Volume 2 Issue 87
June 5, 2003
Cleaning House on 43rd Street
Bush and Blair keep looking for the weapons, paying to drive, and is Sammy corked?
Ooh, how exciting, and entire afternoon of meetings! Here's what I threw together today. So much insanity, so little time...
Where's the WMD? With his administration and Tony Blair's government under attack, Bush has said the coalition will find weapons of mass destruction -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2964894.stm
Presidential Candidate Sen. Bob Graham says the Intelligence Committee should hold Bush accountable for any altered analysis -
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/2003 0605/NEWS/306050693/1017
Gun Control in Iraq? Gun groups weigh in on the US-imposed gun ban in Iraq. But the NRA is strangely silent -
http://slate.msn.com/id/2083998/
Look who's back! Once again, the US tendency to start new wars before winning old ones has reared it's head, this time in a major Talaban attack in Afghanistan. They were defeated soundly though. -
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1-703921,00.html
Biggest threat to Mideast Peace? Yasser Arafat is the wild card in the whole roadmap process. If he tries to stop the process from continuing, it may doom the chances for peace until he has been disposed -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2964862.stm
Tax "Cuts": Michael Kinsley on how the Bush tax cut destroys one of the barriers that allows democratic capitalism to exist -
http://slate.msn.com/id/2084002/
Grey Lady Shake Up: Howell Raines and Gerald Boyd were fired today as the top editors at the New York Times -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/05/national/05CND-RESI.html
The official news release:
http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=NYT&script=411&layout=-6&item_id=419436
The memo to staff:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Northeast/06/05/times.memo/index. html
Defending Free Speech: A bi-partisan group of Senators may attempt to use the Congressional Review Act to overturn the FCC's latest rules. This controversial law has only been used once before -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/05/business/media/05RULE.html ?pagewanted=all&position
Amending the Constitution: While Bill Clinton's "make me President again" plan doesn't sit too well with the folks on the Hill, there is apparently support for doing away with term limits for the President entirely, including support from leading Republicans -
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030605-020900-2841r.htm
The suggestion of an amendment to provide for how to fill the House in case of a major disaster (Senate vacancies can be filled by Governors, the House must all be elected) has gotten a cool reception on the Hill -
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030605-011649-8518r.htm
Look Who's Voting for President: DC has decided to go ahead with a beauty contest primary in January, meaning that the results will be non-binding, though locals are trying to get the 28 "superdelegates" to commit to back the winner. The remaining 10 delegates will be selected at February caucuses -
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,88607,00.html
Look Who's Voting for President 2: On the other end of the primary calendar, New Jersey looks to not be interested in moving up its June primary, one of the last in the nation -
http://www.nj.com/news/expresstimes/nj/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1054803885221750.xml
Bad John Edwards Photo of the Day:
Aaaaah! She has a buzzer in her hand!
(Thanks to a reader for sending this one in...and does he always wear that ugly tie?!)
Getting Around: The use of toll lanes on highways is gaining popularity as a way to increase transportation funding and relieve congestion -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14863-2003Jun4.html
But would a congestion charge like London's work in DC?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51546-2003May28.html
You can't do that: Is NYC trying to ticket its way out of a financial crisis?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2965768.stm
Now Departing... HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson said he would not stay on for a second Bush term, but will likely keep his job through the election -
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,88497,00.html
Martha under indictment: Rarely does an SEC insider trading case get people this fired up -
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/06/05/BU272099.DTL
Ah...the Greek System: Students at UC Santa Cruz are up in arms after a fraternity featured on MTV's "Fraternity Life" show apparently took the school's mascot Koi fish, grilled him, and ate him -
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/06/05/MN94963.DTL&type=news
Sammy's Mess: Will Sosa's cheating hurt his long-term reputation?
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/6015683.htm
Is he telling the truth? A look at the evidence -
http://slate.msn.com/id/2083999/
Does corking a bat really help anyway? It may be mostly a placebo effect -
http://slate.msn.com/id/2083972/
From Chicago to Atlantic City: An Atlantic City man has plead guilty to voting multiple times in at least 3 elections. Oh yeah, and his brother is a councilman -
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/atlantic/060503CALLA WAY_J5.html
