Welcome to The Now

Wow; talk about a triple play: first the death penalty , then assault rifles , and now a ban on smoking : O'Malley's announcement came a day after the Baltimore City Council passed a bill imposing a smoking ban in public places in the state's largest city. Montgomery, Prince George's, Howard and Talbot counties have prohibitions, and once Baltimore's ban takes effect Jan. 1, nearly half of Maryland residents will live in jurisdictions that restrict lighting up. If all three pieces pass, Maryland will definitely be on a progressive path.

Maryland is going to debate a ban on assault rifles : A federal ban on assault weapons went into effect in 1994 but expired 10 years later, Gordon reported. Now, newly elected Maryland Sen. Mike Lenett is sponsoring a bill to ban assault weapons. The bill designates 45 kinds of firearms that would be banned, with a focus on rifles. Maryland already has a ban on assault pistols. Lenett , a Montgomery County Democrat, said the weapons under the proposed ban are ill-suited to hunting or target-shooting and that they are "remarkably well-suited to killing a lot of people in a hurry." My question is: other than killing people, what's the purpose of an assault rifle? There's no animal in Maryland that warrants having such weapons. Anyone who thinks they need an assault rifle to hunt...well, they're not really hunters. And the whole "well, criminals won't obey the law, so why shouldn't we have assault rifles?" argument? Well, why can't we apply tha...

Just what we don't need : Burglars have broken into Democratic Party headquarters. No, you're not having a flashback to 1972 and the infamous event that ultimately led to the greatest scandal in U.S. political history and the downfall of Richard Nixon's presidency... ...Office workers reported the break-in to police on Monday. Concord Police Sgt. Mike McGuire said some items were taken, but he declined to be more specific. The assessment was the same from Kathy Sullivan, the chairwoman of the state Democratic Party. Hopefully, more information will come out in the next few weeks.

If you've been spending the majority of your military life defending your country and trying to return home in one piece, the last thing you want is to be billed for gear lost or damaged during battles : "I'm so proud to be in the military ... at the same time I just could not believe that when I got back after sacrificing so much that I owed the Army money," the soldier said. This soldier got a bill for about $500 dollars for lost gear. Another soldier had to pay nearly $800 dollars for items such as trousers, a coat, a helmet which he lost during a year spent in some of Iraq's most dangerous towns. "Maybe you were lying down with a coat behind your head and you come under fire. Your first reaction isn't to grab coat fold it neatly and make sure it's properly stowed when you're being shot at," another soldier said. These two soldiers asked us to cover their faces because they're considering making a career of the military. They say the b...

From any other Goodwill Ambassador, this might have a huge impact: It has become clear to me that there will be no enduring peace without justice. History shows that there will be another Darfur , another exodus, in a vicious cycle of bloodshed and retribution. But an international court finally exists. It will be as strong as the support we give it. This might be the moment we stop the cycle of violence and end our tolerance for crimes against humanity. Alas, it comes from the passionate actress Angelina Jolie, and since mainstream media is more concerned with her personal life then her activism, chances are her words (and more importantly, her message) will be lost in The Shuffle. Of course, the same twisted logic doesn't seem to apply to celebrities like Chuck Norris (who, thankfully didn't endorse that horrid Path to 9/11 movie).

You can't make stuff like this up: A woman admitted Monday that she coached her two children to fake retardation starting when they were 4 and 8 years old so she could collect Social Security benefits on their behalf. Rosie Costello, 46, admitted in U.S. District Court that she collected more than $280,000 in benefits, beginning in the mid-1980s. Most was from Social Security, but the state social services agency paid $53,000. It's stories like this that convince me that the ability to raise a child has less to do with one's race, religion or sexual orientation and more to do with whether or not they are a greedy, money-grubbing crook. Oh and the kids are grown now, BTW.

MD Gov. O'Malley wants to have the death penalty repealed . As blue as the this state is, pulling this off will not be easy. For example: Phyllis Bricker, a Maryland woman whose parents were killed by a man who was put on death row, said she wants him to stay there. "It's the wrong thing to do to let people know that no matter what you do, no matter how bad it is, you will not have to die for it in Maryland," she said. Those are the types of people O'Malley has to convince. He may even run up against ex-rival Bob Ehrlich (whose returning to to legal practice ).

Apparently, 23 women from a DePauw University sorority were kicked out because of their race and/or weight.

From the LA Times : Although international concern is growing about Iran's nuclear program and its regional ambitions, diplomats here say most U.S. intelligence shared with the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency has proved inaccurate and none has led to significant discoveries inside Iran. The officials said the CIA and other Western spy services had provided sensitive information to the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency at least since 2002, when Iran's long-secret nuclear program was exposed. But none of the tips about supposed secret weapons sites provided clear evidence that the Islamic Republic was developing illicit weapons. "Since 2002, pretty much all the intelligence that's come to us has proved to be wrong," a senior diplomat at the IAEA said. Another official here described the agency's intelligence stream as "very cold now" because "so little panned out."

Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst : buddies bringing some inside joke out to the public during the Oscars, or secret enemies taking out their frustrations like David Robinson and Shaq in the paint during a playoff game? You make the call!

It's no secret that the media has been slacking a little during the Bush Era (I personally think they've just given up on getting good, solid answers from him and his people) but what the C&L crowd found just makes them (the media) look even worse. Things would be different, I'm sure, if most of the media was independent and not owned or influenced by businesses more concerned with the bottom line.

A preformance artist is in New York; and he's giving people a chance to kick the president in the butt. Seriously . UPDATE : Looks like the show has been stopped .

From the WashPost : With Bush's approval ratings mired by the unpopular war, Americans trust Congressional Democrats over Bush to handle the situation in Iraq by a 54 percent to 34 percent margin. That is down from a 27-point gap before the President's address last month. The Democrats' lead has been tapered not by Bush gains, but because of a five-point increase in the number who trust neither the Democrats in Congress nor the President on the issue and an 8-point decline in their advantage among independents. Maybe if Bush can show that he's actually willing to listen to Democrats and truly make changes in his policy, he might get back up to 40% approval rating. Maybe.

I was reading this little story and saw this blurb from Condoleezza Rice: Rice said Sunday that proposals being drafted by Senate Democrats to limit the war amounted to "the worst of micromanagement of military affairs." She said military leaders such as Gen. David Petraeus , the new U.S. commander in Iraq, believe Bush's plan to send more troops is necessary. "I can't imagine a circumstance in which it's a good thing that their flexibility is constrained by people sitting here in Washington, sitting in the Congress," Rice said. She was asked in a broadcast interview whether Bush would feel bound by legislation seeking to withdraw combat troops within 120 days. "The president is going to, as commander in chief, need to do what the country needs done," she said. This has nothing to do with hurting the military; we have generals threatening to resign if the saber-rattling with Iran goes too far, and the White House has said "all options ar...

From the WashPost : A suicide bomber killed at least 38 people and injured at least 44 more Sunday after detonating a belt packed with explosives at a college in northeastern Baghdad, according to wire service reports. The bomber struck in front of the College of Administration and Economics in the Talibiya neighborhood shortly after noon, according to Col. Abdullah Salem, a spokesman for the Iraqi Ministry of Interior... ...The bombing is the second attack this year at a university campus in the capital, where officials in recent weeks have stepped up patrols and security measures as part of the Baghdad security plan. "Second attack this year at a university in the capital?" And White House wonders why the media "doesn't cover the positives." How many "positives" can one find when schools are being blown up, houses are being raided and we still can't guarantee safe passage to the airport in downtown Baghdad? We have to accept the reality of th...

Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader, doesn't like the idea of redoing the Iraq War resolution that has America in it's current sitution...and he's prepared to do something to make sure the Democrats never get that chance. He obviously didn't get the memo (aka, the 2006 Elections) that said the American people want a change in direction regarding Iraq.

Or as the WashPost puts it: " Iraq Rebuilding Short on Qualified Civilians ."

Rosen gives his thoughts on the 2006-2007 NBA team from Cleveland: Here's another reason why the Cavs will not win a championship in the near future: During a game against the Clippers that was played on February 7, three of the Clipsters ran into each other and were sprawled on the floor when Sasha Pavlovic scooped up the ball and raced downcourt. (It should be noted that Pavlovic has been playing terrific basketball lately, and has been a major factor in Cleveland's recent successes. There's no question that he's a hell of a player who's finally fulfilled his potential. But...) Even though the Cavs had a 5-on-2 advantage, Pavlovic pulled up and launched a 3-ball that bounced off the rim. That one play demonstrated the team's inclination to take short-cuts. That is, to take too many bad shots. To gamble too much on defense. To make too many risky passes. To blame losses on the refs, the coach's offense, the weather, and so on. Winners always take responsib...

"Deception and Desperation" is (still) the name of the game for some recruiters , at least the ones that were investigated in Philadelphia.

This is ridiculously funny.

In George W. Bush's World, change is only good of you don't change anything with his fingerprints on it. We know ho he feel about challenges to his various nominees, no matter how it reeks of cronyism. It's a forgone conslusion that he'll have a hissy-fit if the Democrats undo his precious tax cut...even though having some extra money during wartime would be a really good thing. So I can only imagine Bush's reaction when he hears that some Democrats plan to do a P. Diddy remix on his 2002 Iraq War resolution. What are the odds that he'll say this move would help the terrorists? That it'll harm the morale of the troops? That it'll make America less safe? If new version passes...would he abide by it, or pull out his "unitary executive" card, and put the nation in a constitutional crisis during wartime? We have a Congress full of Democrats who aren't going to bend over to Bush's demands anymore; and we have a Republican President who, to ...

President Bush declared awhile ago that we're not leaving Iraq as long as he's in office. So assuming that the Demecratically-controlled Congress doesn't either impeach Bush or find a way to short circuit the war, we as a nation will have to deal with the physical and psychological wounds that soldiers endure due to extensive deployment. Wounds that in turn, will wound our nation's credibility around the world. Wounds like those inflicted by Sgt Paul Cortez , who -along with three other soliders- participated in the rape of a 14-yr-old Iraqi girl and the murder of her and her family. Wounds like those inflicted on Specialist Mark Wilkerson , who had enough of the war and deserted until he felt tired of running. Two separate cases for sure, but two separate incidents linked by one thing: a war that didn't have to happen, and definitely didn't have to happen this way. A war that's weighing very heavily on the hearts and souls of our brave troops. But because B...

Oliver Willis explains the importance of the black church demographic , in particular to the Democratic Party. If only the Democratic Party would listen.

It seems like everytime Tucker Carlson wears a tie, he gets dumb. Apparently he thinks Barack Obama has just decided to speak about his religion in order to score political points. Of course, anyone who's read either of Obama's books would know differently. Good thing Media Matters is around to clear things up .

After so much political stuff, it's time to address some entertainment stuff: Jennifer Lopez gets booed. From Askmen.com : According to reports, most of the audience voiced their disappointment by booing and jeering while others gave the movie a round of muted applause. A source claims J.Lo fled the cinema in tears after hearing the cacophony of boos and is now said to be worried the movie will be panned by critics. In 'Bordertown', the 37-year-old actress plays an American journalist investigating a series of murders near American-owned factories in Juarez and El Paso, in Mexico. I know she's been in bad movies before, but to boo her out of the theater? That's pretty damn cold.

Tell me something: what's the point of adding 21,500 more US troops when Britain's announcing that they will cut 1,600 in the next few months ? Aren't these "extra" soldiers now just replacements-in-the-making? Even at a net gain of 19,900, you have to count the other countries who are considering a withdrawal, and the number of US troops who are dying on a daily -no wait- hourly basis. Sure, you can argue that this may mean that Britain's forces have properly trained Iraqis to watch and guard their own provinces/towns, but that make the US look worse: Great Britain has been able to accomplish more then the US with less resources and the same amount of time. Look for the White House to praise this move in public, but my money says inside they're calling Blair and Co. cowards.

Democratic Underground explains how one conservative's comment (about anti-war supporters) suddenly became Congressional record and attributed to President Lincoln. Well, DU mentions a true quote from Lincoln addressing presidents and war powers, and the full story can be found here . As DU's EarlG puts it: "It turns out that the real quote by Lincoln expresses a completely opposite sentiment to the fake, pro-war quote dreamed up and bandied about by conservatives."

From the WashPost : District-based XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. and New York-based Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. , which together control the emerging satellite subscription radio market, today announced that they plan to merge in a $13 billion deal. Mel Karmazin, the chief executive of Sirius, would become chief executive of the new company, and Gary Parsons, the chairman of XM, would become chairman, the companies said. They also said they would retain operations both in New York, where Sirius rents space, and in Washington, where XM owns a building. Such a merger would face significant regulatory scrutiny and questions about whether a monopoly was being created and would take months to complete. The companies hope to complete the merger by the end of the year. The companies were virtually identical, so this merger isn't far-fetched. On the other hand, I don't recall there being much competition in the satellite radio market.

Conditions from "the Army's top medical facility" are not as good as some may think: They suffer from brain injuries, severed arms and legs, organ and back damage, and various degrees of post-traumatic stress. Their legions have grown so exponentially -- they outnumber hospital patients at Walter Reed 17 to 1 -- that they take up every available bed on post and spill into dozens of nearby hotels and apartments leased by the Army. The average stay is 10 months, but some have been stuck there for as long as two years. President Bush may want to consider the well-being of this soldier as well as the ones he plans on sending to Iraq for his "surge." As the story goes on to say: On the worst days, soldiers say they feel like they are living a chapter of "Catch-22." The wounded manage other wounded. Soldiers dealing with psychological disorders of their own have been put in charge of others at risk of suicide. It shouldn't have to be this way.

Stephen Colbert gets his own ice cream ; truthiness prevails! Rush and O'Reilly have to be steamed, right?

Doug Feith tries to make his case , but DKos diarist litigatormom doesn't buy it (neither do I, to be honest). Doesn't this guy know in the tech age people can debunk you 10X as fast? He'll be lucky to survive today's new cycle.

Dick Cheney and Scooter Libby changed their minds about testifying. I guess they realized they'd have to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Thomas Boswell doesn't do Wizard articles as much as he does the 'Skins and Nats, but when he does, Washington hoops fans should listen. This time he talks about the Haywood/Thomas wars : How can these guys fight? They should hug before every practice and have a beer after every game. They're making each other wealthy by disguising each other's inadequacies. Thomas can set a pick and Haywood can shoot a hook. But neither man could survive playing 35 minutes a night at center. Both have high shooting percentages only because they seldom shoot beyond point-blank range. Neither even makes 58 percent of his free throws. When either touches the ball, the offense comes to a halt. On defense, tall centers simply shoot over the wide-bodied Thomas while strong pivot men push Haywood around. Neither averages even one assist or one steal per game. Together, they constitute one competent shot-blocker. The reason the pair can combine for about a dozen points and rebounds on most nig...

VP Dick Cheney may take the stand . Grab some popcorn.

Crooks & Liars learns that President Bush's budget contains a request for almost $670 million for "US governement non-military propaganda." Soooo...he's asking for federal money so he can spread propaganda to...us? Money that -since it's not for the military anyway- could go to more worthwhile programs? What a piece of work.

Certainly not necessary for their calendar, but the Democrats included it nonetheless : Included in the calendar is a Feb. 11 entry reminding House members of the anniversary of the day Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot fellow hunter Harry Whittington at the Armstrong Ranch. I'd be careful; with the President being so unpopular, Republicans (both elected and not) are just aching for something to rally around. No matter how trivial it is.

From Reuters : If some children seem like they were born to be bad, new research suggests it may be true. In a study of adult twins and their children, researchers found that genes, rather than parents' own argumentative behavior, seemed key in the children's odds of serious conduct problems — like bullying, skipping school and shoplifting. The findings, published in the journal Child Development, touch on the classic nature-versus-nurture question.

That comes from the President of Americans for Tax Reform, Grover Norquist, who quoted the thoughts of some neoconservatives at a recent meeting. ThinkProgress has the details .

They're calling it the " eternal embrace ": Archaeologists in Italy have discovered a couple buried 5,000 to 6,000 years ago, hugging each other. "It's an extraordinary case," said Elena Menotti, who led the team on their dig near the northern city of Mantova.

TPMmuckraker talks about how the Bush Administration's foreign policy has subtly shifted.

More parents may need to discuss both the pros and cons of sex with their teens, according to this story : Researchers at the University of California San Francisco found that up to one-half of the sexually active teenagers in their study said they'd ever felt "used," guilty or regretful after having sex. Though such feelings were less common among teens who'd only had oral sex, about one-third reported some type of negative consequence.

From CNN : A man sentenced to death in Kuwait for the 1983 bombings of the U.S. and French embassies now sits in Iraq's parliament as a member of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's ruling coalition, according to U.S. military intelligence. Jamal Jafaar Mohammed's seat in parliament gives him immunity from prosecution. Washington says he supports Shiite insurgents and acts as an Iranian agent in Iraq. U.S. military intelligence in Iraq has approached al-Maliki's government with the allegations against Jamal Jafaar Mohammed, whom it says assists Iranian special forces in Iraq as "a conduit for weapons and political influence."

The Iraqis President Bush said we're helping are increasingly blaming the US for their misfortunes. I don't agree that America in general was responsible )polls certaintly show that a majority of Americans want US troops out) but when you hear some of their stories , you can understand their frustsration and anger: “ I saw with my own eyes young children flying from the windows of the apartments on top of the shops when the explosion arrived ,” said Haydar Abdul Jabbar, 28, a car mechanic who was standing near a barber shop when the bomb exploded. “ One woman threw herself out of the window when the fire came close to her .” Mr. Abdul Jabbar said he rushed to collapsed buildings trying to help the wounded but finding mainly hands, skulls and other body parts. At one point, he discovered the remains of a close friend, who was engaged to be married. “ How would you feel if you were in this position? ” he said Sunday. “ The government is supposed to protect us, but they are not do...

From the WashPost : Viacom said that YouTube and Google had failed to deliver on several "filtering tools" to control unauthorized video from appearing on the hugely popular site. The company was now asking YouTube to take the clips down , but stopped short of filing a lawsuit .

Again, Eugene Robinson says it so I won't have to: Yes, I'm ranting a bit. But before you accuse me of being hypersensitive, try to think of the last time you heard a white public figure described as articulate. Acclaimed white orators such as Bill Clinton and John Edwards are more often described as eloquent. What's intriguing is that Jackson and Sharpton are praised as eloquent, too -- both men are captivating speakers who calibrate their words with great precision. But neither is often described as, quote, articulate. Apparently, something disqualifies them. That "something" it their blackness; these are men who grew up in the heart of the Civil Rights Movement: not just watching it on TV from the safety of suburban America, or debating it on the Sunday political program, but in it. The marches, the dogs, the hoses. Obama doesn't come from this, but he does have a cultural background that connects him to the African-American community. It's (one reason)...

New York Times : "Gov. Charlie Crist announced plans on Thursday to abandon the touch-screen voting machines that many of Florida ’s counties installed after the disputed 2000 presidential election. The state will instead adopt a system of casting paper ballots counted by scanning machines in time for the 2008 presidential election. Voting experts said Florida’s move, coupled with new federal voting legislation expected to pass this year, could be the death knell for the paperless electronic touch-screen machines. If as expected the Florida Legislature approves the $32.5 million cost of the change, it would be the nation’s biggest repudiation yet of touch-screen voting, which was widely embraced after the 2000 recount as a state-of-the-art means of restoring confidence that every vote would count."

Republicans like two things: blind loyalty and critics who don't criticize. It's the absence of these two things that make Pollster Frank Luntz, who's worked for Republicans, a frequent visitor to the GOP doghouse of late. As Robert Novak notes : Like those of Cassandra of ancient Troy, Luntz's prophecies of impending disaster have been both accurate and disregarded. Republicans have never been very comfortable hearing critics in closed conferences. He is not invited to such meetings today. "They do not want to hear the truth," Luntz told me. While truth-telling is celebrated by Republican reformers such as presidential front-runner John McCain, it is a decidedly minority view in the GOP. Since this is such a good point, I'll let the fact that Novak himself said that the 2006 elections wasn't anything to fret about go.