"DO THE RIGHT THING!  SHOW MOHAMMED"  —  ***Update: Stephen Spruiell reports at The Media Blog..."I just got off the phone with a Comedy Central spokesman.  I asked him about last night's episode of South Park in which, at a moment right before the prophet Mohammed was supposed to make a cameo …

Despite Denials, U.S. Plans for Iran War  —  The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has been conducting theater campaign analysis for a full scale war with Iran since at least May 2003, responding to Pentagon directions to prepare for potential operations in the "near term."

Breaking: Another General Calls For Rumsfeld's Resignation  —  CNN is reporting that a fifth retired general is calling for Rumsfeld's resignation. … Actually, this may be the sixth general.  Generals Newbold, Eaton, Zinni, and Batiste have gained prominent attention in calling for Rumsfeld's resignation.

The slow-motion trap  —  His presidency was built on secrecy and, we now know, on lies.  The more Bush struggles to free himself, the more his past deceptions bind him.  —  Print EmailFont: S / S+ / S++  —  At a press conference in the White House on Oct. 6, 2003, President Bush …

Poll: Sinking Perceptions Of Islam  —  (CBS) Although Americans believe they are better informed about Islam than they were five years ago, a new CBS News poll finds fewer than one in five say their impression of the religion is favorable.  —  Forty-five percent of respondents queried April 6 …

On Cheney, Rumsfeld order, US outsourcing special ops, intelligence to Iraq terror group, intelligence officials say  —  The Pentagon is bypassing official US intelligence channels and turning to a dangerous and unruly cast of characters in order to create strife in Iran in preparation …

Democrats Face Uphill Battle to Retake House  —  An 18-month recruitment drive by the Democrats has produced nearly a dozen strong candidates with the potential for unseating House Republicans, but probably not enough to take back control of the House absent a massive anti-incumbent wave this fall, according to House political experts.

The Minority Maker  —  The clever GOP strategy for defeat in November.  —  If Republicans lose control of Congress in November, they might want to look back at last Thursday as the day it was lost.  That's when the big spenders among House Republicans blew up a deal between the leadership …

Troops in Support Of the War  —  Earlier this year there was a town hall meeting on the Iraq war, sponsored by Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), with the participation of such antiwar organizations as CodePink and MoveOn.org.  The event also featured Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), a former Marine who had become an outspoken critic of the war.

The Daily Muck  —  DeLay's Third Act?  —  Josh Bolten, who's just been tapped to replace Andy Card as White House Chief of Staff, reportedly wants an outsider to replace him at the Office of Management and Budget.  The necessary qualification?  Well, you might say he needs an expert at moving money around.

Pakistan Strikes at High Value Target  —  Yesterday's helicopter attack in North Waziristan is directed at Mohsin Matawalli Atwa, one of the architechs of the 1998 attacks on the U.S. Embassies in Eastern Africa  —  Yesterday's assault on a suspected Taliban/al-Qaeda position in North Waziristan …

America's Secret Police?  —  Intelligence experts warn that a proposal to merge two Pentagon intelligence units could create an ominous new agency.  —  April 12, 2006 - A threatened turf grab by a controversial Pentagon intelligence unit is causing concern among both privacy experts and some of the Defense Department's own personnel.

Spin.  Cut.  Run.  —  To hear Editor & Publisher tell it, you would think that Washington Post reporter Joby Warrick was standing firmly behind his page A1 story from yesterday, where his opening paragraphs strongly asserted that the Bush Administration ignored the "unanimous findings" …

Terrorists' Web Chatter Shows Concern About Internet Privacy  —  Groups Advise Members on Anonymity, Avoiding Intercepts  —  Terrorist groups, which for years have used the Internet and its various tools to organize and communicate, are paying more attention to addressing security …

Caribbean oil, Caribbean drugs, and major players  —  Via Elephants in Academia, Castro Plans to Drill 45 Miles from US Shores, But We Can't The fact is, Castro could drill for oil 45 miles off the Florida coast … Babalu also posts about the Cuba/Venezuela plan to enlarge and update an old oil refinery in Cienfuegos, Cuba.

The Tyranny of the Alphabet  —  In economics there is a norm that authors are listed alphabetically.  The norm is surprisingly strong and deviations are punished.  On my first paper with Eric Helland we tossed for first authorship, I won, and we noted the names were listed in random order.