Keeping a Democratic Web  —  "Net neutrality" is a concept that is still unfamiliar to most Americans, but it keeps the Internet democratic.  Cable and telephone companies that provide Internet service are talking about creating a two-tiered Internet, in which Web sites that pay them large fees would get priority over everything else.

THE PICTURES YOU WON'T SEE  —  ***updated 5/2 940am EDT...***  —  Compare the NYTimes' white-washed May Day photo section with these candid shots of yesterday's National Day to Hate the Yanquis:  —  Protest Warrior Chicago exposed ugly, American flag-trashing advocates...

White Guilt and the Western Past  —  Why is America so delicate with the enemy?  —  There is something rather odd in the way America has come to fight its wars since World War II.  —  For one thing, it is now unimaginable that we would use anything approaching the full measure of our military power …

FACT CHECK: U.S. Government Commissioned Spanish-Language 'Star-Spangled Banner' in 1919  —  The right wing is up in arms over a new version of the Star-Spangled Banner written in Spanish.  Last week President Bush stated that "the national anthem ought to be sung in English."

Sour news for GOP in poll  —  WASHINGTON — Six months before Republicans try to hold on to control of Congress in the fall elections, a new poll shows President Bush has slid to the lowest approval rating of his presidency, and a majority of voters say they'll vote for Democrats in November.

Random drug tests, no guns for Limbaugh  —  Details emerge of commentator's deal with prosecutors  —  MIAMI, Florida (CNN) — Rush Limbaugh must pass random drug tests for the next 18 months to satisfy an agreement filed Monday that will lead to dismissal of a prescription fraud charge if he stays out of trouble.

Libby Versus The Press  —  Libby's team continues their tussle with the press.  I intend to post the documents shortly. … Hmm, I am looking at more than 45 pages here.  —  1. Here is Part 1 of the Consolidated response (23 page .pdf)  —  2. Here is Part 2 (27 page .pdf)

How Bad Is Inflation in Zimbabwe?  —  HARARE, Zimbabwe, April 25 — How bad is inflation in Zimbabwe?  Well, consider this: at a supermarket near the center of this tatterdemalion capital, toilet paper costs $417.  —  No, not per roll.  Four hundred seventeen Zimbabwean dollars is the value of a single two-ply sheet.

Iran says Russia and China will not back sanctions  —  TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's foreign minister was quoted on Tuesday as saying that Russia and China had officially informed Tehran they would not support sanctions or military action over the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.

Republicans Drop a Tax Plan After Businesses Protest  —  WASHINGTON, May 1 — Senate Republicans on Monday hurriedly abandoned a broad tax proposal opposed by the oil industry and business leaders, another sign of their struggle to come up with an acceptable political and legislative answer to high gasoline prices.

Colbert Affair Exposes Loss of Rights  —  Don Imus was the speaker at the 1996 Correspondent's dinner and his talk insulted President Clinton along the lines of the ongoing "conservative movement" narrative.  Whitewater, Susan McDougal getting payoffs, Clintons getting indicted …

Bolivian President Seizes Gas Industry  —  Troops Deployed In Move to Block Foreign Influence  —  CARACAS, Venezuela, May 1 — Bolivian President Evo Morales seized control of the country's natural gas industry Monday, sending soldiers to occupy fields that he contends private companies have plundered for years.

The Self-Inflicted Wounds of the Academic Left  —  Truly this is a bizarre time for the life of the mind in America.  The airwaves and best-seller lists are noisy with anti-intellectual jeers.  The ruling party embraces the nostrums of "No Child Left Behind" while tossing the teaching …

Iran will hit Israel if US does "evil": agency  —Text+TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran will target Israel first if the United States does anything "evil", a senior commander in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday.  —  The United States says it wants Iran's nuclear standoff …

Arrogance defined by McCain  —  The Washington DC Examiner Newspaper, The Examiner  —  WASHINGTON - James Madison, the prime mover behind the U.S. Constitution, and his colleagues among the Founders rightly feared arrogant men like Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., so they limited the central government to a few, well-defined powers.

Why Zarqawi Is All Alone  —  May 2, 2006: Without much fanfare or publicity, American and British commandoes have taken apart al Qaeda's operation in Iraq.  About the only non-Iraqi al Qaeda leader left in Iraq is military leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi, a Jordanian.