Some of Today's More Interesting Stories

At least from my point of view ...

• Terrorism suspect is Republican donor: A New York man who pleaded not guilty last week to charges of supporting terrorism contributed about $15,000 to the House Republicans' campaign committee and claimed to be involved with the Senate Republicans' campaign committee in recent years.
  
  
• Renunciation of reality: With carrier battle groups crowding the Gulf, and with the Bush administration beating the battle drum to a degree not heard since the buildup to the Iraq war, one can only conclude that either this is a demonstration of coercive diplomacy par excellence, or that the United States is going to attack Iran.
  
  President George W. Bush and the Pentagon continue to deny "for the umpteenth time" that an attack is being planned. They say that diplomacy is in play. But that is what they said about Iraq long after the decision to go to war had already been made.
  
  
• Caring for the Wounded at Walter Reed: Each member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and every general at the Pentagon should take a field trip to Walter Reed Army Medical Center this week -- turf battles be damned -- and inspect firsthand the appalling conditions our wounded service members are enduring.
  
  
• Media Amnesia As Catholic Charity Head Rebukes Bush: This month the Catholic priest who runs the national association of Catholic charities condemned the Bush Administration budget as a moral failure. He said it "weaken(s) family life" and fails to address "the dignity of the human person," and he called on Congress to change it. Also this month, fringe rightwing activist Bill Donohue attacked two fairly low-level bloggers working for the Edwards campaign by claiming their writings were "anti-Catholic."
  
  Which story do you think got more play in the media?
  
  
• Tony Blair Hates Our Freedoms, Pulling Troops From Iraq: Bye! - WonketteBeloved Bush lackey Tony Blair is pulling 1,500 troops from Iraq.
  
  Blair will announce the withdrawals tomorrow, according to BBC and the papers. At least 1,500 of the 7,000 troops will be coming home in a few weeks, if they aren’t killed first. There’s supposed to be a timetable to bring the rest of them home, too.