Odds and Ends

Comedy Central is debuting "Lil' Bush" tonight. Looks dumb. Anyway, here's the news...

As President Bush tries to get his party in line on the immigration bill, the GOP base's loyally authoritarian xenophobes are saying 'no dinero!' to RNC solicitors because of the dirty Mexicans ruining White America 'amnesty' provision. It's lose-lose for the GOP. Their corporate backers-- whom they rely upon for money-- want the bill passed. Their base-- whom they also rely upon for money-- don't want it passed.

Divisions over the war have a similar effect, if less hostile, inside the Democratic party.

Meanwhile, in the Middle East, shit continues to blow up. A blast in Iraq hit a key Shiite shrine. An explosion in Beirut kills "a vocal, anti-Syrian lawmaker" in the Lebanese government. And, over in Gaza, "Hamas Islamist gunmen pressed on with their Gaza offensive... in a Palestinian supremacy struggle escalating steadily into civil war."

And, over in Congress, it's subpoena time for Harriet Miers and former political director Sara Taylor over their roles in the U.S. Attorney scandal. The White House followed up by trying to figure out a way to stonewall without appearing even guiltier.

In legislative news, the House is taking on a gun control/background check bill. In the Senate, they're tackling an energy bill which would "would raise mpg standards about 40% by 2020" and "make oil-industry price gouging a federal crime."

Meanwhile, the Bush administration declares war on owls: "The Bush administration proposes cutting 1.5 million acres from Northwest forests considered critical to the survival of the northern spotted owl." Take that, spotted owls.

Finally, did the President's new Albanian BFFs steal his watch? The truth is out there!