Odds and Ends

Thank God almighty, Paris Hilton is free at last! Now here's some other lame political crap...

My favorite headline of the day thus far... 'Bush says Russia won't attack Europe'. Phew! Now I feel much safer. Have no fear, you crazy Europeans, Vladimir Putin may be a murderous totalitarian, but he has no plans to extend his tyranny beyond his borders.

And the Washington Monthly looks at the controversy over Bush's planned anti-missile bases.

And over at the G8 Summit, the European governments agreed on a climate plan which sets "a goal to cut greenhouse gases and negotiate a new agreement on tackling climate change within the United Nations."

President Bush says that-- as with Iraq-- he'd prefer some non-binding benchmarks instead.

Back at home, the right-wing 'Free Scooter' movement continues.

And as a team of scientists reports that "they have produced the equivalent of embryonic stem cells in mice using skin cells without the controversial destruction of embryos," Congress has passed a new stem cell research funding bill... which will be vetoed.

The Senate Judiciary Committee cleared a bill designed to restore habeas corpus rights for detainees. The bill will be voted on later this month.

Finally, President Bush's new Surgeon General nominee is a real fucking nutcase.