More Odds and Ends

The stockings were hung by the blog with care, in hope that news soon would be there...

Earlier this week, the NY Times reported this bombshell: "At least four top White House lawyers took part in discussions with the Central Intelligence Agency between 2003 and 2005 about whether to destroy videotapes showing the secret interrogations of two operatives from Al Qaeda, according to current and former administration and intelligence officials." The White House, as you can imagine, didn't much care for the story.

Bet they hated this too: "Congress on Tuesday struck back at the Bush administration's trend toward secrecy since the 2001 terrorist attacks, passing legislation to toughen the Freedom of Information Act and increasing penalties on agencies that don't comply."

Despite protests, the New Orleans city council voted to demolish 4,500 public housing units.

Here is a story that illustrates how ridiculous our health-care system is... VISA is offering/selling 'medical gift cards' (up to $5,000) that people can give as presents. They can be used for "doctors' visits or deductibles, prescription co-pays, contact lenses and even elective surgery." How proud to be an American we all should be.

The Daily Kos has a good breakdown of all the factions of the modern GOP.

And why does the GOP establishment fear Huckabee? One answer: "[T]he deal has been that 'the crazies' stay below-radar in return for below-radar policies (e.g., judges, denying funding to international organizations who don't believe in abstinence-based policies). Huckabee is a threat because he violates the terms of the unspoken deal." Bingo.

Other campaign news... Tom Tancredo, having dragged the GOP to the right on immigration, drops out; he's endorsed Romney. Speaking of Mitt, his dad marched with Dr. King. Or not. Newsweek remembers John Edwards. And as much as I try to like Sen. Clinton, I find her Rove-style attacks on Obama revealing.

Finally-- a flashback from last year-- Bill O'Reilly explains what Christmas is all about.