.

More than 400 people paid $100 to have dinner and hear Rove rally the faithful to work to retain Republican dominance in a state now viewed as a swing state in presidential elections. Dinner and a private reception with Rove cost $250.

Democrats won New Hampshire in three of the last four presidential elections - only narrowly losing in 2000. Also, Democrats have won four of the last five gubernatorial elections.

The shift at the top has raised hopes among Democrats and concerns among Republicans about eventual parity in the state House and Senate - long Republican bastions.

Some are concerned President Bush's poor approval ratings will hurt Republicans in state races this fall.

At an event last month, Rove blamed the war in Iraq for hurting Bush's job approval ratings in national polls. Rove said people like Bush but don't like the war.

About two dozen to three dozen protesters gathered Monday across the street from the Center of New Hampshire, where the event was being held. Democratic protesters said New Hampshire Republicans needed a big draw like Rove to help pay legal fees in a phone jamming case. Three GOP officials have been convicted of charges stemming from the jamming of Democratic get-out-the-vote lines on Election Day 2002.

"Americans don't like cheaters, these people cheated," said Herb Moyer, 60, a Democrat from Exeter. The sign he carried read, "Karl Rove and New Hampshire GOP: Where criminals congregate."

State Democrats have sued Republicans, partly to try to force disclosure of who among national GOP officials might have had knowledge of the plot. Republicans insist the operation was strictly local.

State GOP Chairman Wayne Semprini said Friday the party will use half or more of Monday's proceeds to help candidates this fall. The rest of the money will pay for operating expenses, including legal fees racked up defending the Democratic lawsuit.

Late Nite Jokes

Leno

Alberto was in the Gulf of Mexico moving north towards Florida. Not the hurricane. A guy in a raft from Cuba. He’s got a good right hand.

I’m sure you know, there’s a big storm named Alberto heading towards Florida. On CNN they said that Florida residence should have a survival plan to take care of themselves. You know, in case FEMA shows up.

That’s the name of the hurricane, Alberto. See even the hurricanes are getting smarter. They know a Hispanic hurricane has a better chance of getting into the U.S.

Here’s the weather report. Over al Zarqawi's safe house in Iraq, it’s partly Sunni with widely scattered Shiite.

President Bush said today that illegal immigrants that come to America should learn English. He said, "Hey, if I was moving to Canada, I would learn Canadian.”

According to the insurance companies, you know what the most stolen vehicle is? The Cadillac Escalade. The least stolen car. The popemobile.

"The New York Post” estimates 40,000 prostitutes have flocked to Germany for World Cup soccer fans. Since all the hookers are in Germany, Charlie Sheen had to have sex with a woman for free today.

Anna Nicole Smith announced she is pregnant. She couldn’t wait to tell the father. Luckily, it was an open casket.

Letterman

It’s summer in New York City. You can tell too. Over at St. Patrick’s Cathedral they put a lime wedge into the holy water.

Did you watch the Tony’s last night on CBS? (and old.Cheers) You’re gay

"The Late Show” won a Tony. We won the award for the biggest waste of a Broadway theater.

Oprah’s production, "The Color Purple” is playing across the street from us. It won a Tony. It’s nice to see something finally going Oprah’s way.

Zarqawi Planned to Top 9/11 Attacks

The New York Times reports today that before his death, top al-Qaida terrorist Abu Musab al Zarqawi trained about 300 foreign fighters in Iraq and sent them back to their home countries, where they awaited orders to carry out strikes.

But the paper makes no mention of Zarqawi's most ambitious foreign attack plot, which nearly succeeded two years ago: A weapons of mass destruction strike that intelligence officials estimated would have killed 20,000.

The death toll planned by Zarqawi would have far exceeded the destruction wrought by Osama bin Laden on Sept. 11.

The April 2004 attack, which was all but ignored by the Western press, was foiled at the last minute when Jordanian officials intercepted a convoy of three vehicles near the Syrian border.

It's cargo: 23,000 gallons of chemicals, poison gas and explosives. The target: The U.S. embassy in Amman along with the headquarters of Jordan's Intelligence service.

The Mideast bureau of The Associated Press reported at the time that Jordanian officials said Zarqawi's crew was planning to use to "a chemical bomb that would have killed as many as 20,000 people and caused large-scale destruction within a half-mile radius.

"The terror cell was also apparently planning to carry out simultaneous poison gas attacks against foreign diplomatic missions, including the heavily fortified U.S. Embassy in Amman, vital Jordanian public establishments like the prime minister's office and unspecified civilian targets," the wire service said.

Jordan's King Abdullah II confirmed the details of the attack, and publicly thanked his intelligence chief, Gen. Saad Kheir, saying that the arrests of Zarqawi's terrorists had "saved thousands of lives."

Had the plot gone forward, Abdullah said, Jordan would have seen "a crime that would have been unprecedented in the country in terms of the size of explosives mounted on the vehicles and the methods of carrying out the attacks or the civilian locations chosen."

In confessions later broadcast on ABC's "Nightline," one of the plotters revealed that he began training for the mission in 2001 in Afghanistan.

"After the fall of Afghanistan, I met Zarqawi again in Iraq," the al-Qaida operative said.

"In Iraq, I started training in explosives and poisons. I gave my complete obedience to Zarqawi."

Ann Coulter Receives Congressional Letter

NewsMax - Ann Coulter criticized four of the women whose husbands died on 9/11, and now a congressmen from the New York/New Jersey area has written a scathing letter - signed by nearly two dozen other congressmen - to the author.

In Coulter's new book "Godless: The Church of Liberalism," she wrote, "I've never seen people enjoying their husbands' deaths so much," and that the four were "reveling in their status as celebrities and stalked by grief-arazzis."

In response, House Democrats from Long Island and New York City have signed their names to a letter drafted by Democratic Rep. Steve Israel of Huntington demanding that Coulter apologize.

"Their personal loss should never be minimized, especially in such a cold and callous way as you attack these victims in your book," Israel wrote.

"It's lawmakers who have seen firsthand what [the 9/11 widows] went through and are outraged by what Ann Coulter wrote about them," Israel told Newsday.

"We understand that you are in the book business and that controversy might make for good sales," Israel wrote to Coulter, "but we would urge you to consider that making mean-spirited comments about women trying to do the right thing might not be worth the resultant rise on the best-seller list."

In his letter, Israel called the women "responsible citizens" who raised their voices in keeping with American tradition, Newsday reports.

Asked by Reuters why she had written about the four women, Coulter replied, "I am tired of victims being used as billboards for untenable liberal political beliefs.

"A lot of Americans have been seething over the inanities of these professional victims for some time," she added.

Haditha A Hoax?

Haditha: Is McGirk the New Mary Mapes?

American Thinker: Evidence accumulates of a hoax in Haditha. The weblog Sweetness & Light has done an estimable service gathering together the articles which cast substantial doubt on the charge of a massacre of civilians at Haditha . Because the blog is too busy gathering and fisking the news, I offered and the publisher accepted my offer to put what he has uncovered in a narrative form.

Having done so, I can tell you that the story has a whiff of yet another mediagenic scandal like the TANG memos or the Plame “outing.” While the Marines quite correctly will not comment on the case pending the outcome of their investigation, I am not bound by those rules, and I will sum up the story for you.

(a) On November 20, 2005, Reuters reported that on the previous day an IED killed a US Marine and 15 civilians in Haditha, a town known to be a center of the insurgency, a town as hostile to our forces as the better known Fallujah was. Reuters reported that “immediately after the blast, gunmen opened fire on the convoy” and US and Iraqi forces returned fire, killing 8 insurgents and wounding another in the fight. The paper further reported that “A cameraman working for Reuters in Haditha says bodies had been left lying in the street for hours after the attack.” Reuters never named this cameraman but he was almost undoubtedly Ali al-Mashhadani.

(b) Ali al-Mashhadani had been imprisoned for five months before his report because of his ties to insurgents. He was subsequently placed under another 12 days in detention for being a security threat.

(c) Tim McGirk of Time wrote about the incident at Haditha for the March 27 issue of the magazine. He unsuccessfully lobbied his editors to use the term “massacre” in the story. McGirk seems hardly a neutral reporter. He spent the first Thanksgiving after 9/11 in Afghanistan dining with the Taliban and concluding of this celebratory meal:

Our missing colleagues finally arrive, and I leave thinking that maybe this evening wasn’t very different from the original Thanksgiving: people from two warring cultures sharing a meal together and realizing, briefly, that we’re not so different after all.

Right, Tim. We all want to enslave women, bend the world to Sharia law, behead nonbelievers and otherwise carry on the honored traditions of the Taliban.

A key source for McGirk’s report that US Marines in Haditha had deliberately attacked civilians was Thaer al-Hadithi. whom McGirk inexplicably described as “a budding journalism student”. He is a middle-aged man, and was subsequently described by the AP as an “Iraqi investigator.”

McGirk also failed to note that Hadithi is “a member and spokesman for the Hammurabi.” The chairman of Hammurabi Organization and Hadithi’s partner in publicizing the “massacre” is Abdul–Rahman al-Mashhadani. It is unknown if he is related to Ali al-Mashhadani but their names suggest a possible relationship, and it beggars belief that as Sweetness& Light notes,

“Abdel Rahman al-Mashhadani just happened to be given a video by and unnamed local. And that he then turned it over to Ali al-Mashhadani who just happens to make videos for Reuters.”

Hadithi’s story is that was staying near to one of the two houses where the massacre occurred and saw it with his own eyes. According to his version of events he waited one day to videotape what had occurred, though apparently nothing prevented his doing so from the very window he “watched” it from as it took place. More troubling is why he waited months to turn the tape over to anyone.

The actions of his partner al-Mashhadani are equally puzzling. On December 15, 2005 Mashhadani was interviewed by the Institute for War and Peace which described him as “an election monitor.” In that interview he expressed great satisfaction with the election turnout (which in fact was terribly low in Haditha). Why did he not mention to this apparently sympathetic group one word about the supposed “atrocity” which he claimed had occurred three months earlier?

Hammurabi apparently did share the video in March with the largely Soros-funded Human Rights Watch which in turn provided it to Time.

(d) The videotape. On March 21, 2006 Reuters reported that Hadithi and Mashhadani’s organization, the Hammurabi Organization, had provided the organization was a copy of a videotape showing corpses lined up in the Haditha morgue, claiming these were the bodies of civilians deliberately killed by the Marines. Aside from the suspiciously-timed release of the video and the fact that chairman al-Mashhadani had never mentioned the incident or the tape in December when he was interviewed, the video shows people removing bodies from a home, a report at odds with the Reuters report the day after the incident which spoke of bodies lying in the street.

(e) The witnesses to the “massacre”

(1) The Doctor.

In the March 27 report, McGirk quotes the local doctor:

Dr. Wahid, director of the local hospital in Haditha, who asked that his family name be withheld because, he says, he fears reprisals by U.S. troops, says the Marines brought 24 bodies to his hospital around midnight on Nov. 19. Wahid says the Marines claimed the victims had been killed by shrapnel from the roadside bomb. “But it was obvious to us that there were no organs slashed by shrapnel,” Wahid says. “The bullet wounds were very apparent. Most of the victims were shot in the chest and the head–from close range.”

Another report however, indicates the doctor bore considerable animus to the US troops.

(2)The Iraqi eye-witnesses.

In “Haditha: Reasonable Doubt,” Andrew Walden describes how a similar case against British soldiers fell apart , describing the Arabic “blood money” tradition which hardly is as exotic as it sounds. Ask the American Trial Lawyers Association.

Reports of the eyewitnesses are conflicting and incredible. Al-Haditha was the source of a report by the AP on the death of a man whom the Washington Post quoted 10 times as an eyewitness on May 27,six months after his reported death, and the young girl “survivor” has given between two and four utterly inconsistent versions of the events.

(3) The American eye witnesses.

There are two American witnesses who have spoken out. Despite the press spin, neither has a first hand account of the events.

Lance Cpl. James Crossan is the source of some very selective quotes on the incident. He, however, was wounded in the IED explosion which killed the US Marine Martin Terrazas. He was evacuated from the scene and saw none of the after-action.

And then there is Lance Cpl. Ryan Briones. He helped evacuate Crossnan and took bodies to the morgue. He was not an eyewitness. He claims he took pictures of the bodies at the morgue and has made various statements about what happened to the pictures and his camera. Aside from the fact that he is not an eyewitness, and his claims about his photographs seem unlikely, his story remained unuttered until he was arrested for stealing a truck, driving under the influence and crashing the stolen vehicle into a house. It was then for the first time that he claimed post traumatic distress and pointed to Haditha as the source of that stress. (His report of taking the bodies to the morgue, moreover, seems inconsistent with the first Reuters report that there were 15 bodies left lying in the street the day after the incident.)

The sum and substance of this thumbnail sketch on the Haditha claims is that it follows so closely the template for the TANG and Plame stories. Take a reporter with an anti-Administration agenda, an interested group (think of the Mashhadanis as the VIPS in the Plame case or Burkett and Lucy Ramirez in the TANG case) and a story too good to be checked and circumstances where the people attacked are limited in what they can quickly respond to and you get a story which smells to me like it will soon be unraveled.

This time, I’m betting the consequences to the press which rushed to judgment will be more disastrous than it was to Dan Rather. I surely hope so.

Late Nite Jokes

Leno

Remember how President Bush promised to create jobs. Today he announced the latest job opening he created. The head of al Qaeda in Iraq. There’s an opening.

That’s the big story. Now that we’ve killed Zarqawi, the question everyone’s asking is: who will be the next al Qaeda leader? Boy that sounds like a bad reality show on al Jazeera doesn’t it? "Who Will Be The Next al Qaeda Leader? Akmed…come on down!”

Do you know how they pick the al Qaeda leaders? It’s interesting; the job will go to the next guy with the most z’s and q’s in his name.

U.S. forces said they learned where Zarqawi was staying by following his spiritual advisor. He had a spiritual advisor. And what a great job he was doing huh? I think the last spiritual advice he gave him was, start praying and kiss your ass goodbye.

More problems with Zarqawi. You know how they believe when you get to heaven you get 72 virgins. Turns out he wound up in hell with one 72-year-old virgin.

Have you heard about this? Hillary Clinton is furious at writer Ann Coulter for attacking the 9/11 widows. This is the maddest Hillary’s ever been at a woman that’s not currently sleeping with her husband.

Fans of the show "24” got exciting news is week. Plans are underway for a movie based on the show. That’ll be cool, sitting in a theater for 24 hours. "Give me the large popcorn and a box of Depends please.”

According to a recent study, my home state of Massachusetts, have some of the worst drivers in the nation. In fairness to Massachusetts we do have the Kennedy’s. It throws the curve way off. Get them out of there and we are pretty good.

Democrats Irked Over Zarqawi's Death

Grass-roots Democrats weighing in on several popular liberal Web sites Thursday morning said that they were troubled by reports that al Qaida's top operational terrorist, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, had been killed in a U.S. air strike.

Reacting to the news, one visitor to the Daily Kos complained that using military force to kill Zarqawi "violates everything my America stands for."

"It violates the rule of law and invokes the rule of force in what should be a criminal, not a military, matter."

Another Daily Kos'er was irked because he thought the news would benefit President Bush:

"No doubt Karl Rove will have the sock puppet president acting as if he personally dropped the bomb that killed that jackass," he wrote. "But other than a couple of photo ops of Bush looking cocky, it does nothing because two more tin-plated Zarqawi's will pop up."

A third Kos poster suggested that there was little difference between the top al-Qaida terrorist and the leader of the free world, writing: "Now [that] we are rid of one murderous tyrant - how about the removal of another one - believed hiding in a safe-house at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue?"

Over at the Democratic Underground, reaction to news of Zarqawi's death was also negative:

"Convenient too that this would happen now," complained one DU'er: "Guess we should just all forget about that Haditha mess, the fact that we are approaching 2,500 dead and the fact that our economy is in big trouble."

Another DU poster said that killing the al-Qaida chief really wasn't such a big deal, insisting: "Zarqawi was a fringe group of al-Qaida, and definitely not responsible for the bulk of the insurgency and civil war now occurring in Iraq. Any gains that they hope to receive will be short-lived when reality strikes home."

Zarqawi Killed By U.S. Airstrike

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, al-Qaida's leader in Iraq who led a bloody campaign of suicide bombings and kidnappings, has been killed in an air strike, U.S. and Iraqi officials said Thursday, adding his identity was confirmed by fingerprints and a first-hand look at his face. It was a major victory in the U.S.-led war in Iraq and the broader war on terror.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said al-Zarqawi was killed along with seven aides Wednesday evening in a remote area 30 miles northeast of Baghdad, in the volatile province of Diyala, just east of the provincial capital of Baqouba, al-Maliki said.

Loud applause broke out as al-Maliki, flanked by U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and U.S. Gen. George Casey, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, told reporters at a news conference that "al-Zarqawi was eliminated."

The announcement came six days after the Jordanian-born terror leader issued an audiotape on the Internet, railing against Shiites in Iraq and saying militias are raping women and killing Sunnis and the community must fight back.

Al-Maliki said the air strike was the result of intelligence reports provided to Iraqi security forces by residents in the area, and U.S. forces acted on the information.

Baqouba has in recent weeks seen a spike in sectarian violence, including the discovery of 17 severed heads discovered in fruit boxes. It was also near the site of a sectarian atrocity last week when masked gunmen killed 21 Shiites, including a dozen students, after separating out a four Sunni Arabs.

"Those who disrupt the course of life, like al-Zarqawi, will have a tragic end," al-Maliki said. He also warned those who would follow the militant's lead that "whenever there is a new al-Zarqawi, we will kill him."

"This is a message for all those who embrace violence, killing and destruction to stop and to (retreat) before it's too late," he said. "It is an open battle with all those who incite sectarianism."

Khalilzad added "the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is a huge success for Iraq and the international war on terror." He also gave a thumbs up and said it was a good day for America.

Casey said the hunt for al-Zarqawi began in the area two weeks ago, and al- Zarqawi's body was identified by fingerprints and facial recognition.

The Jordanian-born militant, who is believed to have personally beheaded at least two American hostages, became Iraq's most wanted militant, as notorious as Osama bin Laden, to whom he swore allegiance in 2004. The United States put a US$25 million (about euro20 million) bounty on al-Zarqawi, the same as bin Laden.

U.S. forces in Iraq said the killing was a major victory.

"We killed him, and it's always great when you can remove someone that has caused this much harm," said Maj. Frank Garcia, public affairs officer for the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. "We're one step closer to providing stability to the region."

Iraqis had mixed reactions.

Thamir Abdulhussein, a college student in Baghdad, said he hopes the killing of al- Zarqawi will promote reconciliation between Iraq's fractured ethnic and sectarian groups.

"If it's true al-Zarqawi was killed, that will be a big happiness for all the Iraqis," he said. "He was behind all the killings of Sunni and Shiites. Iraqis should now move toward reconciliation. They should stop the violence."

Amir Muhammed Ali, a 45-year-old stock broker in Baghdad, was skeptical that al-Zarqawi's death would end the unrelenting violence in the country, saying he was a foreigner but the Iraqi resistance to U.S.-led forces would likely continue.

"He didn't represent the resistance, some one will replace him and the operations will go on," he said.

In the past year, al-Zarqawi moved his campaign beyond Iraq's borders, claiming to have carried out a Nov. 9, 2005 triple suicide bombing against hotels in Amman that killed 60 people, as well as other attacks in Jordan and even a rocket attack from Lebanon into northern Israel.

U.S. forces and their allies came close to capturing al-Zarqawi several times since his campaign began in mid-2003.

His closest brush may have come in late 2004. Deputy Interior Ministry Maj. Gen. Hussein Kamal said Iraqi security forces caught al-Zarqawi near the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah but then released him because they didn't realize who he was.

In May 2005, Web statements by his group said al-Zarqawi had been wounded in fighting with Americans and was being treated in a hospital abroad - raising speculation over a successor among his lieutenants. But days later, a statement said al- Zarqawi was fine and had returned to Iraq. There was never any independent confirmation of the reports of his wounding.

U.S. forces believe they just missed capturing al-Zarqawi in a Feb. 20, 2005 raid in which troops closed in on his vehicle west of Baghdad near the Euphrates River. His driver and another associate were captured and al- Zarqawi's computer was seized along with pistols and ammunition.

U.S. troops twice launched massive invasions of Fallujah, the stronghold used by al-Qaida in Iraq fighters and other insurgents west of Baghdad. An April 2004 offensive left the city still in insurgent hands, but the October 2004 assault wrested it from them. However, al- Zarqawi - if he was in the city - escaped.

Hillary Clinton, Charles Schumer Voted to Slash NYC Terror Funds

Senators Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer have been complaining for a week now about an $80 million cutback in New York City's anti-terrorism funding by the Department of Homeland Security.

But it turns out that they both voted to make substantial cuts in the city's terrorism funding last year.

According to Newsday, the Democratic duo backed a $95 million cut last December in funding from the Centers for Disease Control for bioterrorism programs around the nation. Of that amount, approximately $3 million would have gone directly to New York City.

Mrs. Clinton and her Democratic cohort actually wanted to cut bioterrorism funding even more. In October, they both backed a preliminary proposal that would have slashed the CDC grant by $123 million.

On Sunday, Sen. Schumer staged a press conference to complain about a proposed $7 million cut from the CDC in the city's bio-terror programs, saying it was like "rubbing salt in the wound" after DHS announced cutbacks in the city's terror funding last week.

But Schumer failed to mention his own votes in favor of cutting bioterror funding.

He told Newsday that he "stands by" his earlier decision to slash terror funding for the city, saying he did so because the cuts were attached to a bill that funded health care and education.

Sen. Clinton, who has launched a letter writing campaign to force a restoration of DHS's terrorism funding for New York, has had no comment on her own votes to back cuts in anti-terror programs.

NY Squandered Billions in 9/11 Aid

New York politicians allowed up to one-third of the $20 billion in federal aid awarded to the city in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks to be squandered right under their noses, an analysis by the New York Daily News found last December.

But that hasn't stopped some of the same politicians from complaining all weekend about a mere $80 million cut in New York City's federal anti-terrorism budget.

Senators Hillary Clinton, Charles Schumer and Rep. Peter King say they're outraged over the new cuts, with Clinton and King teaming up to launch a post-card writing campaign against the Department of Homeland Security.

The bipartisan duo sounded a lot less angry six months ago, when the News uncovered evidence that billions in 9/11 cash had been misspent, gone unaccounted for and, in at least one case, was awarded to the Mafia.

"I pledge to do whatever has to be done to find out what happened and why," an uncharacteristically meek-sounding King said at the time.
Mrs. Clinton sounded similarly unruffled, offering only: "I think we need to pursue some of the leads . . . to make sure every penny is properly used."

The News study found that:

• Up to one-third of the $21.4 billion in 9/11 cash awarded to New York by the White House had been earmarked for major transportation projects that had no connection to the devastation caused on 9/11.

• $150,000 was awarded to a securities firm that had gone out of business before the 9/11 attacks - plus millions more from the fund was earmarked for formerly self-supporting projects.

• $10 million in 9/11 cash was embezzled by a senior member of the New York medical examiners office.

• A 9/11 "clean air program" ended up giving away 118,000 air conditioners, when its original budget covered only 5,000 units. Total cost overrun - $115 million.

• An "associate" of the Luchese crime family allegedly got a piece of the 9/11 pie, dividing up anticipated reconstruction contracts with other New York City crime families. One mobbed-up 9/11 worker was listed as a $58,000 per year employee - even though he was in jail at the time.

• A whopping $154 million in grants and tax exempt Liberty Bonds was awarded to a single business - the Bank of New York. That small piece of the 9/11 jackpot represents nearly twice the amount of cuts in New York City's federal anti-terrorism budget.

Perhaps Mrs. Clinton can take some time away from her efforts to browbeat the DHS into restoring the $80 million in anti-terror cuts - and give New Yorkers an update on what happened to the billions in 9/11 aid that was squandered on her watch.

John Kerry: Bush a Criminal, Looting Country

Failed presidential candidate John Kerry blasted President Bush on Thursday as a "criminal" who has been "looting the country."

The Massachusetts Democrat offered the incendiary comments during an off the record meeting with liberal bloggers after a speech in Los Angeles to the Pacific Council on International Policy.

According to the Web site L.A. Observed, Kerry asked the bloggers to keep his comments confidential; a request they apparently dismissed out of hand without telling him.

Blogger "Hollywood Liberal" reports that Kerry "agreed completely with someone's assessment that everything that Bush does is solely for the purpose of looting the country."

"[Kerry] basically said that Bush and his cohorts are criminals" the blogger continued. "At some other point he referred to Supreme Court Justices Alito, Scalia, and Roberts as 'Idiots.'"

With an eye on 2008, Kerry has been courting the blog community, which helped make Howard Dean the early Democratic presidential frontrunner in 2004.

Meanwhile, current Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton's star continues to fade with the same group. Polls taken over the last year by the leading liberal blog, Daily Kos, show Clinton trailing Russ Feingold, Mark Warner and even Wesley Clark.

Canadian Politician Denies Clinton Affair

Billionaire Belinda Stronach insists there is nothing true about the rumors she and former President Clinton are having an affair, adding that it's all a Republican plot.

The ultra-wealthy member of Canada's parliament, who switched from the Conservative to the Liberal party, told the Montreal Gazette that the rumors upset her and she doesn't know whether to laugh or cry about the global hullabaloo over her alleged role as Cinton's latest squeeze.

Echoing Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's famous allegation of a "vast right-wing conspiracy," Stronach told the Gazette she suspects the rumors have been spread by Republicans.

But it wasn't Republicans who reported last year that she was spotted all over New York with Clinton last year - it was the media.

New York Daily News columnist Ben Widdicombe told ExtraTV.com: "She's blonde, she's ambitious and she's in politics, but she's not Bill Clinton's wife. It's Belinda Stronach, his friend from Canada who's been visiting Bill in New York this week.

"She gives money to his pet projects and in return, he supports her projects, for instance, a children's hospital in Canada," Widdicombe revealed, adding that Stronach and her father donated money to Clinton's presidential library."

Wrote ExtraTV.com: "And Belinda is no stranger to the limelight either. She's divorced from Olympic champion speed skater Johan Olaf Lass and currently has romantic ties to another politician. Still, there have been rumors of a romance between Belinda and Bill since they met five years ago at a charity event."

Calif. Dem Francine Busby: Illegals Can Vote

California Democratic congressional candidate Francine Busby was caught on tape Thursday night exhorting illegal aliens in Escondido to vote for her in the race to fill the seat vacated by Randy "Duke” Cunningham, who was convicted last year of taking bribes.

Busby was speaking to a group of about 50 people gathered at the city's Jocelyn Senior Center.

According to the San Diego Union Tribune, many in the audience were Latinos who couldn't speak English. Toward the end of the meeting, a man asked in Spanish: "I want to help, but I don't have papers.”

The Tribune reports:

"It was translated and Busby replied: 'Everybody can help, yeah, absolutely, you can all help. You don't need papers for voting, you don't need to be a registered voter to help.'”

The explosive recording, which was given prominent play Friday on Roger Hedgecock's San Diego radio show, is said to have "jolted" Busby's campaign - in a race that Democrats had been hailing as a harbinger of party-wide victory in November.

Busby's GOP opponent, Brian Bilbray, immediately seized on her remarks:

"She's soliciting illegal aliens to campaign for her and it's on tape – this isn't exactly what you call the pinnacle of ethical campaign strategy," he told the Tribune. "I don't know how she shows her face."

For her part Busby insists that she misspoke - and didn't mean to suggest that illegal aliens should vote.

"I was clarifying the question that was being asked in Spanish and then stated that you do not have to be a registered voter to help the campaign because there were many people who appeared to be to be under 18 in the group who wanted to volunteer," she explained.

"I'm not surprised that the Republican Party is making this last-minute, desperate ploy and it is absolutely false," Busby complained.

Hevesi Apologizes for Bush 'Bullet' Remark

State Comptroller Alan Hevesi publicly apologized Thursday for a "beyond dumb" remark about a fellow Democrat "putting a bullet between the president's eyes."

Hevesi hastily called a mea culpa press conference hours after putting his foot in his mouth at the Queens College commencement.

In the videotaped speech, Hevesi describes Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., as, "the man who, how do I phrase this diplomatically, who will put a bullet between the president's eyes if he could get away with it."

At the news conference, a contrite Hevesi said he was trying to convey that Schumer has the strength and courage to stand up to the president.

"I do speak extemporaneously," he said. "And I've never said anything like this."
Hevesi apologized to Bush and Schumer and said he is "not a person of violence."

"I am apologizing as abjectly as I can. There is no excuse for it. It was beyond dumb."

Hevesi, a longtime professor of government and politics at Queens College before becoming comptroller, said he hadn't been in touch with the White House but hoped his apology reached President Bush.

A White House spokesman did not immediately return a telephone message seeking comment Thursday. But one Republican seized on Hevesi's words.

"Threats against the president are no joke and this incident raises real concerns about Alan Hevesi's fitness to hold public office," GOP comptroller nominee J. Christopher Callaghan said during his acceptance speech at the Republican state convention on Long Island.

Schumer spokeswoman Risa Heller said the senator was satisfied with Hevesi's apology.

"Comptroller Hevesi was trying to make a point. He went way too far and it was inappropriate and wrong," Heller said. "He has apologized to both the senator and the president and we believe that ends the matter."

Nancy Pelosi Yields to Black Caucus on William Jefferson

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has dropped her demand that Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., resign from the powerful House Way & Means Committee - in exchange for a promise from the Congressional Black Caucus that they won't campaign against her in advance of this fall's critical mid-term elections.

According to a Roll Call report this week, Pelosi struck a deal with the Black Caucus in a closed door meeting last Friday to "hold off taking any pre-indictment action against Jefferson" as long as the group refrains from attacking her.

Pelosi had ordered Jefferson to step down last week after he was caught hiding $90,000 in alleged bribe money in his freezer, saying his resignation would be "in the interest of upholding the high ethical standard of the House Democratic Caucus."

But Black Caucus leaders complained she was overreaching - and threatened to launch a public campaign against her that would jeopardize Democrat chances for retaking the House this November.

"I think she's taking us down to the point where on Nov. 8 she'll still be the Minority Leader," an aide to a CBC member told Roll Call last week.
Describing the new political cease fire, one Caucus aide told the paper that the truce between Pelosi and the CBC boiled down to - "We won't escalate this any further if you don't escalate it any further."

"Whatever was said during the meeting, they're in a holding pattern now," another aide said.