Welcome to The Now

Democrat Tom Vilsack, the governor of Iowa, has thrown his hat into the presidential ring . Here's a little history if (like me) your are asking, "Tom Who?"

Via ESPN's NBA Daily Dime : Greg (MA) : Celtics are [Ed. note: were] in first place in the Atlantic Divison! We're gonna win the championship! David Thorpe: You have the optimism of the 80-year-old man who marries a 22-year-old woman and buys a large house next to an elementary school.

"It was a solemn pledge, repeated by Democratic leaders and candidates over and over: If elected to the majority in Congress, Democrats would implement all of the recommendations of the bipartisan commission that examined the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001." Reading this intro, you'd think the WashPost is calling the Democrats cheats for "fooling" the American public into voting for them. But if you read the next paragragh: "But with control of Congress now secured, Democratic leaders have decided for now against implementing the one measure that would affect them most directly: a wholesale reorganization of Congress to improve oversight and funding of the nation's intelligence agencies . Instead, Democratic leaders may create a panel to look at the issue and produce recommendations, according to congressional aides and lawmakers." I think, right now, the concern with Democrats is them not wanting to right more blank checks to the Bush Administration.

"An Ohio woman was arrested and charged Monday in the August 2005 death of her infant daughter. Police said the girl died from burns possibly caused by a microwave oven . Her mother, China Arnold, 26, was jailed Monday on a charge of aggravated murder, more than a year after she brought her dead month-old baby to a hospital. Bail was set Tuesday at $1 million."

The media needs to catch up to scholars who have recognized that what's going on in Iraq amounts to a civil war.

" Fierce fighting Wednesday between coalition forces and insurgents shut down the Iraqi city of Baqouba, which has been roiled by violence in recent days, killing scores of militants and civilians."

I think it's safe to say many political journalists have personal political affiliations. They may try to hide it, but eventually it comes out in one form or another. I personally believe field reporters and anchorpeople should keep their affiliation in check and try to be as pragmatic as possible. As for the pundits and political talk show hosts, it would good if they would be more upfront about it. Why? Because these two groups do a lot of talking and invoke their opinion more than reporters and anchorpeople. And even though they don't want to admit it, the words of a pundit or talk show host resonates more with the public. Despite this, many try to maintain the facade that they are neutral. Nothing can be further from the truth. Anyone who considers themself a political insider has obviously made friends from one of the two major parties (or both) and most likely has something to lose (like insider information) when/if members of that party lose elections or leave office. Wi

As long as funding requests can be made in the name of the "Global War on Terror," the sky's the limit .

"A federal judge in Los Angeles has ruled that the Bush administration violated the Constitution when it froze the assets of more than two dozen alleged terrorist groups after the Sept. 11 attacks. U.S. District Judge Audrey B. Collins, in a ruling released Monday, held that an executive order Bush issued Sept. 24, 2001 — designating 27 groups and individuals as 'specially designated global terrorists' — was ' unconstitutionally vague .'"

A peek into Dick Cheney's early infatuation with the "unitary executive."

Mr. Limbaugh decides to "cut and run" . Funny how a person's opinion on issues that effect all Americans change when their political party loses power.

"The Justice Department is launching an internal review of its participation in the Bush administration's controversial domestic eavesdropping program, the department's inspector general told congressional leaders on Monday. The review, which congressional Democrats have sought for nearly a year, will examine the Justice Department's role in the warrantless domestic spying program run by the super-secret National Security Agency (NSA), Justice Department Inspector General Glenn Fine said."

Rest In Peace , Ms. Bebe Moore Campbell.

Fighting poverty and global warming doesn't seem to be big concerns for many in the Christian Coalition of America, because the president-elect who wanted to push these things has called it quits .

Apparently, the cost of everything from that famous song is currently $18,920 .

The Bush Twins refuse to leave Argentina early, even after the government has told them that their presence has increased security concerns . Hmmm. A Bush (in this case, two) refusing to leave a country that wants him/her to go, even though leaving may be a positive in the long run? I think I've heard this story before.

In the House of Representatives John Dingell (House Energy and Commerce Committee), Charles Rangel (Ways and Means Committee), John Conyers (Judiciary Committee), and Henry Waxman (Government Reform Committee) will be some of the " roughshod and overzealous " Democrats to chair when power offically shifts in January.

Author Larry Kahaner talks about the AK-47, one of the most popular and deadly weapons ever made .

Whenever someone mentions that we need to build a big fence around America, I'm going to remind them about this cartoon from Robert Ariail. Imagine how history would have played out if Native Americans were as xenophobic as some of the fences' proponents are...

Michael Moore makes a good point about how countries have been traditionally (and succesfully) liberated, and it bares repeating: There are many ways to liberate a country. Usually the residents of that country rise up and liberate themselves. That's how we did it. You can also do it through nonviolent, mass civil disobedience. That's how India did it. You can get the world to boycott a regime until they are so ostracized they capitulate. That's how South Africa did it. Or you can just wait them out and, sooner or later, the king's legions simply leave (sometimes just because they're too cold). That's how Canada did it. The one way that DOESN'T work is to invade a country and tell the people, "We are here to liberate you!" -- when they have done NOTHING to liberate themselves. Where were all the suicide bombers when Saddam was oppressing them? Where were the insurgents planting bombs along the roadside as the evildoer Saddam's convoy passed the

"Comedian Michael Richards said Sunday he did not consider himself a racist, and that he was "shattered" by the comments he made to two young black men during a tirade at a Los Angeles comedy club. Richards appeared on the Rev. Jesse Jackson's nationally syndicated radio program, "Keep Hope Alive," as a part of a series of apologies for the incident. He said he knew his comments hurt the black community, and hoped to meet with the two men."

They can protect the President from reality, but for some reason can't protect his daughter from a purse-snatcher : Reports that an agile Argentine thief snatched the purse of one of the twin daughters of President Bush while U.S. Secret Service agents were nearby had local media in a buzz Wednesday. "Bush's bodyguards couldn't handle San Telmo purse-snatcher," read a headline on the Web site of official news agency Telam. Telam said a government source, who asked not to be named, confirmed reports regarding the robbery. Different local reports said the incident happened on Sunday or Monday. A law enforcement source briefed on the incident told CNN that Barbara Bush's purse was stolen while she was in Argentina with her twin sister, Jenna. But the source said that "at no point were the protectees out of visual contact and at no point was there any risk of harm." If Bush declares war on Argentina anytime soon, we'll know why.

Ok, now that LOST has gone into their ridiculous hiatus, now's the time to ask some questions: 1. Why did the Others want Kate and Sawyer? Jack makes sense, but what value does a runaway fugitive and a con man have? 2. Why didn't the "monster" kill Eko last season? 3. Can the "monster" really shapeshift? If so, think about all the things in black people have encountered: Sawyer's boar, Kate's horse, Jack dad (suit), Eko's brother (again, suit). 4. Why haven't the Others ever bothered to do something about Rousseau? Or Desmond? Why were let left alone while the Flight 815 people were attacked, killed and kidnapped? 5. Was Libby's stay in the mental institution because of her husband's death? 6. If the Others have a way to reach the outside world, what's making them stay? 7. How did the Others get so much information on Jack and Sawyer? Ethan couldn't have known that Sawyer was a con man, and I don't remember Michael

Eugene Robinson talks about the undercurrent that may have sparked Michael Richard's tirade.

"Only one in four Americans believe President Bush is a better president than his father, George H. W. Bush, a new CNN poll has found ."

Mark Fuhrman gives his take on the tasteless O.J. book, as only he can . Looks like he's found a home with FoxNews.

Michael Richards (Kramer of Seinfeld fame) gets in touch with his inner racist as a way of dealing with some hecklers (who happen to be black).

1. Lakers in Transition : Charley Rosen sees LA's most popular NBA team coming back to being a winning club . To which I say: Kwame Brown . 2. " I'm So (Not) Excited " : "College women engaging in casual sex are more likely to experience depression symptoms than college men with similar sexual practices, a study published in the Journal of Sex Research found." Guess Sally really was faking it . 3. Why Fly When You Can Poolka ? People seem to like a movie about dancing Penguins . Or at least the kids of parents. 4. They're Fake, and They're Fantastic! : Silicone breast implants are (once again) OK'ed by the FDA. 5. He Can Use the Coins for the Phone Call : "A former GOP fundraiser at the center of a scandal-plagued state investment in rare coins that helped Democrats seize power in the midterm elections was sentenced Monday to 18 years in prison ."

"More than 20 gunmen today stormed the house of Iraq's deputy health minister Ammar al-Saffar and abducted him, a Baghdad emergency police official told CNN . "

"Cookies mailed to the U.S. Supreme Court last year contained enough rat poison to kill all nine justices, retired member Sandra Day O'Connor said at a conference last week."

Eugene Robinson finds O.J. Simpson's new book very disturbing , and Charles Krauthammer wonders if the Iraqis can ever embrace democracy .

Check it out here .

"In an exclusive report this afternoon, ABC News is reporting that newly elected Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada was allegedly implicated by convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff as part of his cooperation deal with federal prosecutors." Of course, ThinkProgress mentioned Reid's connections awhile back . Question is: why did Abramoff wait until now to bring Reid up again?

"An Australian driver threatened police with a live snake after he was pulled over for a breath test for driving under the influence of alcohol, police said on Monday. The driver in the outback Northern Territory was stopped on Saturday night by police just outside the city of Darwin after they saw him swerving, police said in a statement. After registering a blood alcohol level well over the legal limit, the man ran onto the road and picked up a live snake. "The driver allegedly armed himself with a live snake, pointed the head of the reptile at them and threatened them," said police. Police told the man to drop the snake, but he ran into bushland still carrying it. The man has been charged with drunken driving and will appear in the Darwin Magistrates Court." Has someone called Samuel L. Jackson about the movie? Does the snake have an agent?

1. A Pledge to Consider : Courtesy of Michael Moore . 2. "Sorry, You're Not Cleared to Leave" : And by "leave" I'm referring to the United States . 3. A Very Short Calling List : MTP's Tim Russert apparently only wanted to call two Democrats for last Sunday's show .

"Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was elected on Wednesday to be Senate Republican leader as his party prepares to turn over control of Congress to Democrats in January, a Republican aide said." Guess Trent Lott (who got the #2 spot) didn't have the appeal he thought he did. Maybe his past comments about being vaguely supportive of a segregated America was a concern.

Get to know Republican Shelley Sekula-Gibbs while you can; she'll only be in Congress for a month .

It's funny how after last Tuesday's election Presidential wannabe Bill Frist is suddenly all " we're not winning in Iraq ." So I guess now that Democrats will be running Congress again it's safe to be critical without being accused of being a traitor to your country. Or maybe it's just that Frist is so desperate to be president he'll change his opinion with the wind.

If I was acquitted of (allegedly) killing my ex-wife and her male companion, you wouldn't hear a peep out of me. Ever. Too bad we can't say the same for O.J. Simpson. He's got a book coming out about how he did it...if he did indeed did it . Confused? Don't be ashamed if you are.

The Burgundy and Gold prepares QB #17 .

Soon-to-be Speaker Pelosi could mean a vote for D.C.

One question that may go misanswered in the Republicans fall from grace (with both the the loss of Congress and Rumsfeld "resignation") is "How did this happen? Conventional wisdom would blame people with fancy political titles, but those who subscribe to this reasoning have and will continue to underestimate the power of the Frustrated Voter. The FV is tired of the war in Iraq and tired of being afraid of terrorist bogeymen. The FV is confused that religious leaders don't practice what they've preached. The FV is upset that the President considers services jobs like working at McDonald's to be indistinguishable from say, working at Merrill Lynch. The FV is painstaking that the victims of Hurricane Katrina are still crying for help. The FV is pissed that on one hand the Republicans decried immigrants as taking American jobs, but than refused to raise the wages of Americans who are working those jobs. And there's so much more, too much to list here. I pers

With the Democrats back in power, returning Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman will be very busy .

Maryland Terps Football cracks the top 25 to make #23 . Yahoo!

I hate when I say " this is the only thing I'm gonna say on this " and then the story expands, making me a liar. Ted Haggard admits that he is "guilty of sexual immorality ."

Short List Today: 1. Democratic Underground's EarlG has a laundry list of reasons people can use if they really want to vote Republican for this election. 2. ThinkProgess has Cheney saying that he wouldn't testify even if supoenaed .

On Ted Haggard and the male prostitute thing : I think it's safe to say that if you ask someone between the ages of 21 and 35, phrases like "get a massage" and "watch a movie" are codewords for sex. Or, at the very least, actions used to encourage sexual relations. Maybe it was different in this case; I don't know.

For Fantasy Sports Lovers who are also into politics: Fantasy Congress .

Back in 2000, Democrat Joe Lieberman wasn't that concerned with ballots. In 2006, Independent Joe Lieberman is more than happy to show Connecticut the way.

1. Political Limbo : Eugene Robinson on how low the President will go to vilify his opponents. 2. Your Services Are No Longer Required : Another person who tries to investigate the Bush Administration gets his walking papers . 3. God vs. War : The situation in Iraq has left the Bible Belt conflicted . 4. If You Can't Beat 'Em, Don't Let 'Em Vote : Voter suppression in MD ?

That's the name of the documentary by the people behind Black Box Voting , and it's on HBO right now.

House Majority Leader Boehner has (in a non-joking manner) blamed the "generals on the ground" for the current situation in Iraq. To date, no real condemnation from the press.

The Chris Matthews "these ads are racist" clip. The host had to practically drag Chris away.

(From C&L): CNN labels Michael Steele as a Democrat . After the whole mis-labeling thing with Mark Foley, I am no longer going to believe that this was a mistake. Do you think that CNN would do the same thing to Bill Frist or John McCain?

"Former Kansas legislator David Adkins may be a self-described "washed-up white male Republican politician," but come election night he and many others in the longtime Republican stronghold state of Kansas are placing their hopes, and votes, on Democrats . A mini-rebellion is under way in an American Heartland state so historically unswingable that neither national party typically spends much time or energy stumping for candidates."

This Week In Geek Humor . Enjoy!

As far as negative ads go, this is the cleanest (and best) one I've seen so far. It's about the VA Senate Race (Republican George Allen vs. Democract Jim Webb)

" If you're single and in your 20s, the federal government wants you to steer clear of sex . That's the new guidance for states under the Department of Health and Human Services' $50 million Abstinence Education Program. HHS officials say it's not a requirement — just another option for states to combat what they call an alarming rise in out-of-wedlock births."

Facing language barriers, the Pentagon has turned to Star Trek-like technology for help .

1. From Feministing.com: In MD, "no" doesn't mean "no" if your said "yes" first and the boat starts a'rockin' . Sad. 2. From MichaelMoore.com: ' November 7th is Not the End of Anything ' ...by Dan DeWalt. 3. From ESPN.com: The SportsGuy's NBA Preview .

Yikes . The Justice Department plans to dispatch more than 800 federal observers and monitors to 20 states to protect voting rights in potentially troubled polling locations, officials announced Tuesday. That is a record number of federal officials watching polling stations in an off-year election."Yes, the anticipated closeness of races is one factor in our decisions about where we'll be sending people," said Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Wan Kim. Kim said he would not identify until Monday the more than 65 cities and counties to which the observers will be sent. Question: why can't the JD tell us where they will be going?

Again, the money is more valuable to Republicans running in tight races then appearances by President Bush .

Joe Lieberman looks for help from some Republican friends .

A new month, more craziness! Let's get it on..... -In Church- Why is it when the pastor's preaching and a part of his sermons hits home, people say "well"? Well that? Why are women allowed to wear hats in the building and men are not? -Music Industry- Why are so many ATL rappers named "Young" something all of a sudden? It would seem since Jay-Z started calling himself that EVERYBODY wants to call themselves "Young". He made that popular like he made platinum popular. Somebody, cut this man a check! -At work- Customers stalk me like that hideous guy stalks women at the club and follows them around trying to grab their hand. Speaking of clubs... -In the Club- Why do men always grab a woman's hands as she walks by? When has that EVER worked??? -Everyday Life- Why is a fire hose called that? Is it supposed to spray water or shoot out fire? How is it that a woman can beat the holy hell out of a guy, but he can't touch her for ANY reason???

I think imma have to get up off these pills, guys! last night, I was knocked out, then I woke up at around 1:44 this morning, and I took these sleeping pills, knowing that everytime I take em, 2 things happen; well actually, 3 things happen: I get knocked out, I have dreams (WIERD ones at that) every time, and when I finally DO wake up, the collar on my white tee is wet. Sure enough, that's what happened. This dream, was my dad being an ass, like an abusive-type pops. In real life, it's not like that. If it wasn't about cleanin my room or something, it was about the pink shirt and purple tie I was wearing to church. It would seem that my dream was inspired by something I fell asleep watchng on the satellite box! Dunno what it was, but anyway... Damn those little blue sleeping pills! Lol. Them joints work like shit though, yo! I think I have an active imagination, don't you think so ???