Thurssday August 25, 2005

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Yesterday's Feature Stories And Headlines

Editor's Choice

Outrage Of The Day: Troop graves bear Pentagon slogans, Pace, AP
Plamegate: A CIA Cover Blown, a White House Exposed, Tom Hamburger and Sonni Efron
Slow Learning Curve? Israel Says It Will Annex Palestinian Land, Laura King
Democracy or Theocracy? Islamic Slant in Iraqi Charter Decried, Edmund Sanders
Bush Meeting Tepid Audiences, Vociferous Protests, And Plummeting Polls, Wolffe, Bailey
Stagger on, weary Titan: The U.S. is reeling, Garton Ash
Bush Fascist Index: 20 Characteristics Of A Fascist Political Party, politex
Fascism in America: Are We There Yet?, Albert

Tony Blair's Reward: Daddy Bush's Carlyle Group

Bush Needs Vacation From Fantasyland

The Online Beat: President of Leisure
by John Nichols
24 Aug 2005 at 2:22pm
George Bush vacations in Texas, but he enjoys (dare we say it?) European levels of time off.

Editor's Cut: Ground Control to Major George
by Katrina vanden Heuvel
23 Aug 2005 at 12:33pm
The President needs an intervention to get him back to planet Earth.

Capital Games: Bush's Iraq Fantasy
by David Corn
24 Aug 2005 at 12:04pm
When it comes to ignoring reality in Iraq, Bush knows best--better than leading Shiites and his own ambassador.

Tom Tomorrow: Pretending Things Are OK in Iraq
23 Aug 2005 at 9:18am
by Tom Tomorrow

U.S. Wants Changes In U.N. Agreement
by Colum Lynch
Proposed U.S. amendments to a draft agreement to be signed at an upcoming U.N. summit -- contained in a confidential 36-page document obtained by The Washington Post -- call for drastic changes that would eliminate new pledges of aid to impoverished nations, scrap provisions that seek to halt climate change and urge progress in dismantling nuclear arms.

Bolton Pushes U.N. on Change as U.S. Objects to Draft Plan
by WARREN HOGE
24 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
In his first public initiative as U.S. ambassador, John R. Bolton said that time was running out for proposing institutional change at the United Nations.

Nuke Watch

Nuke Proliferation
by Post
TOKYO -- Pakistan's president said the country's former top nuclear scientist gave centrifuge machines and their designs to North Korea, detailing for the first time what nuclear technology was transferred to the communist nation, a Japanese media report said.

Pakistan Now Says Scientist Did Send Koreans Nuclear Gear
by SALMAN MASOOD and DAVID ROHDE
24 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
Pakistan's president confirmed for the first time that a Pakistani nuclear scientist had provided North Korea with centrifuge machines.

Iran Pledges to Offer New Proposals in Nuclear Talks With Europe
by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
24 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
The Bush administration responded that the European diplomatic process "still has legs."

SOS (Save Our States) From Bush

States to the Rescue
24 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
It's obvious that state governments are taking the problems of global warming and oil dependency much more seriously than the Bush administration.

3 States Seek Emissions Pact
by Juliet Eilperin
SACRAMENTO, Aug. 24 -- Hoping to follow the Northeast's lead, three western states are trying to forge an agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions from the region's power plants by 2020.

US states bypass Bush to tackle greenhouse gas emissions, Borger

Judgment Malfunction
24 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
Common decency, not to mention a rational sense of the national interest, demands condemnation of Pat Robertson's remarks calling for the assassination of Venezuela's president.

Is Pat Robertson Out of...
by Bill C. Davis
Is Pat Robertson Out of His Mind or in the Loop?

Pat Robertson's Gift
by Post
WE WON'T even pretend to have given television evangelist Pat Robertson's latest obnoxious utterance much thought, considering his long history of pious bloviations that have made him come across to most Americans as, well, witless. Were it not for the widespread attention being given in Latin America to Mr. Robertson's call on Monday for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, we would have preferred to allow the Christian Coalition's founder to continue his slide from America's mainstream into the obscurity he has so richly earned. But his latest bit of foolery is worth a comment or two -- if for no other reason than Mr. Robertson, in an act of stupidity only he could outdo, has handed Fidel Castro's acolyte a propaganda gift of immeasurable value.

GOP Words: Framing Chavez, bw letter
Robertson Lies About What He Said, Then Terms Chavez "Saddam", AP
Why Pat Robertson is Not a Christian, Hagler
Who Would Jesus Assassinate?, Jacobs
Background: Two fingers to America, Gott
Calls for Bush to Reject Robertson’s Statements on Venezuela Intensify, Venezuelanalysis
Venezuela Denounces at UN Incitement to Kill President, Prensa Latina
Bush Brings The False Intelligence Game To South America, americas.org
Robertson comment decried, Miami Herald
Pat Robertson's fatwa, Miami Herald
Pat strikes again, Florida Today,
A Christian viewpoint?, St Pete Times
Extreme Politics: American fatwa, spi ed

Chavez forecasts oil peaks of 90 US dollars pb, The era of cheap oil is over, Mercosur
Chávez taunts US with oil for poor offer , Campbell
GOP Fears Gas Price Anger May Spill Over, Richard Simon and Mary Curtius
Hawaii to cap cost of gas, David R. Baker
Of All Gas Consumers, Bush May Be Most Inefficient, Jennifer Loven
Guzzled Up by Gas Prices, Noe
Oil Prices Soar Above $67 Per Barrel, AP

Coming Back to Crawford
by Cindy Sheehan
Coming Back to Crawford

Bush Says Activist Doesn't Speak for Kin of Casualties
by Sam Coates
President Bush renews his refusal to meet with high-profile activist Cindy Sheehan, asserting that she does not speak for the majority of families who have lost relatives in combat.
Bush Counts On A Safe Crowd, But He Can't Count High Enough, harkavy

'Bull**** protector'
by Derkacz
You say the president's coming to town? I say accessorize.

Bush: 'We Will Stay, We Will Fight'
by Sam Coates and Mike Allen
NAMPA, Idaho, Aug. 24 -- President Bush, rebutting a rising antiwar movement in the country and on Capitol Hill, told National Guard soldiers and their families Wednesday that terrorists "want us to retreat" but vowed that he never will.

My Private Idaho
by Maureen Dowd
Now we have to keep killing people and have our kids killed because so many of our kids have been killed already?

For 3rd Day in a Row, Bush Says Withdrawal Now From Iraq Would Embolden Terro...
by ELISABETH BUMILLER
24 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
President Bush told thousands of National Guard members that an immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq would make America more vulnerable to attack.

Bush's campaign on Iraq: more lies in defense of war, WSWS

The Online Beat: Feingold vs. Bush
by John Nichols
22 Aug 2005 at 11:51am
The maverick Wisconsin Democrat ramps up a challenge to the White House's misguided defense policies.

Let Soldiers Join Peace Corps
by Coleman McCarthy
Let Soldiers Join Peace Corps

The Iraqi Constitution

Constitution Sparks Debate on Viability
by Robin Wright
The Bush administration endorsed Iraq's proposed new constitution yesterday, but analysts warned that some provisions can be interpreted to undermine everything from the distribution of political power to a secular judiciary, from women's rights to fair distribution of oil revenue.

Constitution on the Brink
by Post
WHILE TALKS over the Iraqi constitution continue in Baghdad, the results so far can only be worrisome for those who hoped the process would help consolidate a new democratic political order and alleviate the Sunni insurgency. The completion of a constitution in the coming days would keep Iraq on track toward holding elections and forming a permanent government by early next year, a timetable the Bush administration has made an overriding priority. Yet both the means adopted to complete the draft and some of the language reported to be in the document risk exacerbating the divide between Iraq's majority Shiite and Kurd communities and the minority Sunnis, thereby adding fuel to the insurgency. Iraqis and U.S. officials need to make good use of the brief time between now and the scheduled meeting of the National Assembly tomorrow if that outcome is to be avoided.

Bush's Iraq War

Rival Iraqi Shiites Clash in Najaf, Killing 7
by Saad Sarhan and Jonathan Finer
NAJAF, Iraq, Aug. 25 -- More than 1,000 Shiite Muslim demonstrators clashed Wednesday night with supporters of influential Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr in this southern Iraqi city, leaving at least seven people dead and dozens wounded, according to officials at a local hospital.

Shiite Cleric's Soldiers Battle Rivals in Najaf and Basra
by KIRK SEMPLE
24 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
Fighting erupted Wednesday between followers of the Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr and his opponents, killing at least four people.

(no title)
by Saad Sarhan, Ellen Knickmeyer and Jonathan Finer
NAJAF, Iraq, Aug. 25 -- Fighters loyal to Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr battled government-allied Shiite forces in the central city of Baqubah on Thursday, as clashes among rival Shiite militias spread despite calls from both sides for calm.

Lost in Translation
by THOMAS X. HAMMES
24 Aug 2005 at 8:57am
We should recruit Arab-Americans to help translate in Iraq.

In Iraq's Prisons, Try a Little Tenderness
by SCOTT GERWEHR and NINA HACHIGIAN
24 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
American forces in Iraq should try a tactic used in Vietnam - showing compassion to prisoners.

Shia clash dents Iraq charter hopes, agencies
Several killed in Iraq cafe attack, Reuters
Iraqi factions firm against constitution, Agencies
Iraq war approaching the tipping point, Mounzer Sleiman
Violence erupts in Iraq holy city, US to boost troop levels, AFP
Kurds pave way for Iraq charter approval, 35 dead in attacks, AFP
Shiites and Kurds cannot turn their backs on Sunnis, Cevik
Gunfights erupt in Iraqi capital killing at least 17, BBC
At least 5 killed as Violence flares among Iraq Shias, BBC
Five killed in Mid-East violence, BBC
Race is on for Bush in Iraq, Paul Reynolds, BBC

War Service Is Taking Toll on the Self-Employed
by ELIZABETH OLSON
24 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
In ways that do not make headlines, the war on terror is taking a rising toll on small business, and Congress is aiming to do something about it.

UK Insecurity

British Detail Policy on Radicals
by Kevin Sullivan
LONDON, Aug. 24 -- The British government will deport and ban people who "foment, justify or glorify terrorist violence," the country's top law enforcement official announced Wednesday.

Gaza-West Bank Pullout

Israel Confirms Plan to Seize West Bank Land for Barrier
by GREG MYRE
24 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
The land is needed to extend the separation barrier around the largest Jewish settlement, Maale Adumim, and link it up to Jerusalem.

After Gaza
by Post
ISRAEL HAS completed its evacuation of Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank far more quickly and easily than virtually anyone -- including the government of Ariel Sharon -- expected. There were wrenching moments as Israeli soldiers forced families from their homes, and tense ones as they dislodged militant protesters who congregated in synagogues. But no lives were lost, and the removal was completed in one-third the time expected. For that outcome, Israelis and Palestinians can thank the professionalism of the Israeli army; the Palestinian Authority should also be credited for helping to prevent what could have been ruinous attacks by militants. Above all the withdrawal is a tribute to Israeli democracy: proof that the majority can adopt and implement painful decisions and not be stopped by extremists.

Five Killed in Mideast Violence
by Scott Wilson
JERUSALEM, Aug. 24 -- Israeli forces killed at least four armed members of Islamic Jihad late Wednesday, Israeli military officials said, hours after a Palestinian man stabbed an ultra-Orthodox Jew to death in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Qassam rocket hits Sderot for first time since pullout, Hir Hasson
PM's top aides tell him: Quit Likud and form a new party, Aluf Benn
Qureia calls IDF arrest raid in Tul Karm a 'brutal crime,' 5 Palestinians killed, Amos Harel
Israel begins building new police station east of Jerusalem, Aluf Benn
Time out for a well-earned rest, Editorial
The eternal people fears a long road, Israel Harel
O soldier, where art thou? The incident at Azmut checkpoint, Yossi Sarid

Massachusetts to Consider Same-Sex Unions
by Post
BOSTON, Aug. 24 -- State legislators voted Wednesday to hold a constitutional convention next month to debate a proposed amendment that would replace same-sex marriage in Massachusetts with Vermont-style civil unions.

Christian Science Monitor

California court affirms gay parenting, Paulson, Wood
Jury's Vioxx award: not so Texas-sized after all, Axtman
Behind rosy home data, signs of worry, Scherer

Oil prices soar above $67 a barrel, Wire reports
Study: Minority drivers fare worse, AP

In Fulbright's footsteps, Jackson
Deep-sixing deep-sea dominance, Ballard
Judge Roberts's family secret, Lehigh
Suspected hacker breaks into Air Force database, Levy, AP
Radio host fired for tying Islam to terror, BG

Harris invited on 'Daily Show', Herald Tribune

Peace mom all wrong, Bush says, Pickler
Saddam fires all lawyers but one Iraqi attorney, CST

Britain Issues Criteria for Deportation, John Daniszewski
On High Court Vote, Centrist Democrats Caught in Middle, Maura Reynolds
Pentagon Plan to Cut Bases Derailed, John Hendren
Poll Shows Voters Sour on Arnold, Robert Salladay
Put a little faith in Roberts, Mario M. Cuomo
Sadr Backers and Foes Clash in Najaf, Borzou Daragahi and Raheem Salman

Family Law: The best interest, Editorial

Schwarzenegger's numbers fall even lower in poll, Carla Marinucci
Parenthood prevails, Editorial

Pentagon Orders 1,500 More Troops to Iraq, Lumbkin
Bush Tells Troops 'We Will Win the War', Pickler

Robertson Apologizes, AP
Bush Vows To Stay Course In Iraq, AP
Insurgents Step Up Attacks, AP
AP

Prosecutors collect DNA of men targeted in U.S. federal terror probe, Marquez
Judge Orders FDIC to Pay Houston Financier, Staff
N.Y. Gov. Won't Rule Out Suit Over Tapes, Humbert
First Coed Class Starts Fla. Air Academy, Staff
US doctor in trouble with state for telling patient she needed to lose weight, Staff
Oil Prices Soar Ahead of Inventories Data, Yeoh
Baltimore Paper Drops Longtime Columnist, Staff
Bush: ‘We will win’ war on terrorism , AP

Martin reaffirms election promise, CBC News
Saddam Hussein fires all lawyers but one, CBC News
Report: Defined benefit pension plans in danger in Canada, CBC News

PM will talk to Bush about lumber -- eventually, Canadian Press
Canadians in Israel divided by religion, duty, Mark MacKinnon

Let's mess with Texas, then we'll all get Kinky, Slinger
Liberals to face volatile voters, Les Whittington
Toronto pair meet at Israel's divide, Mitch Potter
How one week could shift Israeli ground, Mitch Potter
Time to get tough in lumber dispute, Editorial
Who will weep for Palestinians?, Haroon Siddiqui
Robertson rant sign of U.S. anger over Chavez, Harry Sterling

Al-Qaida will retreat to Africa, says general , Norton-Taylor
Expulsions illegal, UN tells Clarke , McAskill, Glover and Dodd
Latitude to prosecute ... or just an exercise in window dressing? , Kirkham
Cartoon: Biblical in proposal, Bell
Iraq will learn there can be no representation without taxation, Bobbitt
France facing a tidal wave of protest , Henley
Empire of the sums: Review of Peter Tuchin's 'War and Peace and War', Ball
Nuclear waste row leaves bad smell in Lithuania , Parfitt
Plastic bag ban by Indian state , Badam
US gets fatter - and faster than ever , Luscombe
The result of America's biggest filesharing case is already hampering innovation, Hammersley
Google: The innocent prodigy that grew into the market predator , McIntosh
Extraterrestrials: Come out, come out, wherever you are , Radford

Crackdown will produce martyrs, Clarke is told, Morris
Bus bomber stopped for a Big Mac before killing started, Bennetto and Sengupta
Sex and briefs: novel sets legal circles spinning, Verkaik
Sharp rise in bugging exposes Italians' dirty secrets to the public, Popham
Deadly virus: how it began and why it is spreading our way, Connor
Venezuela: revolutionaries and a country on the edge, Hari
Giant goat survives war zone, Huggler
Lack of exposure wrecks Korean plan to establish 'Bikini Beach', Howden

Pat Robertson: Bumbling in where angels fear to tread, Ferguson
Loose law is bad law, Editorial comment
Outsourcing exercise has flown back to haunt British Airways, Young

Oil prices shoot up to new record, BBC
US states plan to cut emissions, despite White House lack of action, BBC
US criticises Iran nuclear report which finds no evidence of secret weapons programme, BBC
Floods cause havoc across Europe, BBC
Water returns to Iraqi marshlands, BBC

World Bank: Urban poverty unchanged, El Universal
Mexico looking to retaliate over 'free market' US protection of sugar, El Universal
Lavalas holds second demonstration in Cap Haïtien, Haiti Action
U.N. to investigate Haiti slum lynchings, Reuters
US company owns the Jamaica electric utility. Raises rates, Jamaica Observer
The terrorists no one bothers about, Periodico 26
Increasing US Interest In Cuban Market, Prensa Latina
Land for People not for Profit in Venezuela, Venezuelanalysis
If Only Lula Could Show a Little Leadership to Move Brazil Ahead, Brazzil
Prison Requested for Uruguayan Ex Dictator Bordaberry, Prensa Latina

Bush spotlights mom of troops who backs Iraq war, AFP

Four Iran cabinet nominees rejected by Maljis parliament, Agencies

Baghdad Hit by Boldest Attack in Weeks, Agencies
Israel Seizes Palestinian Land, Hisham Abu Tah
Robertson’s Call For Chavez assassination, Editorial
This Was a Historic Day in the history of the state of Israel, Uri Avnery

Iraq's Kurds approve constitution but Sunnis remain firmly opposed, staff
When U.S. 'realism' means pining for the status quo, Michael Young
Al-Qaeda terrorism navigates between murder and frustration, Kayhan Barzegar

Majlis approves 17 cabinet ministers, rejects four , staff
Ulterior motives behind retreat from Gaza , Hassan Hanizadeh

Europe’s textile war with China—and itself, Staff
America's border troubles, north and south, Staff

US on course for shrink-to-fit laser, Cohen, Knight
Trauma of war hits troops years later, MacKenzie
Fetuses may not feel pain until week 30, Bhattacharya
Space radiation may select amino acids for life, McKee
Too scared to be a millionaire?, Buchanon

World Health News, Compilation

Hybrid cars: how alternative technologies are shaping the future of car travel, Minetta+Berman+Robinson

Berkeley Breathed On His 'Jailed Journo' Comic Strips, Staff
Public Faults Media on Military Issues, Poll Finds , Staff
Modernizing the Newspaper Editorial Page, Outing

The Rise of the Democratic Police State, Pilger
President Bush: Anti-War Protestors Weaken America, Logan
Juan Cole's 10-Point Plan for U.S. Troop Withdrawal From Iraq, Goodman, Gonzalles

Protecting our Children: Why Pedophile-Free Zones Will Not Work, And Alternatives That Will, Hamilton
Halliburton Moves to Dismiss Suit Over Employee's Death in Iraq, Tomasko, Esq., Andrews Publishing

The Northwest strike: the end of the AFL-CIO and the political lessons for the working class, WSWS

Village Voice News

Schanberg: Hear Novak Tell All! (For $595)
23 Aug 2005 at 9:54am
You pay only $595. That's right. Only $595. by Sydney H. Schanberg
Ridgeway: Hijacking of the 9-11 Probe
23 Aug 2005 at 9:49am
The hijacking of the probe into the 9-11 hijackers by James Ridgeway, with Natalie Wittlin
No Power, Water, or Planning in Southern Iraq
23 Aug 2005 at 9:16am
Power, water, planning—and the lack thereof—in southern Iraq by David Axe

Common Dreams

Memo for the President
by Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity
Memo for the President
Who Will Say 'No More'?
by Gary Hart
Who Will Say 'No More'?
In Fulbright's Footsteps
by Derrick Jackson
In Fulbright's Footsteps
Best Course of Action in...
by Tom Maertens
Best Course of Action in Iraq is to Leave

The Nation: All Weblogs

The Daily Outrage: Still Dying in Darfur
by Ari Berman
24 Aug 2005 at 8:41am
Humanitarian crisis worsens; nobody pays attention.
RadioNation AudioBlog: Steal This Vote!
by Marc Cooper
23 Aug 2005 at 12:32pm
Andrew Gumbel on the reality and history of America's flawed elections.
The Daily Outrage: Memo to Democrats
by Ari Berman
23 Aug 2005 at 8:54am
Act like an opposition party.
The Daily Outrage: They Shall Be Released
by Ari Berman
22 Aug 2005 at 8:10am
Pentagon hides new Abu Ghraib images.

AlterNet.org

Peek: A plea to older activists:
by Array
Please stop with the Vietnam comparisons.
Peek: Withdrawal gaining momentum
by Array
Should we leave Iraq immediately? And why aren't Dems in congress speaking up?
Peek: Breaking the raves (video)
by Array
Utah gets all <i>Footloose</i> on its kids.
Peek: Say it: I'm right, you're wrong
by Array
Elitism as strategy in defense of evolution.
Peek: Bush and Iran agree...
by Array
...this unwritten Iraqi constitution is good stuff. One of these guys is lying; wild guess.
Peek: Gays cause meteors
by Array
As respectable commentators pretend that Pat Robertson's not an extremist, here's 10 reasons why he is.
Peek: Ann Coulter calls New Yorkers cowards
by Array
No, really, she did. As in, residents of New York City -- the 'surrendering' type.

Rating the Ratings
24 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
It would be better to find a more workable system for conducting television ratings than to create a new government power.
A Golden Goldman Sachs
24 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
The Goldman Sachs proposal to build its headquarters near ground zero would help revive Lower Manhattan's credentials as a global financial center.
Panel Rejects Closing of 2 Big Navy Bases in Northeast
by DAVID S. CLOUD
24 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
The panel endorsed most of the Pentagon's recommendations, but it voted not to close installations in Connecticut and Maine.
Age-Old Cures, Like the Maggot, Get U.S. Hearing
by GARDINER HARRIS
24 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
Maggots and leeches have experienced a renaissance among surgeons, and a federal board will discuss how to regulate them.
A Common Police Vest Fails the Bulletproof Test
by ERIC LICHTBLAU
24 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
A popular police vest failed in nearly 6 of every 10 tests, according to a study that resulted in new safety guidelines.
Report of Second Gun Is Used in Defense of a Texas Woman Facing Death
by RALPH BLUMENTHAL
24 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
The woman's lawyers said conflicting accounts of a mysterious second gun found at the crime scene cast doubt on her guilt.
$250,000 Bail Set in Boston for Boy, 12, Found With Gun
by KATIE ZEZIMA
24 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
The judge who set the bail said he was trying to protect the public from a "serious problem" with guns.
Illinois School Superintendent Is Accused of $100,000 Theft
by GRETCHEN RUETHLING
24 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
Thomas E. Ryan was arrested on charges of stealing more than $100,000 from his district, one of the poorest in the state.
Health Grants to Uganda Halted Over Allegations
by LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN
24 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
A global health organization said that it had suspended more than $150 million in grants to Uganda because of serious mismanagement.
Age-Old Cures, Like the Maggot, Get U.S. Hearing
by GARDINER HARRIS
24 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
Maggots and leeches have experienced a renaissance among surgeons, and a federal board will discuss how to regulate them.

Sex Crimes and Politics
by Post
EAGER TO BE seen as tough on crime, Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) and one of his leading Democratic rivals, Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley, are outdoing each other to slam sex offenders, with each man proposing to stiffen the penalties imposed on the convicted. First, Mr. O'Malley urged a six-point plan, whose headline-grabbing centerpiece was a draconian requirement that sexual predators and child molesters who have already served their sentences be subject to electronic monitoring for life, possibly by use of satellite-tracking ankle bracelets equipped with Global Positioning System technology. Then, Mr. Ehrlich urged tougher penalties for sexually violent criminals, whom he called "the worst of the worst." Not to be outdone, a Democratic state senator, Ed DeGrange, is crafting legislation that would enable Maryland to lock up certain categories of sex offenders in mental institutions after their release from prison, a sanction in use by 17 other states.
Trust in the Tally
by Post
THANKS TO Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s curious and continuing blind faith in certifiably untrustworthy voting machines, voters in the state will never know whether their election choices were recorded correctly last year or what to believe when the "results" of key state elections are rolled out next year. Computer experts across the country -- and most notably in the governor's back yard, at Johns Hopkins University -- have warned repeatedly that although the touch-screen machines in use in Maryland can, at their best, be as accurate as they are efficient, no one can know for sure, because they are not equipped to produce paper trails showing each vote cast.
Rice's Mission to Foggy Bottom
by Jim Hoagland
Using a mixture of moxie and charm, Condoleezza Rice has improved relations with some of President Bush's harshest critics overseas. The secretary of state will now try to work the same wonders with the battle-hardened policy warriors in her own bureaucracy.
Homeland Security On Beaver Island
by David S. Broder
BEAVER ISLAND, Mich. The outside world, I'm sorry to say, keeps intruding on this pastoral paradise, where once again this summer, several of our grandchildren enjoyed the legacy left by their great-great-grandfather, Uriah Hoffman, when he built his family cabin here 91 years ago.
No Respite in Africa
by Jerry Fowler and John Heffernan
Last month, in the middle of a hot, dusty refugee camp in eastern Chad, we witnessed hundreds of men from Darfur, clad in immaculate white robes, crowding around a small generator-powered television. They were watching the news about a new member of Sudan's leadership: John Garang, longtime leader of the country's southern rebellion against its northern government. Now he was being sworn in as first vice president in a new "government of national unity" meant to end Sudan's long civil war.
New England, Va. Bases Survive Cut
by Bradley Graham and Eric M. Weiss
The federal base-closing commission rejects two of the Pentagon's most significant recommendations on the future of U.S. military installations yesterday, voting to keep open a sprawling submarine base in Connecticut and a historic shipyard in Maine.
Wave of Marine Species Extinctions Feared
by Juliet Eilperin
BIMINI, Bahamas -- The bulldozers moved slowly at first. Picking up speed, they pressed forward into a patch of dense mangrove trees that buckled and splintered like twigs. As the machines moved on, the pieces drifted out to sea.
Man Charged in Shooting at Wal-Mart
by Post
GLENDALE, Ariz., Aug. 24 -- A man accused of gunning down two Wal-Mart employees in a store parking lot -- reloading and continuing to fire into the men after they fell -- did not appear to know either victim and had no known vendetta against the company, authorities said.
Bid to Recall Spokane's Mayor Clears A Hurdle
by Post
OLYMPIA, Wash., Aug. 24 -- The state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a petition to recall embattled Spokane Mayor James E. West can proceed.