Welcome to The Now

The Good: Gilbert's rehab seem to be going well . The Bad: The resolution between Brendan Haywood and coach Eddie Jordan seems tenuous at best . The Ugly: After this season, Gilbert and Jamison can both opt out, and there's no signs of GM Ernie Grunfeld's potential backup plan.

On Monday, we'll find out if Congress feels the same way about Rush Limbaugh's comments as they did about the MoveOn.org ad regarding General Petraeus' Iraq report.

Via Crooks and Liars : for $1 billion, George W. Bush could have had an exiled Saddam Hussein, access to the Iraqi oil fields, and next to nothing in regards to Iraqi/American casualties. The down side? No war to make Bush look "tough on terror." And of course, the stigma that he made a deal with the guy who wanted his father dead. The rest, as they say, "is history..."

Looks like Katie Couric doesn't hold the views of the news she reports. Can't imagine this going over well with the neo-conservatives.

If we do go to war with Iran, it'll probably be because of something like this : WASHINGTON - Army snipers hunting insurgents in Iraq were under orders to "bait" their targets with suspicious materials, such as detonation cords, and then kill whoever picked up the items, according to the defense attorney for a soldier accused of planting evidence on an Iraqi he killed. Gary Myers, an attorney for Sgt. Evan Vela, said Monday his client had acted "pursuant to orders." Wonder what President Bush will have to say about this (assuming a reporter bothers to ask him).

Eric Boehlert on how the media completely screwed up their "coverage" of MoveOn.org's ad about General Petraeus' testimony last week: There was certainly nothing wrong with debating the merits of the controversial MoveOn ad, arguing whether it was short-sighted and counterproductive or whether it represented some necessary truth-telling. MoveOn clearly wanted to elicit a passionate response. The group got one, and that reaction generated news. But the week-long controversy the ad sparked, and the press frenzy that fueled it, revealed more about newsroom elites than it did about aggressive progressives who purchased the Petraeus putdown. Journalists needlessly obsessed over the ad. They wildly inflated the political repercussions. They rarely explained what the actual contents of the ad were. And they let Republicans float the allegation that The New York Times gave MoveOn a special discounted rate because the paper agreed with the ad's sentiment. (Not only do fa...

At today's press conference, President Bush said that Saddam Hussein "killed" Nelson Mandela . It may be best for him to not speak, at all, for the next few months.

Because that's what it's costing the American Taxpayer per year to fund our Iraq Adventure . And if we follow the "Korean Model" that will mean $2 trillion over the next fifty years . But as long as we have those tax cuts, it's worht it...right?

The Bush-McCain Alliance has come full circle : Former President George H.W. Bush backs John McCain's efforts to increase support for the Iraq war in a new video, a telecast that aides to both men say should not be construed as an endorsement of McCain's White House bid. On Monday night, the former president appeared in the video shown at South Carolina's military college, The Citadel, during the final stop of the Arizona senator's “No Surrender” tour. “The bottom line is we must persevere; we must not surrender; we must not quit and run away. God bless our troops and everyone involved in the 'No Surrender' rally there in Charleston,” Mr. Bush said, according to a transcript of the video provided by the McCain campaign. So now it's clear: John McCain wants to pick up where George W. Bush leaves off. He wants to be "The Heir." One more thing: # 41 doesn't believe in giving the troops enough R&R either: Mr. Bush also praised McCain and South ...

What is this, Grade School? First, there's this mess : WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Rev. Jesse Jackson sharply criticized Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama Tuesday over his reaction to the arrest of six black juveniles in Jena, Louisiana on murder charges, accusing the Illinois senator of "acting like he's white," according to a South Carolina newspaper. The comments reportedly came after a speech at Columbia’s historically black Benedict College. The State newspaper reports Jackson later said he did not recall saying Obama is "acting like he's white," but continued to condemn the Illinois Democrat as well as the other presidential candidates for not bringing more attention to this issue. Not to be outdone, Hilliary Clinton has her own target, and her own zingers : WASHINGTON (CNN) – She has been sharply critical of Vice President Dick Cheney in the past, but Democratic Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton took it up a notch Wednesday night, calli...

H/T: Think Progress .

Here are five things that people really don't need to spend their money on ; and yes, bottled water is one of them.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad isn't going to be allowed to visit the WTC site . I know the government is coming up with all kinds of excuses, but I wouldn't let that guy near the site until he retracts his "the Holocaust never happened" comments.

Looks like Askmen.com has done their left-wing version of last week's pageant ...but if the comments are any indication, they could have chosen other women. I can say that these six women only have two things in common: They are all over 30 and they've all done/said something controversial. Like there's no such thing as a young, media-friendly liberal or conservative.

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction : SNELLVILLE, Ga. - Police are investigating the death of a man who collapsed after he was head-butted by an armless man in a fight over a woman. Snellville Police Chief Roy Whitehead said the two men, Charles Keith Teer and William Russell Redfern, scuffled Monday afternoon in the driveway of a suburban Atlanta home. Police say Redfern, who was born with no right arm and only a short stump for his left arm, kicked Teer and Teer hit Redfern during the fight, which was due to long-standing bad blood over a woman who once dated Teer and now dates Redfern. After bystanders separated them, Redfern "came back and head-butted (Teer) one time," Whitehead said. And just before you say, "Redfern is a dispicable stain on society," consider: According to the Web site for VSA Arts — an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts that promotes and showcases artists with disabilities — Redfern's drawings take one to...

With people not exactly buying General Petraeus' report or President Bush's interpretation of the General's findings , "The Decider" has resorted to distancing himself...from himself. These are the words that came out of his mouth today : It's important people hear from you. It's important people hear your voice. And I want to thank you for organizing. I want to thank you not only for the grassroots support of our families, I want to thank you for going up to Capitol Hill. And here's a message I hope you deliver: The Commander-in-Chief wants to succeed -- (applause) -- and the Commander-in-Chief takes seriously the recommendations of our military commanders. General Petraeus came back to the United States to deliver the recommendations he made to me. Inherent in his recommendations is, one, his belief we're succeeding, his belief we will succeed, and I ask the United States Congress to support the troop levels and the strategies I have embraced. (...

Oliver Willis expresses his joy over the Skins most recent win over the Eagles. Gilbert Arenas gives a detailed account of his new shoe. Jurrasicpork cuts though the "Bush's nominee for Attorney General isn't that bad" nonsense.

Well, not literally; but pretty damn close : Howard J. Krongard, the State Department's inspector general, has repeatedly thwarted investigations and censored reports that might prove politically embarrassing to the Bush administration, the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform charged today in a 13-page letter. The letter, signed by committee Chairman Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) and released by the committee today, said the allegations were based on the testimony of seven current and former officials on Krongard's staff, including two former senior officials who allowed their names to be used, and private e-mail exchanges obtained by the committee. The letter said the allegations were not limited to a single unit or project, but concerned all three major divisions of Krongard's office -- investigations, audits and inspections. Waxman demanded documents and testimony for a hearing next month into Krongard's conduct. A copy of the letter also...

Sorry, but I just love this scene from " Addams Family Values " and after seeing it on YouTube, I had to post it: Joan Cusack is such a funny actress, BTW.

Here are the 22 most corrupt members of Congress right now : Members of the Senate : Sen. Pete V. Domenici (R-NM) Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) Members of House : Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-CA) Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL) Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA) Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-LA) Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA) Rep. Gary G. Miller (R-CA) Rep. Alan B. Mollohan (D-WV) Rep. Timothy F. Murphy (R-PA) Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA) Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM) Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ) Rep. Harold Rogers (R-KY) Rep. David Scott (D-GA) Rep. Don Young (R-AK) Rep. Jerry Weller (R-IL) Rep. Heather A. Wilson (R-NM) OJ's just a washed-up athlete. These guys make laws that affect every one's life.

I knew crocs would take off ...just hope it won't cause too many more accidents . UPDATE: Looks like somebody has that covered .

It can teach you to be a pretty decent thief : Police said Hobbs learned how to break into homes by watching the Discovery Channel TV show "It Takes a Thief." The show features two ex-convicts who show property owners how vulnerable they are to theft. Police Maj. Steve Gregg said the ex-cons on the show say skilled burglars typically don't keep stolen items. "He didn't hold onto any of the property," Gregg said of Hobbs. "He had no physical evidence at his residence whatsoever. When we entered a couple times, he said, 'Come on in, look around. I've done nothing.'" Can "Criminal TV" be far behind?

So Greg Oden looks to be out during the season . But before people become emerged in the "Is he Sam Bowie ?" stories, let's look at the possible upside to all of this: The Portland Trailblazers officially sideline Oden in order for him to completely heal. The Trailblazers use who's left to play out the season, but end up stinking up the joint. At the end of the season, the Trailblazers get another high draft pick. If it's in the top five, they use it; if not they trade for a marque player. They make sure the coach they have is the one they want. The following season, they take the Western Conference by storm. If sounds far-fetched, but it's happened before .

Now this is an athlete who's a real role model: NEW YORK - Saying he knows what real heroism is, former New York Giants star George Martin began a cross-country walk to raise money for ailing ground zero workers. A captain of the 1987 Super Bowl champions, Martin was cheered on by a few dozen volunteers Sunday as he stepped onto the pedestrian walkway of the George Washington Bridge, which connects Manhattan and New Jersey. "I've been termed a hero for playing a kids' game at a pro level, and that does not rise to the level of heroic," Martin said Saturday as he got ready for his journey. "I think of 9/11, when I saw people respond and put their health, their careers, their lives in jeopardy." Nice to see that some people are using their name and fame for good causes.

Via Michael Moore's site: Gold Star Father Kicked Defending Dead Son's Memorial . Saturday, September 15, 2007 consisted of first a rally, a march towards the capitol and then a die-in. Carlos pulled the memorial along the march route approaching the rotunda near the capitol building. Several of the marchers requested for him to speak about the memorial where a crowd gathered around him. After finishing, several people walked with Carlos as he pulled the memorial. Several pictures of Alex dressed in his blues were attached to the display. As Carlos passed counter protesters, one man ripped a picture of Alex from the memorial. Carlos leaped on the man to retrieve the picture. It was at that point that approximately five others all began to attack Carlos by kicking him in the head, legs, stomach and back. The Capitol police bicycle patrol then appeared to break up the fight. Several officers including a female officer were engaged in breaking up the fight and were able to stop an...

Whoa....I almost forgot that Steve Francis is a Rocket again. Of course, now he's playing for a different coach and (ironically) with the guy he was traded away for , but hey...he's back! Normally, a team with Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady and Steve Francis would sound like a lock for the second round in the playoffs...even in the Western Conference. But when you realize that their new coach is Rick Adelman, whose playoff collapses coaching the Sacramento Kings were nothing less than legendary...well, you just gotta wonder if any if these guys will see the NBA Finals in their lifetime.

I wonder if people like the FoxNews crowd will go after Republican Chuck Hagel for questioning the Petraeus/Crocker report like they've gone after MoveOn for their ad in the New York Times. MoveOn postulated that Petraeus' actions would come off as a betrayal of trust, claimed that he's reporting information that's at best inconsistent and implied that his title as a general would shield him from the usual public and journalistic criticism. In truth, if it wasn't for the last sentence in that ad, the "outrage" over the ad would be laughable. What did Chuck Hagel say about making Patraeus do the work of politicians? It’s not only a dirty trick, but it’s dishonest, it’s hypocritical, it’s dangerous and irresponsible. Sounds like he was saying the same thing, but with a different delivery. Will the people who thought MoveOn was going too far also criticize Hagel? I won't hold my breath. I will say that MoveOn's biggest mistake was in using numbers an...

At first I was curious as to why TMZ.com felt compelled to ask "Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere about the ups and down of her peers, particularly one Britney Spears . But after seeing photos of Britney's sister Jamie Lynn , I'm thinking that maybe the TMZ people are just mistaking Ms. Panttiere for "lil sis." It's not like they're bugging Mandy Moore or Miley Cyrus. Or maybe it's because Ms. Panttiere is turning 18 (which TMZ will not let us forget .)

I don't think either political party has the market cornered on physical beauty, so I'm looking foward to seeing the liberal version of AskMen.com's weekly contest .

...Nora O'Donnell from MSNBC put Bush's upcoming speech ( where he'll claim progress and beg for more time and money for Iraq ) like this (and I'm paraphrasing here): "It's like saying, 'I'm going on a diet," but you gain 30 pounds. Then you lose 20 pounds and come back and say you lost weight. But you're ten pounds heavier than when you started." That sums up any announcement of "troop withdrawal" that the President may give. Going back to pre-Surge numbers isn't a real reduction.

Been awhile since one of these, huh? Well, here goes: Apparently Vanessa Hudgens may not be fired by Disney, who apparently want her in the 3rd "High School Musical" movie . Remind me to never make assumptions about the careers of young celebrities ...oh, who am I kidding? I'd do it all over again! New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick apologies for "something" without being specific ...even though the whole world know this has to do with his staff spying on the competition. Can we officially say now that President Bush's policies have now tainted the sports world? Your grandparents are having sex ...and they like it. I guess 50 Cent is going to retire soon .

Daoud Kuttab, a Palestinian journalist, breaks it down : Except for several token referrals to military units from the country of Georgia, Petraeus and Crocker had little to say about what role the moderate Arab states – or for that matter the rest of the international community – can play. Maybe that’s because little effort was made before the invasion of Iraq, or in the time since, to ask what others have to say about illegal U.S. action in the Middle East... ...Petraeus and Crocker failed to present a clear U.S. strategy for accomplishing the goals America has set. Maybe that’s because the goals have never been clear. But with the exception of one Democratic congressman, no one stood up to ask the tough questions. Did the rest restrain themselves because they belong to the Armed Services Committee? True, the problem is not with the military itself but with the civilian politicians who sent them to Iraq. But American anger with the Iraq war was certainly not reflected yesterday. Of c...

Wonder how this is going to play in Russia's future: President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday nominated a longtime associate who is a largely anonymous figure to be the country's new prime minister, scrambling predictions about who will be the Kremlin-backed candidate in next March's presidential election. Viktor Zubkov, 65, was chosen by the president hours after Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov resigned. Zubkov, chairman of the Federal Financial Monitoring Service, a body that investigates money-laundering, must be approved by the lower house of parliament, or Duma, which invariably approves Kremlin initiatives. Putin's comments where just as interesting: "We all need to think about how to build up the structure of power and governance so they are better suited to the pre-election period," said Putin in televised remarks from the Kremlin. He added that "we need to prepare the country for the time after the parliamentary election and after the presidential e...

The media has been very well trained in accepting President Bush's insults and slights , as well as being fooled into thinking that his Administration cares about them. Of course this all means that the next President will undoubtedly face a more hostile press corp. The way I see it, it's like a pendulum: they jumped on Clinton during Monica and after the impeachment they felt guilty, so they decided to give Bush a pass. Well, Bush milked that "pass" for all it was worth, than used 9-11 as another reason to get special journalistic treatment. Now, we have a deflated and exhausted press corps, who haven't had the chance to really "get at" a president for about six years. So as I said: woe be unto the next Commander in Chief.

President Bush is, apparently, a fan of the Austin Powers' character Dr. Evil .

So, there's this big uproar over the High School Musical star (Vanessa Hudgens ) having a nude pic circulating the "Internets." But how big an issue is if her boyfriend (and co-star Zac Efron) didn't know anything about it until recently ? My take on the whole ordeal? Like the College Candy writer said: the pic is far from racy. She's posing, yes, but if she had clothes on you'd just think, "Oh, she's posing for the camera." Again: there's no "toys," "positions," or anything sexual; she's just standing up naked. Ignoring the silly "Is Zac gay?" rumors, what does it say about a guy who (a) didn't take the naked picture of his girlfriend's, (b) never saw the naked picture of his girlfriend, and (c) only learned about it after, I don't know, a buh-million people saw it on the internet? Communication much? Disney actually fired her, which is kinda jumping the gun here. It's not like she posed for...

I don't envy the law enforcement in Texas at all: ODESSA, Texas - Two police officers responding to a domestic disturbance were killed and a third was critically wounded by a gunman who led Texas authorities on an hours-long standoff, authorities said. The suspected gunman in the shooting Saturday night, 58-year-old Larry White, will likely face two counts of capital murder and attempted murder of an officer, said Tela Mange, a Department of Public Safety spokeswoman... ...Investigators said a woman called authorities around 6:15 p.m. Saturday. When officers responded, she left the home and said her husband had hit her, Mange said. The officers were not able to enter the house through the front door. When they tried to go in the back door, a man began firing at them. He then came out of the home and continued shooting before going back into the house, Mange said. Thoughts and prayers are with the officers families. I know that Texans are more..."territorial" than some oth...

Very disturbing : JERUSALEM - In a case that would seem unthinkable in the Jewish state, police said Sunday they have cracked a cell of young Israeli neo-Nazis accused in a string of attacks on foreign workers, religious Jews, drug addicts and gays. Eight immigrants from the former Soviet Union have been arrested in recent days in connection with at least 15 attacks, and a ninth fled the country, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said, in the first such known cell to be discovered in Israel. All the suspects are in their late teens or early 20s and have Israeli citizenship, Rosenfeld said. A court decided Sunday to keep them in custody. I guess it's just a reminder that while we should be concerned with today's threats, there are still problems of the past that have not been entirely quelled.

Well, it appears that even the Bush Administration didn't (and still doesn't) completely agree on whether the "surge" would quell the violence in Iraq : For Bush, the eight months since announcing his "new way forward" in Iraq have been about not just organizing a major force deployment but also managing a remarkable conflict within his administration, mounting a rear-guard action against Congress and navigating a dysfunctional relationship with an Iraqi leadership that has proved incapable of delivering what he needs. Although the administration has presented a united front, senior officials remain split over whether Bush's strategy will work in the long term. Bush gambled that a "surge" of 30,000 troops in the streets of Baghdad and the western province of Anbar would establish enough security to give "breathing space" to Iraq's sectarian leaders to find common ground. But as Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker deliver pr...

The DSCC has decided on their new slogan, and it's... well take a look for yourself . Although I'd like to think that elections are more than just catch phrases and bumper stickers (and they are) I get the thought behind it: involve the public. I'm also surprised that "the Ragin' Cajun" was involved (which usually means that the Clintons can't be far behind).

Looks like our lawmakers need to start checking that U.S. Constitution more when they write laws: A federal judge today struck down portions of the USA Patriot Act as unconstitutional, ordering the FBI to stop issuing "national security letters" that secretly demand customer information from Internet service providers and other businesses. U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero in New York ruled that the landmark anti-terrorism law violates the First Amendment and the Constitution's separation of powers provisions because it effectively prohibits recipients of the FBI letters (NSLs) from revealing their existence and does not provide adequate judicial oversight of the process. I can only wonder what the Bush-heavy US Supreme Court will have to say about this.

Something to remind people that you really need to be comfortable with who you live with: TUCSON, Ariz. - A fight between two roommates at the University of Arizona Wednesday left one dead and the other hospitalized with injuries not considered life-threatening, authorities said. The 18-year-old woman who died had told police last week that she suspected her roommate of stealing from her, authorities said. Police identified the dead student as Mia Henderson of the Navajo Nation but released few other details. The surviving woman’s name was not released. Her injuries were not specified, and her condition wasn’t immediately known. Not really the way you want to start the your college career. Hopefully this won't be too much of a distraction for the students there.

Shaq and his wife are calling it quits . Personally, I would have thought that Kobe would be divorcing his wife by now.

Hmmm ... CUERO, Texas - Phylis Canion lived in Africa for four years. She's been a hunter all her life and has the mounted heads of a zebra and other exotic animals in her house to prove it. But the roadkill she found last month outside her ranch was a new one even for her, worth putting in a freezer hidden from curious onlookers: Canion believes she may have the head of the mythical, bloodsucking chupacabra. The local veterinarian says that it may just be a mutated dog. I'm no expert myself, but that' not the image I get when I hear the word chupacabra .

Say what you want about Hockey...but they know how to take advantage of another sport's bad news. Above is how the Dallas Stars is introducing their upcoming season.

Some actual good news on the Bush Foreign Policy Front? Maybe ... North Korea agreed to disclose all of its nuclear activities and disable its nuclear programs by the end of the year, a senior U.S. official said Sunday after negotiations this weekend in Geneva. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher R. Hill said details of North Korea's agreement would be worked out later this month in meetings sponsored by China and involving Russia, Japan and South Korea, in addition to the United States and North Korea... ...In separate remarks, the head of the North Korean delegation, Kim Gye Gwan, said his country had agreed to declare and dismantle its nuclear facilities, but he did not mention a deadline. See what happens when you don't have Karl Rove politicizing everything? Still, I'm skeptical because Bush has always treated North Korea (the one member of his "Axis of Evil" who actually flaunted their nuclear weapons) differently than Iraq and Iran. Then again, maybe...

Looks like President Bush is gonna get an old-fashioned knuckle-slapping : A progressive group of U.S. nuns has called on Congress to impeach President Bush and Vice President Cheney because of their roles in the war in Iraq. “The National Coalition of American Nuns is impelled by conscience to call you to act promptly to impeach President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for ... high crimes and misdemeanors,” the group wrote in a letter written on behalf of its board members. The letter says that impeachment is warranted for their “deceiving the public under the false pretense that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction” and “destroying” the reputation of the United States and the good will of other nations. You know things are bad when nuns get together to call you out. But my question is: where was this group when John Kerry was running for president?