Weekend Odds and Ends

It's Friday the 13th. Beware of black cats and bad M. Night Shyamalan films. Here's news...

If the terrorists hate us for our freedoms and liberties, they (like the White House) are going to be pissed: "In a stinging rebuke to President Bush's anti-terror policies, a deeply divided Supreme Court ruled Thursday that foreign detainees held for years at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba have the right to appeal to U.S. civilian courts to challenge their indefinite imprisonment without charges." Writing for the majority, Justice Kennedy states 'The laws and Constitution are designed to survive, and remain in force, in extraordinary times.'

The White House expresses disagreement, but it says it will abide by the ruling. Or not.

And right-wing pundits lament that America "lost to radical Islam" and propose just killing all the prisoners.

Meanwhile, in economic news: "A flood of economic aid payments pushed the federal budget deficit to $165.9 billion, the highest imbalance ever for May. The Treasury Department reported Wednesday that the May deficit was more than double what it was in May 2007. Some $48 billion in payments went out as part of the $168 billion economic relief effort to revive the economy and keep the country from a deep recession." ECONOMY = SAVED!

And as jobless claims rise again, there was news that "The House on Thursday approved an extra three months of jobless benefits for all unemployed Americans, knowing the plan's chances are slight in the Senate and almost nonexistent at the White House." So, yea.

U.S. life expectancy continues to lag behind most other first-world nations.

GOP-backed voter ID laws once again prevent the crime of eldery women voting.

Moving on to campaign news, Barack Obama's takeover of the DNC operations continues as he moves to centralize its work outside of DC, and into his home turf of Chicago.

Fox News/Michelle Malkin refer to Michelle Obama as "Obama's baby mama"; are way sorry.

And Sen. McCain takes a page from the Bush playbook and hosts a 'town hall' meeting which shockingly turns out to be just packed with supporters and ringers. Democracy inaction!

McCain also threatens to veto every single beer, lose election.

Finally, Ron Paul is either quitting the GOP base or starting a new revolution, he's not sure.