Veterans Irked by Statue of Loyalist

FORT EDWARD, N.Y. - Maj. Robert Rogers, the frontiersman whose 18th century manual on guerrilla warfare became a blueprint for Army Ranger fighting tactics, is getting what some consider a long-overdue honor: a statue in his memory.

But some veterans believe unveiling the monument on Memorial Day is insensitive because Rogers was loyal to Britain during the Revolutionary War.

--Washington Times (AP)--

EU Thrown Into Turmoil as French Reject Constitution

The future of European integration was in doubt last night after French voters humiliated President Jacques Chirac and dealt a devastating blow to the EU constitution by rejecting it by a landslide.

--London Telegraph--

Peter Paul: Rosen Acquittal Doesn't Clear Hillary

New York Sen. Hillary Clinton's chief accuser Peter Paul said Saturday that yesterday's acquittal of her former campaign finance chairman, David Rosen, doesn't mean she's in the clear.

--NewsMax.com--

Latest Threat to Security: Disgruntled Bureaucrats

The latest war gaming exercise by the Canadian Department of National Defense echoes the line from the old Pogo cartoon – "We have met the enemy and he is us" – by testing a scenario where the military's computers come under attack, not from China, Islamic terrorists or hackers, but Canada's own federal employees.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Kerry Finally Signs Vietnam Release

After pledging to Tim Russert that he would sign a form authorizing the Defense Department to release his military records, Sen. John Kerry has finally put his signature on the document.

--NewsMax.com--

I previously reported that Kerry had signed the form, but had not submitted it. The “news” in this story is that, according to his spokesman, the form is now it the hands of the Navy. - Ed.

U.S. Soldier Acquitted in Iraqi's Death

An Army soldier has been cleared of killing an unarmed Iraqi he said he shot to save a fellow soldier.

--San Francisco Chronicle (AP)--

Hillary Declines to Take the Pledge

New York Sen. Hillary Clinton declined yesterday to pledge to serve out a full second term if New York State voters re-elect her in 2006 - a promise her constituents say they want her to make.

--NewsMax.com--

This is much ado about nothing. She's not going to take the pledge, and it's not going to cost her a single vote. - Ed.

Dem Pollster Says Party Loses Due to Lack of ‘Conviction’

WASHINGTON - A prominent Democratic Party pollster Thursday said the reason members of his party have lost major elections in recent years is because they have not “run with conviction.”

--CNSNews.com--

It's hard to get convictions when you can't keep partisans off of juries, and Clinton-appointed judges preside over their trials. - Ed.

Former Aide to Sen. Clinton Acquitted

LOS ANGELES - The former national finance director for Hillary Rodham Clinton's Senate campaign was acquitted Friday of lying to the government about a lavish 2000 Hollywood fundraising gala.

--Las Vegas Sun (AP)--

U.N. Debates World Tax

UNITED NATIONS - U.N. member nations debated ways Thursday to help countries build peaceful, stable societies once conflict subsides, and mulled over one key obstacle to getting there: a lack of cash.

--Bakersfield Californian (AP)--

Lawmakers Head Home With Talking Points

As politicians head back to their home districts for the Memorial Day recess, Republicans are expressing "disappointment" in Democrat leaders for having no agenda; and Democrats are blasting Republicans for abusing their power.

--CNSNews.com--

Reid Snipes at GOP Leaders for ‘Sniping’

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid yesterday in a speech laying out Democrats' agenda accused Republican leaders of being so consumed with partisan political "sniping" that they've neglected a troubled economy and a weak national defense.

--Washington Times--

Democrats Force Delay of Bolton Final Vote

WASHINGTON - Democrats said they hoped the Senate's vote to delay confirmation of John R. Bolton as U.N. ambassador would force the White House to release long-sought classified information about the embattled nominee, or perhaps to pick someone else for the job.

--ABC News (AP)--

Legislation Would Prevent ‘Global Welfare’ Payments

A Republican congressman is pushing a bill that would prohibit the federal government from paying Social Security benefits to non-citizens living in other countries.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Pelosi Moves From ‘No’ to ‘No Dice’ on Social Security Reform

Social Security reform? House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats have said no all along, but now they're saying "no dice" to President Bush's call for change.

--CNSNews.com--

Organization Rejects Mother of U.S. Soldier Killed in Afghanistan

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - Everyone agrees that Ligaya Lagman is a Gold Star mother, part of the long line of mournful women whose sons or daughters gave their lives for their country.

--USA Today (AP)--

USA Today's headline over this story says the soldier was killed in Iraq, but in the story, it's clear that he was killed in Afghanistan. I guess the media really are obsessed with Iraq. - Ed.

Canadian Suicide Hotline to Open Only From 9 To 5

TORONTO - A Canadian province will shut its 24-hour suicide hotline and replace it with one that operates only during business hours. Prince Edward Island, a small province on Canada's East Coast, says it is too expensive to operate the hotline around the clock.

--Tiscali.uk.co (Reuters)--

Prosecutors: Rosen Failed to Report Gifts

In their closing arguments yesterday before the case against Hillary Clinton's fundraiser David Rosen headed to the jury, prosecutors charged that Rosen had accepted lavish, secret gifts that were “clearly meant to buy influence and access.”

--NewsMax.com--

Cox Moves Closer to Hillary Challenge

Ed Cox, son-in-law of the late President Richard Nixon, took a step closer on Wednesday to challenging Hillary Clinton, by filing papers to create an exploratory committee for New York's 2006 Senate race with the Federal Election Commission.

--NewsMax.com--

General Dismisses Pantano's Charges

The commanding officer with the authority to decide the fate of 2nd Lt. Ilario Pantano - the U.S. Marine accused of murdering two Iraqi insurgents - has dismissed all charges.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Democrats Refuse to Join Medicaid Commission

Democrats are once again refusing an invitation from the Bush administration -- this one involving a new Medicaid Commission, an advisory panel that's supposed to recommend ways of “modernizing” Medicaid and making it “financially sustainable.”

--CNSNews.com--

Teamsters President Praises Bush's Social Security Work

Teamsters President James P. Hoffa, breaking his estrangement from the White House, praised President Bush on Tuesday for attempting to fix Social Security and said Democrats were wrong to oppose any discussion until Mr. Bush drops his personal retirement accounts plan.

--Washington Times--

Dems Want ‘Illegal’ Business Crackdown

WASHINGTON - Several Senate Democrats said Wednesday the government should crack down on businesses that evade taxes before Congress considers Social Security or tax changes.

--ABC News (AP)--

Why ABC used the word “illegal” in the headline is a mystery. There's nothing in the story to support it, and what the “scofflaws” are doing is perfectly legal. It was put into the law specifically to allow small companies to plow more of their earnings back into the business. These Democrats (and ABC) are simply reacting knee-jerk style in accordance with their anti-business mentality. It's also interesting to see these people complaining about business owners (CEOs) not paying themselves enough in salary. This seems a bit out of character for them. - Ed.

Chafee Cites Parental Notification Case as Reason for Nay Vote

Rhode Island Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee cited a minority opinion by nominee Priscilla Owen as his reason for voting against her confirmation to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

--CNSNews.com--

Chafee should have read this before making a fool of himself. - Ed.

14 Weasels See Role as Temporary

Members of a coalition of 14 senators that struck the deal on judges this week said they do not see the group becoming a major player on other issues.

--Washington Times--

I predict that their role may be shorter-lived than they suspect. The seven Democrats are surely going to follow the left-wing special interests and join filibusters against any “originalist” judicial nominees. - Ed.

Weepy Voinovich Begs for ‘No’ Vote on Bolton

The thought that John Bolton might be confirmed as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations brought one Republican senator to the brink of tears on Wednesday.

--CNSNews.com--

Dems, Je$$e Ja¢k$on Get $200G Fine

The Democratic Party, the Rev. Je$$e Ja¢k$on and two groups associated with the civil rights activist have agreed to pay a total of $200,000 in civil fines for campaign finance violations in the 2000 elections.

--NewsMax.com--

Mass. Group Set to Push for Universal Healthcare

A coalition of religious and community groups will launch a drive today to put universal healthcare on the 2006 state ballot, in a proposal that would raise the cigarette tax to buy coverage for more people and would require all but the smallest Massachusetts businesses to cover their workers.

--Boston Globe--

Rumsfeld: We Need to Counter Anti-U.S. Lies

One of the military's new wartime challenges is dealing with global media that can instantly spread around the world information that may be false or damaging to U.S. interests, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Wednesday.

--NewsMax.com--

France May Reject EU Constitution

PARIS - With three days to go until French voters give their verdict to the draft European Union constitution, opinion polls are consistently pointing to a victory for the “no” camp, an outcome some E.U. officials lament could be disastrous for Europe.

--CNSNews.com--

U.S. Troops Launch Major Offensive in Iraq

Fierce gunbattles broke out and six insurgents were killed in central Haditha - including one man identified as a cleric who was firing an automatic weapon, the U.S. military said, adding that another four were killed in separate clashes.

--Fox News (AP)--

GOP Senator Faults Bush in Filibuster Deal

Sen. Lindsay Graham, the South Carolina Republican who helped craft the compromise that effectively scuttles several of President Bush's judicial nominees and saves others, said he hopes the White House has learned a lesson.

--Washington Times--

Sen. Graham is getting a lot of heat from his Republican constituents for caving, and I'm sure he'd love to deflect some of it elsewhere. - Ed.

Bush Will Still Pick Conservative Court Appointee

Despite the bipartisan deal in the Senate to head off a filibuster over President Bush's court appointees, the White House still intends to select a staunch conservative to fill a Supreme Court seat expected to come open in the near future.

--NewsMax.com--

Gallup Shock: 69 Percent Oppose Dem Filibusters

An overwhelming majority of Americans agree with Republicans who say President Bush's judicial nominees deserve an up or down vote, according to a Gallup survey released yesterday.

--NewsMax.com--

Payback: Democrats Cast Bill Frist As A ‘Loser’

The way Democrats see it, they didn't just win the battle over judicial nominations; they also won the right to call Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist a loser, and they wasted no time doing it.

--CNSNews.com--

CORE Chief: Harry Reid a ‘Slave-ocrat’

The head of one of the nation's oldest civil rights organizations is blasting Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid as a “Slave-ocrat” for fighting to preserve the Senate's right to filibuster against President Bush's judicial nominees, saying the maneuver has a long history of being used to oppress African Americans.

--NewsMax.com--

Kerry Signs Release of Navy Records

Kerry told Boston Globe editorial writers and columnists the Standard Form 180 will be sent to the Navy within a few days.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

The important point of this story isn't that the form has been signed, but that it has not been submitted. - Ed.

Army Base Plagued by Illegals' Intrusions

Fort Huachuca, a 150-square-mile U.S. Army base in Arizona just 20 miles north of the Mexican border, is home to the country's premier military intelligence school and, despite the sensitive nature of its assignment, has become a popular corridor for illegal migrants headed to America.

--Washington Times--

Anti-illegals Activists Threatened

A radical anti-American group working for the establishment of a separate Hispanic nation in the southwest U.S. has threatened attendees of an anti-illegal immigration conference in Las Vegas planned for this weekend, saying Mexican food workers might cause “Montezuma's Revenge” among those they serve.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Early Election in Germany Could Lead to Warmer Ties With US

Germany Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's surprise decision to call an early election may bring to a premature end a government that has clashed with Washington over the Iraq war and a campaign to lift a European Union arms embargo on China.

--CNSNews.com--

Health Care for Illegals Costing U.S. Millions

Undocumented immigrants and residents of northern Mexico who seek medical care in the U.S. are costing Americans hundreds of millions of dollars a year.

--NewsMax.com--

Pirro May Face Senator Clinton in '06 Election

Under heavy pressure to run against Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2006, Jeanine F. Pirro, the district attorney of Westchester County, said yesterday that she would not seek re-election this fall but would instead enter the United States Senate race or another statewide contest next year.

--New York Times (Registration required)--

Prosecutors Struggle to Avoid Implicating Hillary

The prosecution rested yesterday in the trial of Hillary Clinton's former finance director David Rosen, without calling several key witnesses in the case - a move that some say was a bid to avoid implicating the former first lady.

--NewsMax.com--

Conservative Fury Greets ‘Centrist Deal’ on Filibusters

An eleventh-hour Senate deal to avoid the nuclear option - thus preserving the judicial filibuster - has many conservative Republicans crying betrayal.

--CNSNews.com--

Senate Deal Hamstrings GOP till 2007

The deal struck by Senate moderates Monday night to head off a so-called "nuclear" showdown over judicial nominations makes it impossible for Republicans to block Democrat filibusters for at least the next two years, according to the text of the agreement.

--NewsMax.com--

I'm at a loss to explain how Republicans could hand Democrats this victory - and make no mistake, this is a victory for Democrats. - Ed.

‘Nuclear Option’ May Still Be Invoked, Frist Says

The nuclear option is gone for the moment but not forgotten, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Tuesday morning on the floor of the U.S. Senate.

--CNSNews.com--

What comes next is a real test of Frist's leadership. If he allows McCain's sabotaging deal to stand, he can forget about getting my vote (McCain's already lost my vote). - Ed.

Democrats Flub History Lesson on Filibusters

In their current effort to thwart President Bush's judicial nominations, Democrats often refer to a 1968 case to try to show that Republicans previously used the filibuster as a partisan tool to block a president's wishes.

--CNSNews.com--

Senators See the ‘Dark Side’ of Alternative Minimum Tax

The alternative minimum tax (AMT) -- which one Democrat compared to the villain of "Star Wars" -- should be repealed this year, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee said yesterday.

--Washington Times (AP)--

Trial Opens in Washington-state Election Challenge

SEATTLE - The trial of a Republican challenge to last year's election for governor in Washington state opened on Monday, in a case seen as part of a trend toward settling U.S. elections with legal battles.

--Reuters--

Saudis Do Destroy Bibles, Think Tank Affirms

A U.S.-based think tank critical of the Saudi government has added its voice to allegations that authorities in the kingdom routinely destroy Bibles.

--CNSNews.com--

Senate Leaders Prepare for Crucial Filibuster Vote

A dozen Senate negotiators hope to avert a showdown today over judicial filibusters, but the chamber's Democratic and Republican leaders signaled yesterday that they are ready for a long-awaited vote that could deeply affect the federal judiciary and the operations of Congress.

--Washington Post--

Frist Said to Have ‘Nuclear Option’ Votes

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist reportedly has the votes to enforce the so-called “nuclear option” against judicial filibusters instigated by Democrats, despite claims to the contrary by Minority Leader Harry Reid.

--NewsMax.com--

Activists on Right and Left Agree: No Compromise

WASHINGTON - Tim Wildmon is president of the American Family Association in Tupelo, Miss., a politically active religious group that's trying to eliminate pornography, discourage homosexuality and restore religious symbols to American public life.

--USA Today--

In Washington, Darned If They Do, Darned If They Don't

Republicans have “pulled the trigger” to launch the nuclear option, prompting a liberal advocacy group to circulate an emergency petition to “preserve our independent courts.”

--CNSNews.com--

When you carefully examine MoveOn.org's complaints, it's clear that that their objective is to protect the courts as the enforcers and implementers of the left's cultural agenda. - Ed.

Ethics Committee to Probe Harry Reid

The Senate Ethics Committee will investigate Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid based on two separate complaints filed against the Nevada Democrat, the committee's vice chairman said this week.

--NewsMax.com--

Poll: N.Y. Voters Turning Red?

Deep-blue New York could become a red state in the 2008 presidential election, a new poll reveals.

--NewsMax.com--

Democrats ‘Going After Red States,’ Dean Says

Message to the Republican base: Howard Dean, the new chairman of the Democratic National Committee, says he's coming after you.

--CNSNews.com--

After all their electoral losses, Democrats still believe their problem is not getting their message out. They don't understand that their problem is their message. - Ed.

Dean Defends Imitation of Rush

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean yesterday defended his public mocking of conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh's battle against addiction to painkillers, saying, “It is galling to be lectured to about moral values by folks who have their own problems.”

--Washington Times--

Howard Dean Confuses bin Laden, Saddam

WASHINGTON - Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean again insisted yesterday in an interview on “Meet the Press” that House Majority Leader Tom DeLay should be jailed for congressional ethical violations - a comment for which he has been repudiated by several elected members of his own party.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

DA Pressured to Quit Over DeLay Remark

State Republican Party leaders have called for the resignation of Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle for referring to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, as a “bully” at a recent Democratic fundraiser in Dallas, according to a report in the Washington Times.

--NewsMax.com--

Mass. Justice: I ‘Cherish’ Judicial Activism

Judicial independence is vital to our nation, not a “problem to be solved,” and leaders should steer away from anti-judicial rhetoric, the chief justice who wrote the decision legalizing same-sex marriage in Massachusetts told graduates.

--NewsMax.com--

This is scary. In essence, this judge is equating “judicial independence” (which is a concept that is not supported by the Constitution) with unaccountability. - Ed.

Judge Greer Declares Michael Schiavo Dead

Terri Schiavo died at 9:05 a.m. on March 31.

Michael Schiavo didn't waste any time in claiming her estate.

--The Empire Journal--

Saudis Shred Bibles, Rights Campaigners Claim

Bibles found in the possession of visitors to Saudi Arabia are routinely confiscated by customs officials, and in some cases copies allegedly have been put through a paper shredder, according to religious rights campaigners.

--CNSNews.com--

Witness: Hillary Aide Ordered Cover-up

An event planner who worked on a blockbuster Hollywood fund-raiser for New York Sen. Hillary Clinton during her 2000 campaign for Senate testified Wednesday that Clinton's finance chairman, David Rosen, ordered that the full costs of the event be covered up.

--NewsMax.com--

Weekly Jobless Claims Down 20,000

WASHINGTON - The number of new people signing up for jobless benefits dropped sharply last week, offering an encouraging sign for the health of the labor market.

--Fox News--

American Optimism Stuns Pollsters

The American spirit is alive and well: A landmark study released yesterday from a New Jersey medical school finds that the majority of us are overwhelmingly optimistic about the future, even if catastrophe looms on the horizon.

--Washington Times--

Prosecutor in Probe of DeLay PAC Raises Funds for Other Side

Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, who denies partisan motives for his investigation of a political group founded by Republican leader Tom DeLay, was the featured speaker last week at a Democratic fund-raiser where he spoke directly about the congressman.

--Houston Chronicle--

Remember that DeLay has not been formally charged with any crime. Also remember that Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democrat National Committee, said that DeLay should be put in jail. Now here's something else Dean said regarding Osama bin Laden that you may not remember:

“I've resisted pronouncing a sentence before guilt is found,” Dean said. “I still have this old-fashioned notion that even with people like Osama, who is very likely to be found guilty, we should do our best not to, in positions of executive power, not to prejudge jury trials. . . .”

So whom do you think Dean considers more of an enemy, DeLay or bin Laden? - Ed.

Border Vigil Planned for California

Minuteman organizer James T. Gilchrist, whose 850 volunteers shut down the flow of illegal aliens along a 23-mile section of Arizona-Mexico border last month, has joined forces with another citizens group to help organize a new border vigil in California -- beginning in August.

--Washington Times--

Russia Dismisses US Senate's Oil-For-Food Claims

MOSCOW Russia has repeated its denial that Russian politicians benefited financially from oil allocations granted to them by former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in return for their support for Baghdad.

--CNSNews.com--

Showdown Over Judicial Nominees Moving to Full Senate

Conservatives see it as “destiny,” while Democrats blast it as despicable: Either way, the nomination of Texas Supreme Court Justice Priscilla Owen is expected to come to the floor of the full Senate on Wednesday.

--CNSNews.com--

Muslim Protests Planned in Advance?

JERUSALEM - Muslim protests throughout the Middle East regarding a now-retracted Newsweek report that claimed U.S. Army interrogators at Guantanamo Bay had flushed a Quran down the toilet are being organized by anti-Western jihadists and were planned several months ago with the magazine article serving as a convenient trigger, a senior Israeli security source told WND.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Bush Prosecutor Nixes Bombshell Rosen Tape

In a surprise move that shocked even the judge at the trial of Hillary Clinton's former finance director, David Rosen, prosecutor Peter Zeidenberg announced yesterday that he would not introduce the government's strongest evidence that Rosen is guilty - the Hillary aide's own tape-recorded admission implicating him in election fraud.

--NewsMax.com--

If George W. Bush thinks that going easy on the Clintons is going to be reciprocated by a future Democrat administration, he's flat-out crazy. And then there's that other possible explanation for Bush's inaction - those pesky FBI files that the Clintons purloined. Could the Clintons have some explosive information on Bush? - Ed.

Did Bill Clinton Know of Gala's Financial Fraud?

An associate and friend of Bill Clinton has testified in court he knew about the campaign-finance fraud involving a Hillary Clinton fund-raiser, raising further questions about what the president and then-first lady knew about the scam.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Sharpton: Dean's DNC Excludes Blacks

The Rev. Al Sharpton blasted Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean on Tuesday, saying that under his leadership, African-Americans have been excluded from top Democratic Party positions.

--NewsMax.com--

Anti-Minuteman Site Promoting Sabotage

Calling Minuteman Project participants “hyper-patriotic bigots,” a new website is encouraging Americans to harass those involved in stemming illegal immigration on the Arizona-Mexico border.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Newsweak ‘Retraction’ Won't Stop Planned Protests, Radical Groups Say

Unimpressed by Newsweek's retraction of explosive claims that U.S. military interrogators at Guantanamo Bay had desecrated the Koran, radical Islamic leaders in Pakistan say they will not drop plans for an international day of protest next week.

--CNSNews.com--

How many new terrorists will be recruited as a result of Newsweak's treason? - Ed.

Muslim Double Standard on Religious Desecration?

JERUSALEM - With Muslims worldwide protesting a now-retracted Newsweek report that claimed U.S. Army interrogators at Guantanamo Bay had flushed a Quran down the toilet, the father of a rabbi who was murdered while trying to defend a Jewish holy site from Palestinian rioters blasted Muslim leaders yesterday in an exclusive WorldNetDaily interview.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

DeLay Welcomes Wexler to SS Debate

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, today welcomed the plan of House Democrat Robert Wexler, D-Fla., to introduce Social Security legislation.

--NewsMax.com--

Negotiations Fail; Senate Showdown Looms on Judicial Nominees

Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) announced yesterday that he and Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) had broken off negotiations aimed at averting a showdown over President Bush's judicial nominees, moving the Senate to the brink of a constitutional confrontation and a battle that holds peril for both political parties and the White House.

--Washington Post--

DeLay's Approval Rating Rising

House Majority Leader Tom Delay's approval rating has actually risen in recent weeks, despite a deluge of media attacks that Democrats hoped would drive him from office.

--NewsMax.com--

As the leftmedia continue to demonstrate their left-wing, anti-American bias, media attacks will become a positive. This story says more about the media than about DeLay, in my opinion. - Ed.

French Politician Calls Oil-for-Food Claim Part of Anti-French Campaign

PARIS - A former French government minister says allegations that he was involved in the Iraqi food-for-oil scandal are part of a U.S. campaign to punish France for its opposition to the Iraq war.

--CNSNews.com--

Bolton to Shake France's Cage

Rather than quietly settle into his likely new job at the United Nations, Ambassador-nominee John Bolton will hit the ground running, targeting first the dubious U.S. ally of France, says geopolitical expert Jack Wheeler.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

I have long argued that it's time for the European Union to be recognized as a single government entity rather than a collection of smaller independent nations. If this article is correct, John Bolton is going to be making the same argument at the UN. This should be interesting! - Ed.

Bill Peeved by Joe Klein's Hillary Article

There was a chill in the air last week when ex-president Bill Clinton joined Time magazine's chief editor, Norman Pearlstine, onstage at Manhattan's Time Warner Center to discuss the events of the day.

--NewsMax.com--

Buchanan Sees ‘War’ Within Conservatism

Pat Buchanan speaks of American conservatism in the past tense. “The conservative movement has passed into history,” says the one-time White House aide, three-time presidential candidate, commentator and magazine publisher.

--Washington Times--

Game Expo-Christian Video Games - a Nascent Boom?

LOS ANGELES - Will the spiritual and gaming worlds transcend their realms?

--Reuters--

Iraq Rebels ‘Flushed Out by US’

The US has said its forces have cleared an area in north-west Iraq of insurgents following a week-long operation codenamed Matador.

--BBC News--

Don't you find the BBC's use of the word “flushed” a bit curious in light of the current Newsweek controversy? - Ed.

Newsweek Called Treasonous Over ‘Quran-in-toilet’ Report

Fifteen dead, scores injured, relief buildings burned down.

Years of coalition-building with the Muslim world against terrorist fanatics set back.

That's the toll to date for a brief story about a U.S. prison guard throwing a Quran down the toilet - a story Newsweek now admits it got wrong, and one being blasted as “criminal” and “treasonous.”

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Indictments Mount for Hillary Aides

A mounting number of aides, advisers and fund-raisers for New York Sen. Hillary Clinton have faced criminal prosecution in recent months, conjuring up memories of her ethically challenged past just as Democrats begin to focus on the former first lady as their probable 2008 presidential nominee.

--NewsMax.com--

Florida's Wexler First Democratic to Offer Social Security Fix

WASHINGTON - Breaking with party leaders, a Florida Democratic congressman plans to introduce Social Security legislation, saying his first commitment is to his constituents.

--Tampa Tribune (AP)--

When President Bush endorsed the idea of ensuring Social Security's solvency through “progressive indexing” of benefits--a form of means-testing in which higher-income workers would receive lower payments than they currently promised--Democrats attacked him for trying to change Social Security into a welfare program. The argument (which William Voegeli explained in a piece on this Web site last month) is that if Americans see Social Security as a program for the poor, rather than an “insurance” policy that benefits everyone, political support for it will evaporate.

But assuming that Wexler doesn't propose a commensurate increase in benefits for workers earning more than $90,000 a year - and if he does, then his plan does nothing about Social Security's solvency - his proposal is vulnerable to the same criticism as Bush's. It'll be interesting to see if his fellow Democrats criticize him on the same ground. If they don't, it will show that their real aim is less to preserve Social Security than to increase taxes and the size of government. - James Taranto, OpinionJournal.com.

GOP Senators Hopeful on Non-‘nuclear’ Options

Key Republican senators yesterday signaled that the so-called “nuclear option” might not be needed after all to get an up-or-down vote on President Bush's judicial nominees.

--Washington Times--

RNC: Kennedy Sought to Abolish Filibuster

The Republican National Committee came out swinging Sunday after Sen. Ted Kennedy lambasted the Republican drive to end the Senate filibuster.

--NewsMax.com--

Report: Iraq Used Oil Vouchers to Buy Russian Influence

A US Senate committee has accused Russian politicians of accepting millions of dollars in oil allocations from Saddam Hussein.

--BBC News--

TSA Plans to Test Machines That See Through Clothing

The agency in charge of the nation's air security expects later this year to begin testing a controversial X-ray machine that will show airport screeners a clear picture of what's under passengers' clothes — whether weapons or just bare skin.

--USA Today--

U.S. Calls Iraq Border Offensive a Success

OBEIDI, Iraq - The U.S. military wrapped up a major offensive in a remote desert region near the Syrian border Saturday, saying it had cleaned out the insurgent haven and killed more than 125 militants during the weeklong campaign against followers of Iraq's most wanted terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

--NewsMax.com (AP)--

This story ran on the front page of Sunday's Poughkeepsie Journal under the headline “9 Marines die in U.S. offensive”. It thought that was typical of the leftmedia to make the negative the point of the story. - Ed.

Dick Cheney to Run for President?

NEW YORK - A trial balloon for a Cheney for President run in 2008 is being launched by a surprising source, Washington Post star reporter (and White House insider) Bob Woodward.

--Editor & Publisher--

Obstructocrats Move to Slow Action on Bolton

Democrats opposed to the appointment of John R. Bolton as U.N. ambassador said Friday they will slow down the Senate's consideration of the embattled nominee as they try to build their case against him.

--Las Vegas Sun (AP)--

Dean: DeLay Belongs in ‘Jail’

In comments that offended even members of his own party, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean blasted House Majority Leader Tom DeLay on Saturday as a criminal, saying that the top Republican belongs in jail.

--NewsMax.com--

Clinton Crony to Plead Guilty

A close personal friend of Bill Clinton is expected to plead guilty to charges that he defrauded the Chicago public school system, according to Crain's Chicago Business, which reported the development on its Web site Friday.

--NewsMax.com--

Kerry-leaning Exit Polls ‘Not Fraud’

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. - Better training of interviewers to get a proper sample of voters after they cast ballots will be key to improving the performance of exit polls, one pollster who handled the 2004 election surveys said Saturday.

--TheState.com (AP)--

Clinton's ‘Close Friend’ Flips on Rosen

A former strip club owner and close personal friend of ex-President Clinton has flipped on Hillary Clinton's finance chairman, David Rosen, testifying for the prosecution against Rosen on Thursday in a surprise move sure to cause consternation in the Clinton camp.

--NewsMax.com--

Pentagon Finds No Evidence Koran Was Defiled

Protests were planned across Pakistan Friday as Muslim anger over the alleged desecration of the Koran by the U.S. military spread outwards from Afghanistan, where at least seven people have been killed in violent clashes with security forces.

--CNSNews.com--

Chalk the deaths up to the media who ran with this story without absolute proof of its veracity. - Ed.

Drop Murder Charges, Says Pantano Prober

Murder charges against 2nd Lt. Ilario Pantano, the Marine who shot to death two Iraqi insurgents in a raid near Baghdad last year, should be dropped, according to the recommendation of the investigating officer in the high-profile case.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

U.S. Offensive Targets Area Near Syrian Border

QAIM, Iraq - American warplanes roared over desert villages and plumes of smoke rose into the sky near Syria on Friday as more than 1,000 U.S. forces hunted down followers of Iraq's most-wanted terrorist. But fighters controlled the rubble-strewn streets of this border town.

--USA Today (AP)--

Republicans Blast Senate Dem for ‘Trashing’ Judge's Reputation

The sniping over President Bush's judicial nominees is reaching critical mass, with the Senate expected to vote soon on the so-called nuclear option - a Senate rule change that would end Democrat filibusters of judicial nominees.

--CNSNews.com--

One Scenario: Chief Justice Scalia?

Of all the possible candidates mentioned for a US Supreme Court post, none seems more primed for all-out warfare in the Senate confirmation process than Antonin Scalia.

--Christian Science Monitor--

Border Patrol Told to Limit Arrests in Arizona

U.S. Border Patrol agents have been ordered not to arrest illegal aliens along the section of the Arizona border where protesters patrolled last month because an increase in apprehensions there would prove the effectiveness of Minuteman volunteers, The Washington Times has learned.

--Washington Times--

McCain-Kennedy Bill Opens Citizenship Path

Key senators yesterday announced that they will introduce a broad immigration overhaul with a multistep path to citizenship for illegal aliens and a new program for foreign workers that could increase yearly legal immigration by 400,000 people.

--Washington Times--

Imagine how much we could reduce crime if we just made more things legal. - Ed.

Schiavo-like Woman Speaks After 2½ Years

A Kansas woman severely brain-injured after an accident in 2002 has begun speaking - to the amazement of her doctor.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

‘Horrified’ By Bush, Feminist Urges Election of More Women

WASHINGTON - With Republicans in charge of the White House and Congress and Democrats fearing that the next appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court could lead to the reversal of legalized abortion, one of the most liberal groups in Washington believes the only solution to such a “dire” problem is to elect more women.

--CNSNews.com--

If they're really interested in having more women in positions of power, why are they supporting their Democrat puppets who are blocking the nominations of some eminently qualified women for the judiciary? - Ed.

Prosecutor: Hillary a Victim

In his opening statement in the trial of Hillary Clinton's finance director David Rosen, Justice Department prosecutor Peter Zeidenberg seemed to spend as much time insisting that Mrs. Clinton was an innocent victim as he did laying out his case against her underling.

--NewsMax.com--

Bill Clinton Might Testify at Rosen Trial

Ex-president Bill Clinton might be called to testify at the trial of his wife's one-time finance director David Rosen, Rosen's lawyer said Wednesday.

--NewsMax.com--

Bolton's Fate Hanging on Dem Strategy, GOP Unity

When the Senate Foreign Relations Committee meets Thursday to vote on John Bolton's bid for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, two factors will decide the nominee's fate: Democrats' strategy to prevent the vote from taking place and Republican solidarity behind President Bush's candidate for the post.

--CNSNews.com--

Novak: Castro Real Story of Bolton Controversy

The campaign against John R. Bolton's nomination to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations is about far more than his reputedly abrasive personality - behind the smears lies a pro-Castro agenda.

--NewsMax.com--

Read Novak's column here. - Ed.

Panel: European Pols Took Saddam Bribes

UNITED NATIONS - Two European politicians received millions of barrels of Iraqi oil in exchange for their support of Saddam Hussein's regime, a U.S. Senate committee probing corruption in the U.N. Oil-for-Food program found.

--Fox News--

Hillary Clinton, Newt Gingrich Team Up on Medical Data Bill

In the “who'd-a-thunk-it” column, Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has joined forces with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in support of legislation that would reduce the paperwork involved in medical record-keeping.

--CNSNews.com--

War in Iraq Looks Like Last Stand for al Qaeda

The war in Iraq is increasingly looking more like a showdown with Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda followers than a battle primarily against Saddam Hussein loyalists.

--Washington Times--

Clinton Judge Blasts Hillary's Accuser

U.S. District Judge A. Howard Matz is blasting Sen. Hillary Clinton's key accuser, Peter Paul, whose allegations spurred the indictment of David Rosen, the finance chairman for Clinton's 2000 Senate campaign.

--NewsMax.com--

Is there any doubt that if the situation was reversed, and a Republican-appointed judge was presiding over a case involving a prominent Republican, the media would be demanding he recuse himself? - Ed.

Nixon's Son-in-law to Challenge Hillary

WASHINGTON - It looks like Hillary Rodham Clinton will get a challenge in her bid for re-election to the U.S. Senate seat in New York after all.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

The best way to derail Hillary's presidential ambitions is to defeat her in her senate re-election bid. We need the very best candidate we can find, and we need to make it a real campaign. - Ed.

Explosive Device Reportedly Thrown as Bush Speaks

WASHINGTON - The Secret Service is checking a report that an explosive device, possibly a grenade, was thrown in the crowd about 100 feet from President Bush while he spoke outdoors Tuesday before a crowd of thousands in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.

--USA Today--

Democrats Protecting America From the ‘Far Right’

Democrats say momentum is on their side - “public opinion is tipping our way,” Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a message to friends of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

--CNSNews.com--

So according to Chuckie, if you're on the “far right” (by his definition), you aren't an American. He should check the electoral map before making such a rash statement. - Ed.

McCain Urges GOP to Cut Deal on Nominees

WASHINGTON - Sen. John McCain is urging the Senate's GOP majority to cut a deal with Democrats over President Bush's judicial nominees even as Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist warns that a confrontation over judicial filibusters could come next week.

--Las Vegas Sun (AP)--

McCain is a fool. Every time Republicans have tried to compromise with Democrats, they've ended up giving Dems everything they want and getting nothing in return. - Ed.

Dobson, Wildmon Furious with Sen. Lott

On the AFA Report today Dr. James Dobson, chairman of Focus on the Family, discussed with Rev. Donald Wildmon, chairman of the Tupelo, Miss.-based American Family Association, his “disgust and alarm” with Mississippi Republican Senator Trent Lott, who appears ready to cut a deal with Senate Democrats that would preserve their right to filibuster the president’s judicial nominees.

--NewsMax.com--

‘Big Fight’ Over Filibusters Could Begin Next Week

WASHINGTON - Republicans will move as early as next week to block any Democratic Senate filibusters of President Bush's judicial nominees in anticipation of a struggle over a Supreme Court vacancy in a few months, strategists said Tuesday.

--Houston Chronicle--

Bolton Nomination Faces Unseen Obstacle: Colin Powell

As the Senate Foreign Relations Committee prepares to vote on John Bolton's bid for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations on Thursday, the nomination is encountering resistance from an unseen source: former Secretary of State Colin Powell.

--CNSNews.com--

Quickly, Quietly the EU Gains Superpower Status

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Take a close look at that Coca-Cola bottle in your refrigerator. Ever wonder why this quintessentially American concoction is sold in containers that say “2 Liters” instead of “two quarts?”

--Oxford Press--

The European Union now has all the trappings of a single national unit. So why does it continue to have 25 votes in the United Nations? - Ed.

Report: Kennedy Got Undeserved Tax Breaks

WASHINGTON - Sen. Edward Kennedy received a tax break he didn't qualify for on his Washington, D.C., home because of a mistake by the local government, according to his office.

--WCVB-TV--

If this was about a Republican politician, I doubt the first paragraph of the story would blame the “mistake” on “local government”. - Ed.

Evidence of Voter Fraud in Milwaukee

A task force looking into potential voter fraud on Election Day [2004] said Tuesday that it found more than 200 felons voted illegally and more than 100 instances of people voting twice or using fake names and addresses.

--NewsMax.com--

Court: NY DMV Can't Revoke Illegals' Licenses

ALBANY, N.Y. - A state judge on Tuesday ruled the state Department of Motor Vehicles can't revoke the driver's licenses of as many as 252,000 illegal immigrants because they haven't secured Social Security cards.

--Newsday--

You might be tempted to side against this judge, but if I'm reading this story correctly, you'd be wrong to do so. As much as we'd have liked the judge to rule in favor of the DMV, the fact, I believe, is that she was doing exactly what judges are supposed to do - uphold the laws that the legislature enacts. Had she ruled otherwise, she'd have been guilty of judicial activism, and it's wrong even when it favors an outcome we'd like to see. It's time for the New York legislature to get off its collective butts and fix this problem the right way. - Ed.

Senate Backs Measure to Tighten ID Requirements

The Real ID Act, which the Senate approved yesterday, would make it more difficult for illegal immigrants to obtain identification that the federal government will recognize when they try to board an airplane, fill out tax forms or open a bank account. But the measure would affect U.S. citizens as well.

--Washington Post--

Progressive Indexing Better Than Tax Hikes, Taxpayer Group Says

In an open letter to Congress, a taxpayer watchdog group urges lawmakers to support the progressive indexing of Social Security benefits. It's better than a tax increase, the National Taxpayers Union said.

--CNSNews.com--

We might as well stop looking at Social Security as a retirement plan and seeing it as just another wealth redistribution (i.e. welfare) system. - Ed.

Test of Hispanic Boycott Fails in Arizona

An [illegal] immigrant advocacy group asked Hispanics to boycott businesses and to stay home from work yesterday to protest legislation by Arizona lawmakers targeting illegal aliens, and said it was a trial run for a full-scale, three-day economic protest planned for July.

--Washington Times--

China Refuses to Press North Korea

China has ruled out applying economic pressure to compel its North Korean ally to return to stalled multilateral talks on its nuclear weapons programs.

--CNSNews.com (Pacific Rim Bureau)--

Memo: Weld Not Running for N.Y. Gov.

The same day former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld said he was interested in running for governor of New York, an internal memo issued to partners in his investment firm discounted any such bid.

--NewsMax.com--

Appeals Court Sides With Cheney in Lawsuit

WASHINGTON - A lawsuit seeking to force Vice President Dick Cheney to reveal details about the energy policy task force he headed and the pro-industry recommendations it made was scuttled Tuesday by a federal appeals court.

--Las Vegas Sun (AP)--

Dems Top List of Congressional Travelers

Though the media has targeted House Majority Leader Tom DeLay because of a few trips he's taken, it turns out he's nowhere near the top of the list of congressional junketeers.

--NewsMax.com--

Frist Plans to Use ‘Option’ on Nomination of Owen

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist plans for Texas Supreme Court Justice Priscilla Owen to be the judicial nomination on which he uses the “nuclear option” against Democratic filibusters later this month, according to Republicans familiar with his plans.

--Washington Times--

Conservatives Reject Any Deal on Judicial Confirmations

There must be no compromise on confirming President Bush's stalled judicial nominees, some conservatives insist.

--CNSNews.com--

N.J. Bill: Seize Homes that Contain ‘Illegal’ Guns

A New Jersey state assemblyman has introduced a bill that would allow the government to seize the home or car of anyone whose property contains an illegal firearm.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Feds Pay $5.8 Billion to Jail Criminal Aliens

The U.S. federal government spent $5.8 billion over the past three years to incarcerate criminal aliens - nonresidents who are in the country illegally or legally and convicted of a crime.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Historians Miffed at Gettysburg Gambling Proposal

An investor group has announced plans to open a casino and spa near the historic Gettysburg battlefield site – a project contingent on the group winning a slots license.

--NewsMax.com--

U.S. Offensive in Western Iraq Kills 75

BAGHDAD, Iraq - American troops backed by helicopters and war planes have launched a major offensive against insurgents in a remote desert area near the Syrian border, and about 75 militants were killed in the first 24 hours, the U.S. military said.

--My Way News (AP)--

Senator Clinton ‘Abusing the System,’ Says NY GOP Opponent

Sen. Hillary Clinton is “abusing the system” -- using New York State voters as a springboard to the presidency, according to a 38-year-old Republican who would like to stop Mrs. Clinton in 2006, well before sthe 2008 Democratic race for president.

--CNSNews.com--

Hollywood Gala for Hillary Focus at Trial

A lavish politics-goes-Hollywood fund-raiser that helped propel Hillary Clinton into the U.S. Senate is the main event at the pending federal trial of the New York Democrat's former campaign finance director.

--NewsMax.com--

Giuliani Leads GOP's 2008 Pack

Despite his socially liberal credentials, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani leads the GOP pack of prospective 2008 presidential candidates, according to the latest Marist College survey.

--NewsMax.com--

Increasingly Embattled, DeLay Scales Back Usual Power Plays

In the euphemism favored on Capitol Hill, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is "not staff driven." Translation: He is used to doing what he wants.

--Washington Post--

Remember Democrats decrying the “politics of personal destruction”? Looking at what they're doing to DeLay, you have to admit they're masters at it. - Ed.

Bolton OK Expected on Party-Line Vote

John R. Bolton, the president's controversial choice to be ambassador to the United Nations, will likely win a party-line vote in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, according to the panel's chairman.

--Las Vegas Sun (AP)--

Republicans Mark Four-Year Anniversary of Owen's Nomination

It's been four years -- and Republicans are counting -- since President Bush first nominated Texas Supreme Court Justice Priscilla Owen to serve on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.

--CNSNews.com--

Hagel Hopes for ‘Compromise’ on Filibusters

WASHINGTON - At least some Senate Republicans still hope to negotiate a deal to end the fight over filibusters of judicial nominees.

--ABC News (AP)--

It isn't a compromise when the other side gets everything it wants and you don't. - Ed.

Ariz. Prop 200 Screening Out Illegal Voters

Stricter immigration laws now on the books in Arizona that require elections officials to check for proof of citizenship have uncovered thousands of new registrants who don't qualify to vote.

--NewsMax.com--

When you get to the last paragraph, you'll see a Democrat spokesman acknowledging that illegal voters tend to vote for Democrats. - Ed.

Congressman Taps Political Fund to Aid Church He Founded

U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), pastor of Beloved Community Christian Church, is using his federal political war chest to help support the church he founded in Englewood. Since last June, Rush has donated $72,200 to the church in a series of checks, according to disclosures on Rush's Federal Election Commission reports.

--Chicago Sun-Times--

Whisky ‘Helps Fight Cancer’

Drinking malt whisky may help prevent cancer, a scientific conference has been told.

--London Telegraph--

Tape of Hillary Aide Reveals Sex, Drugs

Audiotapes recorded by Kennedy in-law Raymond Reggie while cooperating with an FBI probe into an August 2000 gala fund-raiser for Hillary Clinton could be devastating for the Democratic Party, according to Louisiana's Times Picayune, which has obtained transcripts of the Reggie tapes.

--NewsMax.com--

Zogby Poll: Americans Fed Up on Illegal Aliens

A new opinion poll by Zogby International indicates Americans are hardly pleased with the Bush administration on the subject of illegal immigration.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Bill to Take Profit Out of Anti-religion Suits

An Indiana congressman plans to curb the ACLU's appetite for filing suits targeting religion in the public square by introducing a bill that denies plaintiff attorneys the right to collect attorneys fees in such cases.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Radioactive Rockets ‘For Sale’ in Breakaway Soviet Republic

The arms dealer's instructions on the telephone were curt and concise. The meeting would take place at noon, he said, on a bridge in the breakaway east European republic of Transdniester.

--London Times--

Peter Paul Plans ‘Fahrenheit’-style Documentary

Former Hollywood mogul Peter Paul is planning to produce a “Fahrenheit 9/11”-style documentary detailing his election fraud allegations against New York Sen. Hillary Clinton.

--NewsMax.com--

John Kerry Opposes Same-Sex Marriage Platform Plank

BATON ROUGE, La. - US Senator John F. Kerry said yesterday that he believes it's a mistake for the Massachusetts Democratic Party to include a plank in its official platform in support of same-sex marriage, saying that such a statement does not conform with the broad views of party members.

--Boston Globe--

AFL-CIO Boss's Politicking Now Threatens His Job

While most organizations celebrate anniversaries with great fanfare, the AFL-CIO may mark its 50th birthday in Chicago this July with an internal leadership struggle that threatens the job of the coalition's president, an avowed socialist who spent tens of millions of dollars in union dues in a failed ten-year quest to re-take the U.S. House from Republicans.

--CNSNews.com--

It's no wonder union membership is declining, considering how unions have become so closely aligned with the Democrat Party. The union bosses don't seem to understand that a sizeable proportion, perhaps a majority, of the people they'd like to unionize identify with the Republican Party and don't want to join an organization fighting against what they see as their best interests. As long as unions remain partisan, they will continue to shrink. - Ed.

Democrats Plot Their Return to Power

A liberal advocacy group is hosting a “Take Back America” conference next month.

--CNSNews.com--

That's an interesting choice of the word “take”. In a democracy, power is won by persuading people to follow you, it's not taken. That's how dictators come to power. - Ed.

U.S. Rejects Idea of Ban on Nuclear Attack

UNITED NATIONS - The plea heard from the conference floor, from nation after nation, seems simple: Since we don't have nuclear weapons, please guarantee you won't use yours on us.

--Tallahassee Democrat (AP)--

Sex Scandals Rampant at U.N.

UNITED NATIONS - Sex abuse allegations against U.N. peacekeepers and other staff more than doubled last year, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a report released Thursday, calling the increase “deeply troubling.”

--NewsMax.com--

Judge in Schiavo Case Receives ‘Special Justice Award’

The Florida judge who ordered Terri Schiavo's feeding tube removed three times before she eventually died was being honored Thursday night by the West Pasco Bar Association in New Port Richey for his “professionalism and integrity,” according to a member of the group.

--CNSNews.com--

Is Your State Tax-friendly?

Residents of Hawaii, Wyoming and Connecticut shoulder the heaviest state tax burdens in the nation.

--Stateline.org--

Arizona Bill Would Make English the State's Official Language

Arizona may become the 28th state to make English its official language, if Gov. Janet Napolitano signs the bill that's now waiting on her desk. The Arizona Senate gave the measure final approval this week.

--CNSNews.com--

Sunlight is Increasing on Earth

More sunlight is reaching the Earth's surface than it was 15 years ago, scientists reveal today.

--London Telegraph--

Blame pollution - the lack thereof, that is. So to fight global warming, we need more pollutants in in the atmosphere. But how can the left blame Bush for global-warming, now that we know it's caused by cleaner air? - Ed.

Tax Receipts Exceed Treasury Predictions

The Treasury Department this week reported there would be a $54 billion swing from projected deficit to surplus in the April-to-June quarter, after an unanticipated gush of tax payments poured into the Treasury before the April 15 deadline. That prompted private forecasters to lower their deficit projections for the fiscal year that ends in September.

--Washington Post--

Once again, the concept of raising revenues by lowering taxes, graphically represented by the Laffer Curve, has been vindicated. - Ed.

U.N. Probes Official's Stint With Kerry

UNITED NATIONS - The United Nations is investigating whether a senior official at one of its agencies, Justin Leites, violated U.N. rules and the organization's spirit of international neutrality by taking a paid leave of absence last year to work as a Kerry-Edwards presidential campaign official in his home state of Maine.

--New York Sun--

By allowing this man on his campaign, John Kerry allowed the United Nations to be corrupted. This is an important story. - Ed.

Report: Congress Gets ‘Damaging’ Info on Kofi Annan

“Kofi Annan will be a very worried man,” Fox News reported on Thursday, now that Congress has been given documents that may expose “damning information” about Annan's role in the oil-for-food scandal.

--CNSNews.com--

New Yorkers to Hillary: We'll Elect You, But Finish the Term

The majority of New York voters said Hillary Rodham Clinton deserves to be re-elected to the Senate next year, but want her to pledge to serve a full, six-year term if she runs, a statewide poll reported Thursday.

--NewsMax.com--

Anyone who thinks she'd she'd honor such a pledge, particularly if a Democrat becomes governor, is a fool. - Ed.

Web Sites Target Hillary Clinton's Ambitions

NEW YORK - The Web is proving to be fertile ground for efforts to try to derail Sen. Hillary Clinton's future political ambitions.

--Fox News--

Iraqi, US Forces Capture 84 Suspected Terrorists in Two Days

BAGHDAD - The Iraqi Army, police and U.S. Soldiers apprehended 84 suspected terrorists in 19 different combat operations conducted in and around Baghdad May 1 and 2.

--Army News Service--

Anti-DeLay Group Demands Appointment of Outside Counsel

A group dedicated to campaign finance reform is demanding that House Speaker Dennis Hastert appoint an outside counsel to investigate Rep. Tom DeLay (D-Tex.), who is under fire for the way some of his trips were financed.

--CNSNews.com--

I wonder why an outside counsel is needed - these guys have DeLay convicted already. I also wonder if this group might be violating campaign finance laws itself. If you peruse its website, you'll see that it's not dedicated to campaign finance reform, it's all about getting DeLay out of office. - Ed.

Bill Calls for Encrypted Social Security Cards

WASHINGTON - With Congress poised to make it virtually impossible for illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses, Republican leaders are preparing another crackdown on undocumented workers -- legislation to mandate a high-tech, counterfeit-proof Social Security card that would be required to get a job.

--San Francisco Chronicle--

Traditional Values Coalition Head Denies Press Release Attacking Laura Bush

The Traditional Values Coalition is disavowing a letter issued by a bogus group that appropriated its name to criticize first lady Laura Bush's allegedly risque remarks to the White House Correspondents Dinner Saturday night.

--NewsMax.com--

Vulgar Heckler Arrested at Ann Coulter Speech

A University of Texas student was arrested last night amid F-word-laced heckling and shouting during a speech on campus by WorldNetDaily columnist Ann Coulter, prompting discussion on talk radio across America Wednesday.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

AFL-CIO Can't Use Pension Money to Lobby Against Social Security

The Labor Department this week cautioned the AFL-CIO not to use money from pension funds in its campaign to defeat President Bush's Social Security reform plan.

--Washington Times--

If I were a member of an AFL-CIO union, I'd be very angry that union officials were even considering using my pension funds for this obviously partisan purpose. - Ed.

IRS / Kerry Target War Vet

Three 30-caliber bullets ripped into Tedd Peck's arm, back and leg, leaving him hospitalized for 89 days ending in a stay at St. Albans Naval Hospital in NY, where he was presented with his meritorious Purple Heart award.

--U.S. Observer--

Alleged al-Qaida No. 3 Arrested in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - The man thought to be al-Qaida's operations commander, and who might know where Osama bin Laden is hiding, has been arrested in Pakistan, the government announced Wednesday.

--MSNBC--

‘Stop Her Now’ Website Targets Hillary Clinton

Up and running -- a new website intended to “shed light on the REAL Hillary Clinton and the danger she and her ideas pose for America.”

--CNSNews.com--

Ex-Surgeon General May Challenge Hillary

ALBANY - Dr. Antonia Novello, New York's state health commissioner for the past six years and a former U.S. surgeon general, is considering a challenge to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2006 re-election bid, top New York political leaders said yesterday.

--Newsday (AP)--

Pelosi's Ethics Stance Hypocritical, GOP Says

House Republicans called Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi a hypocrite yesterday for not demanding investigations into new ethics questions that have arisen about the travel of her fellow Democrats.

--Washington Times--

Albright Blames Iraq War for N.K. Nukes

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said Tuesday that President Bush's decision to invade Iraq encouraged North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il to produce nuclear weapons.

--NewsMax.com--

Bush Says He's Not Deterred on Social Security

CANTON, Miss. - President Bush said Tuesday that he'll keep campaigning for an overhaul of Social Security despite opposition, and he intensified pressure on reluctant members of Congress to do something to avert big tax increases or cuts in benefits.

--USA Today--

Peter Paul Questions Hillary Election ‘Fraud’

One-time Hollywood mogul Peter Paul has launched a new offensive against New York Sen. Hillary Clinton in a bid to break the big media embargo on allegations that her 2000 campaign finance director cooked the books - a development, says Paul, that raises questions about the legitimacy of Sen. Clinton's election.

--NewsMax.com--

Wis. Republicans Fail to Override Pro-fraud Veto of Photo ID Bill

MADISON, Wis. - Republican Assembly leaders failed Tuesday to override Gov. Jim Doyle's veto of a bill that would require voters to show photo ID at the polls, but they immediately moved to add the requirement to the state constitution in time for the 2008 elections.

--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel--

Sens. Clinton, Kerry Using Legislation to Boost Profiles

In a “dear friend” letter circulated on Monday, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is urging her fellow Democrats to “stand together and fight back against those who are trying to undermine our system of democracy.”

--CNSNews.com--

If these people are really interested in making every vote count, why do they want to prevent votes in the senate on Pres. Bush's judicial nominees? Don't the majority of senators' votes count for anything? - Ed.

Patriot Act Stirs Prosecutors, Local Governments

“The reality is no U.S. citizen's rights have been violated in the three years we've had the Patriot Act,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin O'Connor.

--Newsday (AP)--

Bush Quietly Backing Border Fence

In a move that could undermine his plan to extend limited amnesty to illegal immigrants, President Bush is quietly backing the completion of a security fence along the California-Mexico border.

--NewsMax.com--

Mexican OFficial: Shut Down Border

A Mexican senator from President Vicente Fox's party is pushing a bill that would dispatch federal, state and local law enforcement personnel to the border to stop migrants from crossing into the U.S., saying he wants to cut down on the death toll suffered by illegal aliens.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Socialist Was Behind U.N. Sea Treaty

One of the main authors of the U.N.'s Law of the Sea Treaty, or LOST, not only admired Karl Marx but was an ardent advocate of the Marxist-oriented New International Economic Order, according to a new report.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

GIs Surviving War But Dying on America's Roads

American soldiers, having survived the day-to-day danger, fatigue and peril of their recent combat assignments in Iraq and Afghanistan, are dying in alarming numbers back home - in motor vehicle accidents.

--NewsMax.com--

Marines Save Baby at Camp Fallujah

One thing that's been lost by the media during the War on Terror in Iraq is the reporting of the good news and deeds Marines and soldiers. The old saying that if it bleeds it leads has held true with regard to news coming out here.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Brain-damaged Man ‘Awakes’ After 10 Years

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - A firefighter brain-damaged in a 1995 roof collapse had an “amazing” weekend, recognizing and speaking with his four sons and other family and friends for the first time in years, a family spokesman said Monday.

--Newsday (AP)--

Anti-Nuke, Anti-War Activists Rally at UN

NEW YORK - Invoking memories of the bombs dropped on Japan decades ago, thousands of anti-nuclear weapon and anti-war activists marched past the United Nations, where a conference takes up the nuclear issue this week.

--Las Vegas Sun (AP)--

Shouldn't they be protesting in Iran, or North Korea, or Pakistan? Do these kooks really believe that if the U.S. were to foolishly get rid of our nuclear weapons, the bad guys would follow suit? I'm sure most of the protesters also believe that taking guns away from law-abiding citizens is going to reduce crime. - Ed.

Card: North Korea Got Nukes on Clinton's Watch

White House chief of staff Andrew Card fired back at New York Sen. Hillary Clinton on Sunday, pointing out that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il obtained his first nuclear weapon while her husband was president.

--NewsMax.com--

Republicans Issue ‘Obstructionist Forecast’ Targeting Dems

Republicans say the political forecast calls for more Democratic obstruction on Social Security.

--CNSNews.com--

I suspect this forecast will be much more accurate than what we've been getting from the weather forecasters. - Ed.

Frist: Showdown with Democrats Over Court Nominees May Be ‘Inevitable’

WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist says he's “running out of options” in a fight with Democrats over President Bush's judicial nominees.

--USA Today--

Group Files Lawsuit Against Planned Parenthood Clinic on Behalf of Pro-Life Protester

A legal group filed a civil lawsuit Friday against Washington, D.C. Planned Parenthood and a security guard on behalf of a pro-life college student who claims he was tackled and injured while trying to exercise his First Amendment rights outside an abortion clinic in 2004.

--CNSNews.com--

I have a suggestion for the ACLJ. Abortion providers have succeeded in getting courts to decree “buffer zones” around abortuaries. Considering that freedom of speech actually is a constitutionally protected right (unlike the “right” to abortion), there is more reason to protect the protesters than the abortion clinic. So go for broke - demand that the court create a buffer zone around abortion protesters. - Ed.

Hillary Blames Bush for North Korea Nukes

New York Sen. Hillary Clinton is blaming President Bush for the fact that North Korea can now hit the U.S. with nuclear missiles - after a top intelligence official told her Thursday that Kim Jong Il's ICBMs can now reach the Northwestern U.S.

--NewsMax.com--

You gotta give her credit for going on the offensive. But in this case, it really is offensive, considering how her “co-president” gave the NKs everything they needed to build their nukes. - Ed.

Israeli Spy Master: ‘Syrian President Could be Toppled’

JERUSALEM: Syrian President Bashar Assad could be ousted from power as his regime fractures under immense political pressure, the head of Israeli military intelligence said in an interview published Friday.

--Daily Star (AFP)--