Bush Leads Kerry by 6 Points in Ohio

CLEVELAND - President Bush has a 6 percentage point lead over John Kerry in Ohio, considered a must-win state rich in electoral votes, a newspaper's statewide poll has found.

--NewsMax.com--

Christian Beaten to Death in Hospital by Muslim Cop

Samuel Masih was buried in Lahore, Pakistan, yesterday following injuries he received from a Muslim policeman who beat the 27-year-old Christian with a hammer as he lay in his hospital bed recovering from a bout of tuberculosis.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Iraqi Insurgents Turn Against ‘Out of Control’ Saudi al-Qaeda

Foreign insurgents suspected of links to al-Qaeda are operating in the flashpoint city of Fallujah, fuelling fears that the terrorist network has established a firm foothold in Iraq.

--London Telegraph--

U.S. Ditching Democracy in Iraq?

The Bush administration's agreement for Lakhdar Brahimi, U.N. special envoy to Iraq, to choose the next interim Iraqi government could signal the end of U.S. efforts to establish democracy in Iraq, says Geostrategy-Direct, the global intelligence news service.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Pelosi: I Showed ‘Great Courage’ Bashing Bush

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Sunday that it took “great courage” for her to bash President Bush two weeks ago as “an incompetent leader . . . who has no judgment, no experience and no knowledge of the subjects that he has to decide upon” - explaining that she leveled the incendiary criticism to help U.S. troops in Iraq.

--NewsMax.com--

So what was her motivation? Was she trying to prove how courageous she is, or was she doing what is right? This pronouncement seems to me to indicate that she's more concerned with self-promotion than the good of the country. - Ed.

Libya Got New Nukes ‘in March’

VIENNA - Turkey is now seen as a source of centrifuge parts shipped to Libya's nuclear weapons programme, diplomats said on Saturday, after revelations that Tripoli had received new clandestine shipments of equipment as late as this March.

--News24, South Africa--

Pentagon: China Expands Military Build-up

WASHINGTON - China expanded its aggressive military build-up last year with more sophisticated missiles, satellite-disrupting lasers and underground facilities, all aimed at winning a possible conflict with Taiwan and exerting power, according to a Pentagon report.

--ABS-CBN (Reuters)--

Muslim Cleric in London Closely Linked to USS Cole Bombing

Abu Hamza al-Masri, the Muslim cleric arrested in Britain Thursday and facing extradition to the United States, is closely linked to the Yemeni terrorist group that claimed responsibility for bombing the USS Cole.

--CNSNews.com--

Tougher Interrogations Needed in Iraq, Lott Says

JACKSON, Miss. - Sen. Trent Lott says saving American lives should be the priority in Iraq, even if it means dealing harshly with prisoners to get vital security information.

--Washington Times (AP)--

‘Memogate’ Figure Called ‘Bright Light’ of Progressive Movement

A liberal group that promotes “progressive visions for America's future” plans to honor “three bright lights” in the progressive movement next week -- and one of those “bright lights” is Elaine R. Jones, formerly with the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund.

--CNSNews.com--

Detroit House Searched for Clues in Hoffa Case

DETROIT - Authorities in Detroit searched a home Friday looking for clues into the greatest murder mystery in U.S. history - what really happened to Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa.

--Fox News--

Wouldn't you think that a 29 year-old murder mystery, arguably the “greatest murder mystery in U.S. history,” might generate loads of media attention when new evidence comes to light which may soon result in the case being solved? Not necessarily, since the new leads came as a result of an investigation by the hated Fox News. And to make matters worse, this story might overshadow the media's current project of undermining the Iraq operation by obsessing on prison “abuse.” - Ed.

Presidential Candidate Promises to End Abortion

Constitution Party presidential candidate Michael A. Peroutka is making an extraordinary campaign promise: He vows to end abortion on his “first day in office.”

--WorldNetDaily.com--

But voting for him might doom many more millions of pre-born children. - Ed.

Kerry Calls for 40,000 More Troops

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry called for increasing the U.S. military by 40,000 troops, probably for a decade, in order “to match its new missions” in the war on terror and homeland security.

--Bloomberg News--

Speaker Hastert should call Kerry's bluff and introduce legislation to increase the size of the military (with increased funding, of course). If Kerry bothered to vote, he'd probably vote against it. - Ed.

IRS is Asked to Investigate Colorado Springs Diocese

Americans United for Separation of Church and State says Bishop Sheridan's recent letter essentially orders Catholics to vote Republican.

--Denver Post--

U.S. Agencies Collect, Examine Personal Data on Americans

Numerous federal government agencies are collecting and sifting through massive amounts of personal information, including credit reports, credit-card purchases and other financial data, posing new privacy concerns, according to the General Accounting Office (GAO).

--Washington Times--

The story goes on to say that the agencies “use the contentious new technology to detect criminal or terrorist activity; manage human resources; gauge scientific research; detect fraud, waste and abuse; and monitor tax compliance.” So why is it that the only “invasions” of privacy that ‘liberals’ seem concerned about are those associated with fighting terrorism? - Ed.

Christian Secession Talk Sparks Flood of Reaction

In the wake of WorldNetDaily's exclusive report this week, hundreds of American citizens have contacted a group of Christian activists looking to secede from the United States to form a republic based on Christian principles.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Economy Picks Up Pace in First Quarter

WASHINGTON - The economy grew at a 4.4 percent annual rate in the first quarter of this year, slightly faster than previously thought and fresh evidence that the recovery possessed good momentum as it headed into the current quarter.

--My Way News (AP)--

This would be bad news for Kerry and the Democrats if they didn't have a pliant media to downplay the good news. - Ed.

2006 Cuts in Domestic Spending on Table

The White House put government agencies on notice this month that if President Bush is reelected, his budget for 2006 may include spending cuts for virtually all agencies in charge of domestic programs, including education, homeland security and others that the president backed in this campaign year.

--MSNBC--

Iraqi Official at 9-11 Plot Meeting

Recently translated documents captured by U.S. forces provide new evidence of a direct link between Saddam Hussein's regime and the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Israel Says PA Officials Using Ambulances As Jerusalem ‘Taxi Service’

JERUSALEM - The Palestinian Authority has been using fake ambulances as a VIP “taxi service” to sneak PA officials into Jerusalem, Israeli police said this week.

--CNSNews.com--

Clarke Claims Responsibility for bin Ladens' Flight

Former counterterrorism chief Richard Clarke says he is solely responsible for allowing members of Osama bin Laden's family to flee the United States immediately after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Gore: Rumsfeld, Rice, Tenet Should Resign

Al Gore delivered a blistering denunciation (i.e., insane rant) Wednesday of the Bush administration's “twisted values and atrocious policies” in Iraq and demanded the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice and CIA director George Tenet.

--Las Vegas Sun (AP)--

You can be sure that Gore's rant gave “aid and comfort” to this country's enemies. - Ed.

Gore Calls on Bush to Condemn ‘Distinguished American’ Limbaugh

Former Vice President Al Gore called on President Bush to condemn top talk radio host Rush Limbaugh on Wednesday, even though he once referred to Limbaugh as “a distinguished American.”

--NewsMax.com--

I hereby call on John Kerry to condemn Al Gore's insane rant against the Commander in Chief. - Ed.

POW Congressman: Hanoi Used Kerry Speech, Gore Comments ‘Traitorous’

North Vietnamese jailers at the Hanoi Hilton invoked Sen. John Kerry's 1971 anti-war testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to taunt and demoralize U.S. POWs, Vietnam war hero Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Texas, revealed on Wednesday.

--NewsMax.com--

Kennedy Mocks Kerry; Daley Tells Kerry to Stop the Hatred

You know that Sen. John Kerry is in trouble when even his close ally Sen. Teddy Kennedy is ridiculing him.

--NewsMax.com--

High-Profile Events Bring New Terror Warnings

Go about your life - enjoy the summer months - and be aware that the federal government is working every day to make America more secure. That's the message Wednesday morning from Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge.

--CNSNews.com--

U.S. Troops Capture Key Iraqi Lieutenant

BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. troops captured a key lieutenant of radical Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr during overnight clashes in Najaf that killed 24 people and wounded nearly 50, hospital and militia officials said.

--My Way News (AP)--

Iraqi ‘Wedding Party’ Had Terrorist Ties

Members of a so-called Iraqi wedding party attacked by U.S. forces last week near the Syrian border were heavily armed, carried Syrian cash and held passports from Sudan, Coalition Provisional Authority spokesman Dan Senor revealed Monday.

--NewsMax.com--

Daley Says Kerry Went Too Far with Joke About President's Fall

Mayor Daley scolded Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry Tuesday for making a wisecrack about the bicycle accident that scraped the face, hands and knees of President Bush.

--Chicago Sun-Times--

It wasn't a joke, it was Kerry's mean spirit leaking out. - Ed.

Kerry Boasted to Vietnam Crewmates: I'll Be President

One of Sen. John Kerry's Vietnam Swift Boat mates said this week that the Massachusetts Democrat boasted during the war that one day he'd be president.

--NewsMax.com--

GOP Finally Starts Forming Its Own 527 Groups

Now that the Federal Election Commission has decided to allow Bush-hating groups to decimate the campaign finance "reform" that Democrats screamed for, Republicans are finally fighting back.

--NewsMax.com--

Terror Threat: We'll Kill Madonna

Madonna has axed three gigs in Israel — after terrorists threatened to kill her and her kids.

--The Sun--

Near the end (predictably) of this article is the revelation that she is being targeted “because she represents many things they hate about the West.” And what about her, do you suppose, those "many thing" might be? Her single (by choice) motherhood, her lesbian experimentation, her sexual promiscuity? These are all things the left holds dear, but to listen to them, the terrorists hate us because of Pres. Bush. - Ed.

Israeli Agents Believed Involved in Abu Ghraib

Diplomatic sources in Washington tell NewsMax's U.N. correspondent Stew Stogel that Israeli nationals are believed to be involved in the Iraq prison controversy.

--NewsMax.com--

GOP: We'll Crash Party: Repubs Want Equal Time if Kerry Snubs Nomination

WASHINGTON - President Bush's campaign yesterday threatened to hold four days of campaign rallies to yank the media spotlight from Boston's Democratic National Convention if Sen. John F. Kerry delays accepting his party's nomination.

--Boston Herald--

Kerry is in this situation because of his, and his party's, poor planning. They'll probably spend most of their convention blasting Pres. Bush for “poor planning” vis-à-vis Iraq. If this is an example of the planning ability Kerry would bring to the Iraq situation, how is it a reason to vote for him? - Ed.

Kerry's Stalinist Slogan

nsiders say John Kerry has settled on “Let America Be America Again” as the motto and theme of his presidential campaign. The line comes from a Langston Hughes poem Kerry quoted at an NAACP event in Kansas. Apparently the pedantic St. Paul's and Yale graduate didn't bother to note that it was written for an International Workers Order (IWO) pamphlet called A New Song.

--FrontPageMag.com (Insight)--

Poll: Bush Ratings Continue Slide

The war in Iraq continues to tarnish the approval ratings of President Bush. Evaluations of the way Mr. Bush is handling the war in Iraq, how he is handling foreign policy, and how he is handling his job overall are now at their lowest levels ever in his presidency.

--CBS--

I don't know how much stock to put in this poll. People who say Pres. Bush isn't doing a good job in Iraq, for instance, may be saying so because they feel he isn't being forceful enough or projecting enough American power. Such people aren't likely to vote for a Democrat, but they just might sit out the election. - Ed.

White House Rebuffs Criticism from Ex-Centcom Chief

WASHINGTON - The White House on Monday brushed aside charges by retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni, former chief of U.S. Central Command, that U.S. policies in Iraq have been a failure.

--My Way News (Reuters)--

Here's someone else trying to sell a book. - Ed.

Congress Aims to Rein In Supreme Court Activism

The issue of same-sex marriage, heading for an ultimate decision by the highest court in the land, is driving a new effort on Capitol Hill to curb the Supreme Court's power.

--NewsMax.com--

I don't think the answer is for Congress to assume the power to override court decisions. The answer, I think, is to pass legislation specifying that the court must have a super-majority of justices, perhaps even unanimity, for the court to declare legislation unconstitutional. I believe Congress has the power to do this. - Ed.

Employment Rebounds in States that Could Decide Next President

WASHINGTON — Employment has picked up significantly this year in a number of closely contested states that could decide the outcome of the 2004 presidential election.

--USA Today--

Kerry Pokes Mean Spirited ‘Fun’ at Bush Mishap

Democrat John Kerry joked about President Bush's weekend bicycle accident by comparing the president to a child, Internet newshound Matt Drudge reported yesterday.

--Washington Times--

You most likely won't read about this in the “mainstream” media, but you certainly would if it had been a Republican making such an infantile comment. - Ed.

Kerry Urged to Denounce Hollings by N.Y. Campaign Co-Chair

Sen. John Kerry's New York campaign co-chair said Sunday that he should denounce South Carolina Democratic Sen. Fritz Hollings for a column he wrote earlier this month blaming the Iraq war on Israel.

--NewsMax.com--

Nader Urges Kerry to Stop Opposition

Ralph Nader's presidential campaign is urging Democratic contender John Kerry to condemn a new political group, the National Progress Fund, which is running ads telling Nader supporters that voting for the consumer advocate would help President Bush.

--Washington Times--

High Court Eyes SF Mayor in Same-sex ‘Marriage’ Case

SAN FRANCISCO - A state Supreme Court hearing this week on whether the mayor abused his powers by issuing 4,000 marriage licenses to gay couples will not address whether the unions are legal.

--Las Vegas Sun (AP)--

Enviro: Only Nuke Power Can Stop Global Warming

Global warming is now advancing so swiftly that only a massive expansion of nuclear power as the world's main energy source can prevent it overwhelming civilisation, the scientist and celebrated Green guru, James Lovelock, says.

--London Independent--

I don't agree with his reasoning, but his conclusion certainly reduces doubt about his sincerity. It's always been difficult to take seriously the alleged dangers of "greenhouse gases" from fossil fuels, coming from the most adamant opponents of the only viable alternative. - Ed.

Dershowitz: U.S. Needs Improved Torture Tactics

Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz, who urged that terrorists be tortured in a Nov. 2001 column he wrote for the Los Angeles Times, isn't backing away from his position one bit in the wake of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal.

--NewsMax.com--

Latest Abu Ghraib Horror: Nerf Torture

Documents obtained by the New York Times show that U.S. interrogators at Baghdad's notorious Abu Ghraib prison had devised a diabolically gruesome new tactic to abuse innocent Iraqi terror suspects: Nerf torture.

--NewsMax.com--

Many Prisoner Abuses Occurred in One Day

WASHINGTON - Some of the worst abuses that have come to light from the Abu Ghraib prison appear to have happened on a single November day amid a flare of insurgent violence in Iraq, the deaths of many U.S. soldiers and a breakdown of the American guards' command structure.

--Macon Telegraph (AP)--

Report: Taped Saddam Names Foreign Leaders in Bribe Scheme

Taped recorded interrogation sessions of Saddam Hussein reportedly show the captured Iraqi dictator naming specific leaders in the Middle East and other parts of the world as recipients of bribes paid by Baghdad, an Iraqi press report claimed this week.

--NewsMax.com--

The list probably coincides very closely with the list of “foreign leaders” John Kerry claims told him they want him to win in November. - Ed.

U.S. Investigates how Chalabi Got Secrets

WASHINGTON - The U.S. government has launched an investigation to determine how Iraqi National Congress leader Ahmad Chalabi obtained highly classified American intelligence that was then passed to Iran, Bush administration officials said Friday.

--Lexington Herald-Leader (Knight-Ridder)--

Chalabi Raid Leads to Civil War?

The early-morning raid on the home and office of Iraqi National Congress leader Ahmed Chalabi in Baghdad sends "the wrong message" to America's would-be allies in the Arab world, former Pentagon official Michael Rubin tells Insight.

--WorldNetDaily.com (Insight)--

New Underwater Volcano Discovered off Antarctic Coast

A previously unknown underwater volcano has been discovered off the coast of Antarctica, the National Science Foundation said on Thursday.

--Hindustan Times--

What I find interesting about this story is the fact that alarmists have been pointing to melting ice in Antarctica as evidence of “global warming,” while they were ignorant of this volcano which may be the actual culprit. - Ed.

Oil Futures Close Below $40-A-Barrel Mark

NEW YORK - Oil futures closed below the key $40-a-barrel threshold on Friday after Saudi Arabia proposed raising OPEC output quotas by more than 2 million barrels per day and said it was committed to boosting supplies in June in a bid to cool markets.

--My Way News (Reuters)--

Sen. Inhofe: Taxpayer Funded Radicals Unethical

Taxpayers who support President Bush’s re-election may be unaware of it, but rabidly anti-Bush Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has received at least $3.5 million in taxpayer money in recent years, according to information from the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW).

--NewsMax.com--

Activists: Anti-war Leaders ‘McCarthyists’

Leftists who reveal movement's Stalinist ties are silenced from within.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Kerry Co-Sponsors Bill Targeting Vietnam Abuses

Despite harsh criticism from a human rights group about his record on dealing with religious persecution in Vietnam, Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry is a co-sponsor of a Senate resolution calling on the Vietnamese communist government “to respect all universally recognized human rights, including the right to freedom of religion.”

--CNSNews.com--

If the bill ever comes to a vote, do you suppose Kerry will bother to show up? - Ed.

Tony Blair: Can't Remember Meeting John Kerry

Scratch Tony Blair off the list of possible “foreign leaders” who want to see John Kerry president.

--NewsMax.com--

House Armed Svc. Chair: Prison Probe Endangering GI Lives

The decision by Congress to keep summoning U.S. military commanders back to Washington to testify about the Abu Ghraib prison scandal is endangering the lives of U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq, the head of the House Armed Services Committee said on Thursday.

--NewsMax.com--

Focus on Abu Ghraib Obscuring New Terror Threat

Reporters have spent the last six months suggesting that President Bush missed clear evidence that the 9/11 attacks were coming.

--NewsMax.com--

Jesse Peterson: Cosby is right

The Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, author of Scam: How the Black Leadership Exploits Black America, yesterday gave a hearty endorsement of entertainer Bill Cosby's recent comments criticizing blacks who don't take responsibility for their economic status, blame police for incarcerations and teach their kids poor speaking habits.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Al-Qaeda Recruit Claimed He Was Ignored When He Tried to Warn Authorities

A British-born al-Qaeda recruit accused of plotting to blow up the Israeli embassy in Canberra was ignored when he tried to warn Australian and US authorities about the terrorist threat in Australia, a court was told here.

--Agence France-Presses--

Fearful Strip Clubs Register Voters to Oust President Bush

BELOIT, Wis. - Strip club owners are putting a little bada-bing in the presidential campaign by asking patrons to turn their eyes away from the stage for a moment to fill out a voter registration form -- and then vote against President Bush.

--Chicago Sun-Times--

Bush to Launch New Anti-Kerry Ad Blitz

ARLINGTON, Va. - President Bush's campaign will accuse Sen. John Kerry of “playing politics with national security” in a TV ad assault that begins next week.

--USA Today--

Activists Say Boston Stifling Protests

Accusing the city of trying to “sanitize” protests during the Democratic National Convention, the Christian Defense Coalition and Operation Rescue sued Mayor Thomas Menino yesterday in federal court over a permit process requiring 14 days notice to protest.

--Boston Herald--

Hillary Clinton Champions Privacy

Senator Hillary Clinton, who was embroiled in the FBI Filegate controversy during her husband's presidency, has now become a champion of privacy, according to David Lazarus of the Washington Post.

--NewsMax.com--

Kerry's Meeting With Communists Violated US Law, Says Author

The 1970 meeting that current Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry conducted with North Vietnamese communists may have violated several U.S. laws, according to an author and researcher who has studied the issue.

--CNSNews.com--

New evidence: Saddam's WMD in Lebanon

Over the last few months, the U.S. intelligence community has received new evidence a sizable amount of Iraqi WMD systems, components and platforms were transferred to Syria in the weeks leading up to the U.S.-led war in Iraq, reports Geostrategy-Direct, the global intelligence news service.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

U.S. Says More Oil Supply, Refining Capacity Needed

LONDON - The United States needs to talk to OPEC to ensure oil supply meets growing demand, but is also looking at increasing its own refining capacity, U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said on Thursday.

--Reuters--

Kerry, McCain Alleged to be ‘Fast Friends’ of Vietnamese Communists

The Vietnamese communist government's alleged murder of hundreds of tribal Christians requires a response by the U.S. government, but any effort to sanction Vietnam is being blocked by Sens. John Kerry and John McCain, according to a Washington, D.C. human rights group.

--CNSNews.com--

Hastert Blasts McCain

WASHINGTON - Growing tensions between House and Senate Republicans over the war in Iraq, abuse of Iraqi prisoners, tax cuts and budget deficits erupted Wednesday with House Speaker Dennis Hastert lecturing former POW and Arizona Sen. John McCain about sacrifice and war. McCain, who spent five years in a North Vietnamese prison, excoriated fellow Republicans on Tuesday for pushing more tax cuts while U.S. troops are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

--NewsMax.com--

Campaigners Strategize on Toppling North Korean Regime

Unless South Korea stops its policy of “legitimizing” and “subsidizing” its repressive northern neighbor, it may find itself alone when it has to cope with the inevitable implosion of Kim Jong-il's regime, human rights activists have warned.

--CNSNews.com--

Have you noticed how using the “Bush Doctrine” as a rationle for deposing Saddam Hussein elicits a response from the left something like “Why aren't we invading North Korea, then?” The answer to that is simple. South Korea is our ally, and South Korea is afraid of the repercussions of such an invasion. It's strange that the left, which is so concerned about what our allies think about us, doesn't “get” this fundamental difference. - Ed.

Canadian Clinics Cutting Off Drugs for Americans

Canadian medical clinics are quietly informing American patients they will no longer help them obtain prescription drugs, after stern warnings from a major insurer that doctors who are sued by Americans won't be covered.

--Seattle Times--

Why Soros Thinks He's the New Messiah

Question: How can the world's most powerful atheist style himself as the new Messiah? Answer: By redefining “Messiah” to mean a promoter of death and destruction.

--NewsMax.com--

Firm's Gift to Schumer Preceded Bill in its Favor

WASHINGTON - Sen. Charles E. Schumer received more than $54,000 in campaign gifts from a major security company about two months before he sponsored a bill the company said it “urgently needed,” a nonpartisan research organization said Monday.

--Buffalo News--

Schumer claims the legislation is a “homeland security issue.” That makes this more despicable - a United States Senator using his position to profit from homeland security concerns! - Ed.

Bush Won't ‘Play Politics’ With Emergency Oil Stockpile

Draining the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in the hopes of bringing down oil and gas prices “would put America in a dangerous position in the war on terror” - and that's why President Bush won't do it, he said on Wednesday.

--CNSNews.com--

Remember when Bob Woodward accused Pres. Bush of making a secret deal with the Saudis to lower oil prices, and Democrats all screeched in unison about how awful it would be for the president to do that? Now, they're screeching that Mr. Bush should be making a deal with the Saudis. If the media were doing their job, someone would point out this obvious hypocrisy. - Ed.

Top Clintonistas Rush to Rescue Michael Moore

Top spinmeisters for Bill and Hillary Clinton have been dispatched to the Cannes Film Festival to help fend off anticipated Republican attacks on conspiracy-minded filmmaker Michael Moore, whose latest production, “Fahrenheit 9/11,” accuses President Bush of conspiring with Osama bin Laden.

--NewsMax.com--

Heroes Rage at WTC Probe

The 9/11 commission hearing yesterday in Manhattan turned into a series of angry finger-pointing exchanges - and one panel member ripped the city's response to the World Trade Center attack as “not worthy of the Boy Scouts.”

--New York Post--

Clinton Honored for Linguistic Talent

Ex-president Bill Clinton, who made famous the statement “It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is,” is being honored by the American Academy of Arts and Letters in New York City today for his “standard of correct utterance in the use of language.”

--NewsMax.com--

Woman Gases Unwanted House Guests

VICTORVILLE - When a pair of house guests overstayed their welcome and began selling drugs at a Victorville apartment, their hostess opened her oven's natural gas line in hopes of driving them away, authorities said.

--Victorville Daily Press, California--

Tests Confirm Sarin in Iraqi Artillery Shell

NEW YORK - Tests on an artillery shell that blew up in Iraq on Saturday confirm that it did contain an estimated three or four liters of the deadly nerve agent sarin, Defense Department officials told Fox News Tuesday.

--Fox News--

Activists Blast President Bush for Hypocrisy

The Federal Marriage Amendment is dead on arrival in the U.S. Senate - and President Bush knows it, one homosexual activist said.

--CNSNews.com--

I suspect that the marriage amendment will be a hot issue in the upcoming congressional campaigns, and as a result, the left may suffer sever losses. Let's hope and work toward that end. - Ed.

Bush's Handling of Gas Costs Criticized

With oil prices still climbing, President Bush is coming under increasing criticism for his handling of the burgeoning political issue of gasoline costs, not only from Democrats but also from administration allies in the oil-refining and chemical industries.

--Washington Post--

With Democrats criticizing Pres. Bush for not releasing oil from the strategic reserve, do you suppose anyone in the “mainstream” media will ask any of them if it is better to let gas prices rise and promote conservation, or hold prices down so SUV owners can waste more of it. - Ed.

Bush Forgoes Recess Appointments to Get Nominees Approved

Senate Democrats agreed to lift their seven-week hold on President's Bush judicial nominees after reaching an agreement Tuesday with the White House that will halt the practice of congressional recess appointments for the remainder of the year.

--CNSNews.com--

McAuliffe Blames Bush for Kerry's Failed Tax Increase

Jet-setting Democrat limousine lefties and other self-styled "environmentalists" are always wanting to raise energy taxes to encourage poorer people to conserve ... except during an election year, when they'll try to blame others for their own Big Government greed.

--NewsMax.com--

Cheney Chides Kerry, Warns of More Terror Inside U.S.

Speaking at a Republican fund-raiser in North Carolina Monday, Vice President Dick Cheney chided the presumptive Democratic nominee for failing to disclose the names of foreign leaders who have endorsed him.

--NewsMax.com--

‘Kerry Lied While Good Men Died’

Using the battle cry “Kerry lied while good men died,” the organization Vietnam Vets for Truth is planning a September rally in the nation's capital to combat what it considers untruths the Democratic presidential candidate has spread about those who fought in the Vietnam War.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Israel Waging Campaign to Present Its Side of the War Story

JERUSALEM - Facing tough international opposition, Israel is waging a public relations battle - as its army fights in the Gaza Strip - to make sure the world focuses on Israel's efforts to combat terrorism, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday.

--CNSNews.com--

Graphic, Violent Images Can Curb Kids' Aggression

NEW YORK - Showing children realistic and graphic images of the consequences of violence appears to quell some of their aggressive tendencies, new research reports.

--Reuters Health--

U.S. Reports Discovery of Sarin, Mustard Gas

Two separate discoveries of chemical weapons, possibly among the weapons of mass destruction Saddam hid from inspectors, were reported today in Iraq by U.S. officials.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

They were obviously planted by the CIA, or so the left is sure to tell us. - Ed.

Iraq arms Caches Exceed 8,700; Hunt Continues

The U.S. military continues to find in Iraq large caches of the weapons that have supported attacks by insurgents on coalition forces, the Pentagon's top general said yesterday.

--Washington Times--

Civil Rights Commissioner Scuttles Talk of ‘Memogate’ Probe

WASHINGTON - Mary Frances Berry, chairwoman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, thwarted a planned discussion of the Senate's "Memogate" affair on Monday when she adjourned the panel's monthly meeting after four Republican members didn't arrive on time.

--CNSNews.com--

Lynndie England: I Wasn't Ordered to Abuse Detainees

The female GI who is at the center of the storm over allegations of mistreatment at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison has told military investigators that she received no specific orders to abuse detainees.

--NewsMax.com--

Hillary Wants Rumsfeld Out ‘Perhaps’

NEW YORK - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said she would “perhaps” support the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld if his stepping down marked a change in the Bush administration's approach to the war in Iraq.

--Newsday (AP)--

Poll Shows Bush Dropping; Will ‘Marriage’ Issue Help Him?

President George W. Bush's job approval rating has dropped to 42 percent - a record low for this president and a drop of six points from last month, the latest Zogby International poll says.

--CNSNews.com--

Swift Boat Vets Accuse Kerry of Vietnam Photo Fraud

Eleven out of a group of nineteen Vietnam swift boat veterans pictured in Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign literature demanded on Monday that he stop misrepresenting them as supporters.

--NewsMax.com--

Zell Miller Blasts Fellow Democrat Kerry

COLUMBUS, Ga. - Sen. Zell Miller, the Bush campaign's most famous Democratic attack dog, ripped into John Kerry on Saturday as an “out-of-touch, ultraliberal from Taxachusetts” whose foreign and domestic policies would seriously weaken the country.

--My Way News (AP)--

Jerry Springer Named Democrat Delegate

CINCINNATI - Ohio Democrats have chosen talk-show host Jerry Springer to be an at-large delegate for the Democratic National Convention in Boston.

--Yahoo! News (AP)--

Bush Saw Saddam's al-Qaida Ties as Reason for War

President Bush wanted to base his justification for going to war with Iraq on Baghdad's links to terrorist groups including al-Qaida, but ultimately rejected the idea because it wouldn't have persuaded the United Nations, according to Washington Times reporter Bill Sammon.

--NewsMax.com--

Berg video called how-to-kill demo

The Arabic message accompanying the video images of the beheading of 26-year-old Nick Berg by terrorists in Iraq is being described by a translator and expert in Islam and the Quran as a “how-to” training tape for the murder of non-Muslims by other terrorists around the globe.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Report: Saddam's Torture Scenes to Be Broadcast

Hideously gruesome photographs and videotapes of Saddam Hussein's police torturing innocent Iraqis held at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison are said to be in the hands of the new Arab-language television network Alhurra, which is culling through the material and deciding what to broadcast.

--NewsMax.com--

Cherokees Rush to Clarify Marriage Laws

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (AP) - Cherokee Nation officials are scrambling to clarify their marriage laws after a lesbian couple obtained an application for marriage. ‘Gay-rights ’activists hoped the tribe's sovereign status would force recognition of ‘gay marriages’ in Oklahoma, which bans same-sex weddings but honors Cherokee marriage applications. But tribal leaders said they have no intention of allowing such marriages.

--Las Vegas Sun (AP)--

Poll: Dems Would Dump Kerry for Hillary

Sen. John Kerry may have his party's nomination locked up, but rank-and-file Democrats would still rather nominate Sen. Hillary Clinton to run against President Bush this year, a new poll shows.

--NewsMax.com--

Terri Schiavo's Parents Exonerated

Contrary to allegations by her estranged husband and his lawyer, Terri Schindler-Schiavo did not suffer “puncture wounds” or other physical abuse, according to a police report released Friday.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Article Says Rumsfeld, Aide Approved Harsh Iraqi Interrogations

WASHINGTON - Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and a top aide authorized the expansion of a secret program that permitted harsh interrogations of detained members of al-Qaida to be used against prisoners in Iraq, including detainees at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison, according to an article in the New Yorker magazine.

--Omaha World-Herald (NY Times)--

Before you get too excited about the possibility of this being true, consider that the author is Seymour Hersh who has a history of stretching the truth to attack Pres. Bush. That being said, if this story is true, it's very bad for the administration, not so much that “harsh” interrrogation techniques are unacceptable, but that the administration went to such lengths to condemn them. The American people, for the most part, realize that fighting terrorism sometimes requires “harsh” measures. If the administration did authorize this type of interrogation, they should have owned up to it immediately. Having this come out after they went to such lengths to isolate it to the lower echelons isn't going to sit well with anyone, even Bush's most ardent supporters. - Ed.

Israel Urged to Attack iran Nuke Plant

A report submitted to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon calls for the Jewish state to plan pre-emptive strikes against Iran’s nuclear plant and nuclear second-strike capability as a deterrent against its hostile neighbors in the Middle East.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

DA: Dads, Don't Let Your Girls be Interns

ALBANY - The Albany County district attorney - reacting to the intern sex scandal at the state Capitol - issued an extraordinary warning yesterday about the program. EP “Any father who would let his daughter be an intern in the state Legislature should have his head examined,” Albany DA Paul Clyne told The Post.

--New York Post--

California's Governor Wants State to Pocket Punitives

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger shocked the legal community Thursday with a proposal to have the state take 75 percent of all punitive damage awards.

--Law.com--

Good idea! - Ed.

We Let Our Allies Down, Say Spanish Troops Back from Iraq

In the old military city of Badajoz the sound of drums and trumpets that welcomed Spanish troops home from Iraq had given way yesterday to a discontented silence among men who feel they have let down their allies.

--London Telegraph--

Rep. King: Iraq Abuse Little More Than Hazing

DES MOINES, Iowa - Republican Rep. Steve King says the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. soldiers was little more than “hazing.”

--Las Vegas Sun (AP)--

President Bush Takes His Campaign Message to Conservatives

“On the fundamental issues of our times, conservatives have been right,” President Bush told the American Conservative Union on Thursday.

--CNSNews.com--

Bush Raises $200M, Far Beyond Kerry

WASHINGTON - President Bush's campaign has hit the $200 million mark in fund-raising, doubling his 2000 record in less than a year, a tabulation of donations through April posted on the campaign's website shows. The Republican incumbent has raised almost twice as much as John F. Kerry, the presumptive Democratic challenger.

--Boston Globe--

This would be good news if it weren't for this: - Ed.

Ashcroft: No Berg Terror Link

As the family of slain American Nicholas Berg gathered for the memorial service at a West Chester synagogue Friday, Attorney General John Ashcroft announced that U.S. authorities investigated Nicholas Berg for a possible connection to terrorists but determined there was no link.

--CBS News--

The headline above is CBS's. The article tells a slightly different story - that what Ashcroft really said was that the Justice Department could not support the suggestion of a terrorist link. It's virtually impossible to prove a negative, but that's what CBS claims Ashcroft said the government did. - Ed.

Sen. Miller: Kerry a National Security Threat

In the most scathing attack yet against Sen. John Kerry delivered by one of his peers, Sen. Zell Miller warned yesterday that the likely Democratic presidential nominee would be a threat to U.S. national security if elected.

--NewsMax.com--

Kerry: I'll Fight Terror Using the Geneva Convention

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said Thursday that he'd do a better job than President Bush fighting the war on terror because he'd uphold the Geneva Convention that prohibits pressuring detainees to talk to interrogators.

--NewsMax.com--

Vet: Officers Told Kerry to Leave Vietnam

Sen. John Kerry was told to leave Vietnam by three colleagues upset with his behavior and attitudes, according to a fellow swift-boat officer during the war.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

French Appeasers Plan to Exploit 60th Anniversary of D-Day

The notoriously cowardly French are scheming to exploit the 60th anniversary of D-Day as a celebration of appeasement and a slap at attendee President Bush.

--NewsMax.com--

Activists Aim to Frustrate, Disrupt Republican Convention

NEW YORK - About 200 people filled St. Mark's Church in Manhattan on Wednesday night in what has become a must-attend monthly meeting for activists of all stripes. Their goal is simple: to let the world know the Republican National Convention is not welcome in their city.

--CNSNews.com--

Journalists are welcome to attend the meetings as long as they don't take photos or use recording devices. When Justice Scalia issues the same rules for his speeches, the left is outraged. Where's the outrage here? - Ed.

Rumsfeld Tells Troops They'll Look Back and Be Proud

“I've stopped reading the newspapers,” Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told U.S. troops in Iraq on Thursday. The troops in Baghdad applauded.

--CNSNews.com--

The rest of us will look back and be ashamed of the treason lurking in the Democrat Party. - Ed.

After Berg‘s Beheading, Kerry Condemns American ’Arrogance'

Even after Muslim terrorists in Iraq beheaded U.S. citizen Nick Berg, admitted war criminal John “Atrocities” Kerry denounced what he called American “arrogance.”

--NewsMax.com--

Well he is an expert on arrogance. - Ed.

N.Y. Times Whines About CIA ‘Coercion’ of Terrorists

The New York Times reports CIA agents strapped suspected Sept. 11 plotter Khalid Shaikh Mohammed to a board, submerged him in water and made him think he might drown. The technique is known as “water boarding.”

--CBS News (AP)--

Have you forgotten 9/11? It seems the New York Times has. - Ed.

Defense Secretary Carl Levin? Republicans Check His Record

Sen. John F. Kerry told MSNBC's “Imus in the Morning” there are “any number of people” that he would name as Secretary of Defense - and then he named some of them.

--CNSNews.com--

Kerry Campaign Issues Statement on Record Gas Prices

WASHINGTON - In response to oil prices hovering at record highs, Kerry campaign spokesman Phil Singer issued a statement.

--USNewswire.com--

Kerry is actually for high gasoline prices to reduce consumption. His only real complaint is that government isn't getting the money to waste on vote-buying schemes. - Ed.

World's Largest Shipping Registry to Allow WMD Searches

Less than a year after President Bush first outlined an initiative designed to prevent terrorists and rogue states from trading in weapons of mass destruction, the U.S. has set up the plan's most significant element so far - a board-and-search procedure.

--CNSNews.com--

Berlin Launches Push for UN Seat

BERLIN - Citing a “window of opportunity”, a German government official said Wednesday Berlin would launch an initiative this autumn for Germany to be given a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

--Deutsche Presse-Agentur--

I have a better idea. Since the European Union is unifying the nations of Europe into a single political entity, with a president, a legislature, a judicial system, a monetary system, and a unified military, the nations in the EU should lose their separate U.N. seats and be represented the same way the fifty United States are. - Ed.

Rush Ads: Political Motives Behind Inquiry

Full-page ads headlined “Local, National Journalists Question Political Motives in Limbaugh Investigation” ran today in the Palm Beach Post and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

--NewsMax.com--

Read the ad here (pdf format). - Ed.

Foreigners Control Fifth of Mineral Wealth in American West, Study Shows

WASHINGTON - About 20 percent of the mineral wealth of the American West is claimed by foreign companies, most of them Canadian, according to a new analysis and online database released Monday by an environmental organization.

--New York Times--

Outrage Erodes Morale of Troops

The worldwide furor over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers imperils troop morale at a crucial time, say lawmakers from both parties.

--Washington Times--

U.S. Denies Holding Beheading Victim

BAGHDAD, Iraq - An American civilian who was beheaded in a grisly video posted on an al-Qaeda-linked Web site was never in U.S. custody despite claims from his family, a coalition spokesman said Wednesday.

--My Way News (AP)--

Yesterday, it was reported that Berg's family was blaming the U.S. foverment for his death, based on their assertion that the government had kept him in custody thereby preventing him from leaving the country. - Ed.

Delay Urged for FEC Action on Pro-Democratic Groups

The Federal Election Commission's general counsel said yesterday that the agency should delay by 90 days its decision whether to restrict the “soft money” expenditures of groups opposing the reelection of President Bush -- sharply increasing the likelihood that no action would be taken before the November election.

--Washington Post--

Independent Ralph Nader wins Reform Party endorsement

WASHINGTON - Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader has been endorsed by the national Reform Party, giving him ballot access in seven states, including Florida and Michigan, party leaders announced Wednesday.

--KATU TV (AP)--

Presidential Push Fails to Quell GOP Fear of Patriot Act

A group of libertarian-minded Republicans in Congress is blocking President Bush’s effort to strengthen domestic counterterrorism laws and reauthorize the USA Patriot Act, which the president has made one of his top domestic priorities this year.

--The Hill--

Neurosurgeons for President Bush

The American Neurological Surgery Political Action Committee said it is endorsing a presidential candidate for the first time ever -- and that candidate is George W. Bush.

--CNSNews.com--

Christians Ordered to Renounce Their Faith in Laos

VIENTIANE, LAOS - Approximately 35 Christian families in the village of Nam Thuam, Nambak District, Luang Prabang Province, Laos, have been ordered to renounce their Christian faith by district government officials.

--Digital Freedom Network--

Infrared Picks Up Invisible UFOs

The Mexican air force has released video footage of 11 unidentified flying objects that were only visible via an infrared camera.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Who knew Mexico had an Air Force? - Ed.

Nader Calls Bush A ‘Messianic Militarist’

Ralph Nader, who's running for president as an Independent, described President Bush on Tuesday as a “messianic militarist” who ought to be impeached for “plunging us into a war without end.”

--CNSNews.com--

Kerry Accused of Exploiting Scandal

Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign issued a second mass fund-raising e-mail yesterday based on the Iraqi prisoner abuse situation amid Republican charges that the Democratic candidate is capitalizing on a national disgrace.

--Washington Times--

Pa. Family Angry with American Government over Son's Brutal Death

WEST CHESTER, Pa. - The family of an American civilian shown beheaded on an Islamic militant Web site huddled in in tears Tuesday after learning of the existence of the graphic videotape.

--Penn Live (AP)--

Shouldn't they be angry with the terrorists who killed their son? - Ed.

‘Embittered’ Gen. Taguba Had Grudge Against Army, Rumsfeld

The military investigator who set off a firestorm of controversy with his damaging report accusing U.S. MPs of abusing detainees at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison is said to be "bitter" over what he regarded as the Army's mistreatment of his own father after World War II.

--NewsMax.com--

Syria Ready to ‘Defend’ Itself Against U.S.

In this WorldNetDaily exclusive interview, Fayssal Mekdad, Syria's ambassador to the United Nations, responds for the first time to accusations about Syria's role in aiding the Iraq insurgency, developing an illegal chemical weapons arsenal, harboring top Iraqi officials, and many other pressing issues.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Congressman Blasts Veteran on Voice Mail`

A man who wrote to U.S. Rep. Pete Stark criticizing his Thursday vote against a resolution on abuse of Iraqi prisoners got a personal reply within the hour -- voice mail from Stark inviting him to explain why he thinks he's “such a great, goddamn hero.”

--Oakland Tribune--

Guns Protect City Official, But Not Her Constituents, Group Complains

A Second Amendment group says a Chicago city councilwoman is a hypocrite for insisting that she deserves special police protection - while her “legally disarmed constituents are left like defenseless sheep in a city of wolves.”

--CNSNews.com--

Kerry Fails to Extend Jobless Benefits

Because Sen. John Kerry keeps refusing to show up for the job for which he is still on the taxpayers' dole, the Democrats today failed in their election-year ploy to extend federal jobless benefits yet again despite the booming economy.

--NewsMax.com--

Morris: Hillary Paranoid about Secret Service

New York Sen. Hillary Clinton distrusts the Secret Service so much that she once accused her bodyguards of “hating” her and her husband, longtime Clinton advisor Dick Morris reveals in his new book “Rewriting History.”

--NewsMax.com--

U.S. calls for Arab retractions

The day after a WorldNetDaily report revealed that photos circulating in the Middle East that depict GI's raping Iraqi women were fake and had originated from pornography sites, the U.S. Embassy in Cairo issued a statement calling on Arab news outlets to publish retractions.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Sources: Bush to Impose Sanctions on Syria This Week

WASHINGTON - President Bush plans this week to impose economic sanctions on Syria for supporting terrorism and failing to stop guerrillas from entering Iraq, people involved in the deliberations said on Monday.

--My Way News (Reuters)--

Cell calls to be blacked out at L.A. landmarks?

LOS ANGELES - Calls made to cell phones at Los Angeles International Airport, the Rose Bowl, Universal Studios and other high-profile landmarks could be jammed during terrorism alerts, under a proposal being formulated by Southern California authorities.

--Sacramento Bee (AP)--

Ja¢k$on Bashes U.S. on Foreign Soil

The Rev. Je$$e Ja¢k$on, a frequent Democratic Party candidate for president and founder of the Rainbow Coalition, is bashing U.S. policy in Iraq during a conference in Greece.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Daschle Sees ‘Startling Meanness’ in Politics

MANHATTAN, Kan. - Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle decried Monday what he called the “startling meanness” of American politics.

--Aberdeen News (AP)--

He made no mention, however, of his own contributions. - Ed.

Terrorism Wiretaps Outnumber Criminal Ones

WASHINGTON - Terrorism-related surveillance warrants outnumbered criminal wiretaps in the United States for the first time in 2003.

--Interest Alert (UPI)--

Kerry Campaign Using Prisoner Photos to Raise Money, GOP Says

Republicans accuse the John F. Kerry Campaign of “politicizing” the Iraqi POW scandal to raise cash.

--CNSNews.com--

Pollster Says the Election Is Kerry's to Lose

What pollster John Zogby told a closed-door session of conservative leaders two weeks ago he is now saying publicly: The upcoming presidential election is John Kerry's to lose.

--CNSNews.com--

This is scary! - Ed.

Libs Hamstring Interrogators as Next 9/11 Attack Looms

With clear evidence that al-Qaida plans for the next 9/11 attack on America are well underway, media hysteria over the Iraqi prison abuse scandal has the U.S. intelligence establishment on the ropes over its interrogation tactics.

--NewsMax.com--

Attendance Down for Anti-Gun Million Mom March

WASHINGTON - It was business as usual in the nation's capital on Sunday despite the presence of the anti-gun Million Mom March, which drew only 2,000 people, a fraction of the number expected to attend.

--CNSNews.com--

Armed Israeli Civilians Help Curb Terror Damage, Security Official Says

JERUSALEM - Israeli civilians who carry their own guns are helping to curb the damage that terrorists can inflict by being able to deal immediately with a terrorist situation, an Israeli security official said.

--CNSNews.com--

Joe Wilson: Wife Divulged CIA Secret on Fourth Date

Bush administration Uraniumgate accuser Joe Wilson defended his wife Valerie Plame on Sunday for blowing her CIA cover during what he described as “a heavy make-out session” shortly after the couple first met in the 1990s.

--NewsMax.com--

Poll: Two-Thirds of Americans Back Rumsfeld

Democrats and their media water-carriers will have do better than today's hearings in the Senate Armed Services Committee if they hope to drive Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld from his job over the alleged abuse by U.S. soldiers of suspected Iraqi terrorists.

--NewsMax.com--

If people with no military experience are not qualified to direct a war effort, as many Democrats are saying, does it not follow that Democrats with no military experience have no standing in their calls for Rumsfeld's resignation? After all, Rumsfeld did serve honorably in the military as a Naval aviator. - Ed.

Senator: God Must Go if Responsible

As the prisoner abuse scandal intensifies, many Democrats on Capitol Hill are calling on Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to resign, but one senator is prepared to ask for the head of someone even higher than President Bush.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Kurds flee Fallujah in fear

KALAR, Iraq -- Thousands of Iraqi Kurds have fled homes in Fallujah to northern Iraq after being threatened by Arab insurgents for supporting the coalition and refusing to fight against the U.S. military.

--Kurdish Media News--

Health Care Costs for Illegal Immigrants Crippling

Illegal immigrants have an open-ended tab on health care in California, costing Los Angeles County more than $333 million annually.

--Antelope Valley Press, California--

Further Boost for US Jobs Market

US employers created 288,000 new jobs in April, as the American unemployment rate fell to 5.6%, according to the Labour Department.

--BBC--

Rumsfeld Hearing Opens: ‘I Feel Terrible’

Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) called the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners at the hands of U.S. troops “as serious an issue of military misconduct as I have ever observed,” as he opened a hearing on what happened and how.

--CNSNews.com--

49 Democrats Refuse to Commend Troops and Condemn Abuses

The 365-50 roll call Thursday by which the House approved a resolution condemning the abuses of Iraqi prisoners while commending the members of the U.S. Armed Forces serving in Iraq.

--NewsMax.com--

Maurice Hinchey was among the 49 voting in the negative. - Ed.

New Evidence of Saddam Link to 9-11

New evidence about a meeting in Prague between September 11 plot leader Mohamed Atta and Iraqi intelligence officer Ahmad Khalil Ibrahim Samir al-Ani has been uncovered, reports Geostrategy-Direct, the global intelligence news service.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Palestinian Imam Prays For Arafat's Martyrdom

Mixed messages are emerging from the Palestinian Authority regarding the future of PA Chairman Yasser Arafat.

--CNSNews.com--

‘Offensive’ Mrs. Kerry: Cheney Is ‘Unpatriotic’

Teresa Heinz Kerry's response to those exposing her husband's anti-U.S. activism in the 1970s and his votes against the military more recently is to call Vice President Dick Cheney “unpatriotic.”

--NewsMax.com--

Judges: $2 Million Illegal Should Have Stayed in U.S.

A federal court ruled yesterday a Florida hospital that provided over $2 million in care to an injured illegal alien was wrong to send him back to Guatemala, which means the man could possibly travel back to the U.S. for additional medical treatment.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

9/11 Panel Slow to Answer Gorelick Questions, Lawmaker Says

Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) says the 9/11 commission is taking too long to respond to his concerns about Commissioner Jamie Gorelick's involvement in erecting a “wall” between intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

--CNSNews.com--

Republicans Say Kerry Leased A Canadian-Made Bus, Too

Even the buses used to transport the presidential candidates become political fodder in an election year.

--CNSNews.com--

Democrats Rumble About A Rumsfeld Resignation

Ultimately, the buck stops with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Sen. John Corzine (D-N.J.) said in a Thursday TV interview, as a growing number of Democrats (Sens. Tom Harkin, Joe Biden among them) suggested that Rumsfeld may have to resign over the way the Pentagon handled the U.S. humiliation of Iraqi prisoners.

--CNSNews.com--

Why must the “buck” stop with Rumsfeld. As they show with their ability to call Rumsfeld onto the carpet, Congress has oversight over the military. Why shouldn't the “buck” stop in the congressional Armed Services Committees and those members be forced to resign also? - Ed.

Pentagon Prison Report Details Inmate Attacks on MPs

Largely forgotten in the hysterical media coverage of the Iraqi prison abuse scandal is this tidbit: the vast majority of the alleged abuses were committed against the most hardened terrorist suspects and known troublemakers, many of whom took part in prison uprisings that put the lives of U.S. military guards at risk.

--NewsMax.com--

Kerry Was a ‘Loose Cannon’ in Vietnam, Says Ex-Commander

WASHINGTON - John Kerry's former swift boat commanders and colleagues on Tuesday described the presumptive Democrat nominee as a self-absorbed and devious sailor during the Vietnam War who was there merely to advance a future political career.

--CNSNews.com--

Kerry's Vietnam Doc: Wound Accidentally Self-Inflicted

The Navy medic who treated Sen. John Kerry after he sustained his first battlefield wound in Vietnam said Tuesday that he thought that the injury had been inadvertently self-inflicted - raising new questions about why Kerry sought a Purple Heart after the incident.

--NewsMax.com--

Kerry Says Republicans Organized Veterans' News Conference

The chairman of the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign says his group had nothing to do with Monday's news conference in Washington, where Vietnam Veterans said Democrat John F. Kerry is unfit to be commander-in-chief.

--CNSNews.com--

The reason Democrats won't accept any other explanation is that it's exactly how they operate. - Ed.

John Kerry, ‘Benedict Arnold’ Stockholder

Although Sen. John Kerry has lashed out at what he calls “Benedict Arnold CEOs” for sending jobs to foreign countries, he is cashing in on these very companies.

--NewsMax.com--

New Revelations Show Some Iraq Prison ‘Abuse’ Justified

New details reported on Wednesday about the Iraqi prison abuse scandal show that at least some of the alleged mistreatment committed by U.S. military police against Iraqi inmates had been provoked by previous acts of violence - including one case that has been labeled a “murder” by critics of the U.S. armed forces.

--NewsMax.com--

NBC: Worst Abuse at Al Ghraib Done by Iraqi Recruits

Some of the worst abuse in the Al Ghraib prison scandal was reportedly perpetrated by Iraqi guards recruited by the U.S. military and brought into to the jail to help maintain control of the growing population of Iraqi detainees.

--NewsMax.com--

Army Brass Banned Harsh Interview Tactics Last Year

WASHINGTON - The senior American commander in Iraq last year ordered interrogators to stop using humiliation techniques on Iraqi detainees without his permission, according to military intelligence officials who have seen the classified order.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Apparently not everyone got the memo. - Ed.

Study: Tax-Cut Opponents Hiding ‘Huge Fiscal Agendas’

Some of the U.S. Representatives who voted against a bill repealing the marriage tax penalty last week said they voted “no” to avoid boosting the federal deficit. But a taxpayer watchdog group finds big holes in the “deficit” argument.

--CNSNews.com--

Here's all you need to know about this: politicians see surpluses as money to be spent while deficits restrain spending. While it would be nice to have budget surpluses, the extra money never goes back to the taxpayers, it creates new programs that never go away. - Ed.

U.S. Protests Sudan's Election to Human Rights Panel

UNITED NATIONS - Sudan was elected Tuesday to serve a three-year term on the U.N. Human Rights Commission, provoking a walkout by a senior U.S. diplomat who accused the government of helping to drive more than a million African villagers from their homes in Sudan's Darfur province.

--Washington Post--

Report: Mayor's Jets Will be Missile-smart

Mayor Michael Bloomberg will have nearly $5 million worth of anti-missile equipment installed on two private jets he uses for international trips, according to a broadcast report.

--Newsday--

Dick Morris Reveals Whitewater Secret in New Book

In his new book “Rewriting History,” longtime aide to Bill and Hillary Clinton, Dick Morris reveals that he's guarded a secret about the Whitewater scandal for nearly a decade that could have led to Clinton's removal from office.

--NewsMax.com--

Clinton Nixed OBL Indictment for Black Hawk Down

The Clinton administration prepared a secret indictment of Osama bin Laden in 1995 in connection with the Black Hawk Down attack two years before, but never filed it - a witness before the 9/11 Commission is set to testify on Friday.

--NewsMax.com--

Kerry ‘Unfit to be Commander-in-Chief,’ Say Former Military Colleagues

Hundreds of former commanders and military colleagues of presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry are set to declare in a signed letter that he is “unfit to be commander-in-chief.” They will do so at a press conference in Washington on Tuesday.

--CNSNews.com--

You've probably heard that Kerry “volunteered” for Vietnam. There's an emerging story that suggests differently. According to this version, the unit Kerry “volunteered” for was not slated to go to Vietnam until after he was assigned to it. I'll be looking for a link to this and will post it as soon as I find it. - Ed.

Voters DON't See Kerry as Likable

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry has a serious likability problem, with many voters seeing him as cold, aloof and distant, according to focus groups, recent polls and election analysts.

--Washington Times--

Kerry Takes a Spill from Bike

Democrat presidential candidate John Kerry took a spill from his bicycle after hitting a patch of sand during a ride Sunday afternoon, but he was uninjured, campaign officials said.

--USA Today--

He hasn't blamed anyone yet, but he does have a history. - Ed.

Iraqi Prisoner: Saddam Was Nicer Than U.S. Jailers

A one-time Iraqi prisoner who spent time in jail under both Saddam Hussein and the U.S. backed provisonal authority said Sunday that he'd rather be shot-to-death by Saddam's torturers than be subjected again to the atrocity of being strip searched by American military personnel.

--NewsMax.com--

U.S. in Falluja Turns to Officer Who Defied Saddam

FALLUJA, Iraq - U.S. Marines besieging Falluja brought in a new Iraqi general with a history of standing up to Saddam Hussein Monday to lead a force they have charged with putting down insurgency in the city.

--Reuters--

Iraq War Opponents Fill Oil-for-food ‘Vouchers’ List

Companies, politicians and pro-Saddam Hussein activists from countries that opposed the war in Iraq figure heavily in a list of about 270 recipients of suspected oil bribes from Iraq under the scandal-plagued United Nations oil-for-food program, investigators say.

--Washington Times--

These are countries that Kerry would have us turn over our national security to. - Ed.

GOP Challenger Says Schumer Press Releases Killed 25 Trees Last Year

NEW YORK - Howard Mills, a little-known Republican state assemblyman who is seeking to unseat Sen. Charles Schumer, ribbed his opponent Sunday by vowing to plant 25 trees to replace the paper used for Schumer's “empty” announcements.

--Newsday (AP)--

This is all very amusing, but is not the stuff of a serious campaign. Schumer needs to be defeated, but a campaign like this isn't very encouraging. - Ed.

Pope Worried About Renewed Violence in Indonesia

The Pope has expressed concern about an upsurge in violence in Indonesia's troubled Maluku province, where almost 40 Christians and Muslims have been shot, stabbed or bombed to death over the past week.

--CNSNews.com--

Report: Prisoners Subjected to Chemical, Sexual Torture

A 53-page report not intended for public release outlines what's being termed as the “sadistic, blatant, and wanton criminal abuses” of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. troops at the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Iraq Prisoner Abuse by British Troops - Photos May be Fakes

Shocking photographs splashed across the front page of a widely circulated anti-war daily in Britain showing coalition forces abusing Iraqi prisoners may be fakes, the BBC is reporting.

--NewsMax.com--

Religious War Restarts in Indonesia

Christians, Muslims: ‘Last week we were neighbors, now we are enemies.’

--New York Newsday--

Marc Rich Tied to U.N. Oil-for-Food Scandal

Clinton-pardoned fugitive billionaire Marc Rich has turned up in the middle of the United Nations Oil-for-Food scandal, with his name on a roster of companies authorized to participate in the corruption-plagued arrangement.

--NewsMax.com--

Terrorism Dropped 45% Since 2001

The number of terrorist acts internationally has dropped 45 percent from the level in 2001, according to an annual report by the State Department.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Al-Qaida Financing Plan with Blue-chip Securities

Al-Qaida is financing its worldwide terror operations by investing in blue-chip Australian stocks with the assistance of Beijing's powerful Secret Intelligence Service (SIS).

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Saudis Fight al-Qaida at Home, Fund Abroad

While Saudi Arabia fights for its life against al-Qaida, the kingdom still supports the Islamic terrorist organization's campaign in the Russian breakaway republic of Chechnya, reports Geostrategy-Direct, the global intelligence news service.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Bush Contradicts Clinton During Interview with 9/11 Commission

President Bush says Clinton placed little emphasis on terrorism.

--Time--

Sen. Specter Wins, Then Dumps the President

“I think it's very important to focus on what President Bush wants,” said Sen. Arlen Specter, the liberal Republican from Pennsylvania.

--NewsMax.com--

Gen. Giap Thanks Kerry & Co. for Anti-war Protests

Celebrating the 29th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, the North Vietnamese general who led his forces to victory said Friday he was grateful to leaders of the U.S. anti-war movement, one of whom was presidential candidate John Kerry.

--NewsMax.com--

Kerry Flip-flops on Missing WMDs

While the Washington press corps seems to have missed it, WABC Radio's Steve Malzberg has been playing a clip of Sen. John Kerry in his biggest flip-flop yet - showing the presumptive Democratic nominee suddenly admitting that Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction may soon turn up.

--NewsMax.com--

More Kerry Car Troubles: ‘Purple Heart 3’ Vanity Plate, Outsourced SUV

Unlike most combat vets, Sen. John Kerry has never been shy over bragging about his wartime experience. But even we were surprised to hear that his 1985 Dodge is plastered with vanity plates that read “Purple Heart 3.”

--NewsMax.com--

Sharpton Invited to Speak at Convention

Democratic Presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry has invited former primary rival Rev. Al Sharpton to address this summer's Democratic National Convention in Boston.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Democrats Furious as National Guard Leader Spreads Spoof

WASHINGTON - Some Democrats aren't laughing at the satirical schedule for the Democratic National Convention, an Internet-driven joke spread in part by the leader of the Massachusetts National Guard. It opens with a flag-burning ceremony and moves on to the John Kerry “fake medal toss” and the “Free Saddam” pep rally. There are no fewer than four toasts by Sen. Ted Kennedy.

--NewsMax.com--

Trucker's Lotion Destroys ‘Superbug’

Deadly hospital superbug MRSA may have finally met its match - a lotion developed by a humble trucker.

--Sky News--

Army Honors Football Star Killed in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON - Pat Tillman, the former National Football League player killed in combat in Afghanistan on April 22, has been awarded the U.S. military's prestigious Silver Star posthumously, Army Special Forces Command said on Friday.

--Reuters--

Ex-Iraqi Officer Ties Saddam to al-Qaida Ally

A former Iraqi intelligence officer has disclosed new information about Saddam Hussein's ties to the al-Qaida-related terrorist group Ansar al Islam.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Economy Hums at Vigorous 4.2% Rate, Inflation Numbers Still Seen as Benign

WASHINGTON - The U.S. economy started the year out strong in 2004, marked by rising consumer, business and government spending, the Commerce Department said Thursday in a report that also suggested inflation is rising from historic lows.

--USA Today--

Dem Duo Disses Dubya in Oval Office Walkout

In a stunning snub, two Democrats on the 9/11 commission Thursday abruptly walked out in the middle of the Oval Office interview with President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

--New York Post--

N. Korea Banks on Kerry White House

North Korea is delaying any substantive agreement to solve the nuclear crisis until after the U.S. elections, hoping for a victory by Democratic Sen. John Kerry, reports Geostrategy-Direct, the global intelligence news service.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

The “foreign leaders” Kerry claimed support his election are finally being exposed. - Ed.

Kerry Organization Lacking in Key States

Sen. John Kerry has yet to establish campaign organizations in battleground states that likely will decide who wins the presidential race in November, Democratic strategists said yesterday.

--Washington Times--

Kerry's TV Interview Draws Far Lower Ratings Than Bush's

John Kerry's appearance on “Meet the Press” took a bite out of the show's typically stellar ratings - and drew half the audience that President Bush did on the program last February.

--New York Post--

Ethics Committee at Center of Partisan Storm

WASHINGTON - The House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct - otherwise known as the Ethics Committee - is inconspicuous, unglamorous and according to members of Congress, not the first pick for committee assignments.

--Fox News--