Laundry Label Calling President an 'Idiot' a Hit

Laundry Label Calling President an 'Idiot' a Hit---Labels on most of the backpacks, messenger and laptop bags made and sold by Tom Bihn have his company's contact information along with washing instructions in English and French along with a message reading: "Nous sommes desoles que notre president soit un idiot. Nous n'avons pas vote pour lui."
The translation reads: "We are sorry that our president is an idiot. We did not vote for him."...(Bihn) claims he has no idea how the phrase got onto the label, but credits it with doubling bag sales.(Reuters)

Bush Says He Answered All Questions From 9/11 Panel

Bush Says He Answered All Questions From 9/11 Panel--- The White House was repeatedly asked in advance of the session asked why Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney found it necessary to appear together before the panel; why they would not testify under oath, and why no formal transcript would be made.
Mr. McClellan, in his latest replies to such queries, sought to portray the appearance of Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney as informal and informational, rather than confrontational.
"This is a good opportunity for the president and vice president to sit down together with the commission," Mr. McClellan said. "This is not an adversarial process. We're all working together to learn the lessons of Sept. 11." (New York Times)

Tip Sent 108 Thai Rebels to Deaths

Tip Sent 108 Thai Rebels to Deaths---After battling authorities for months, the Islamic militants needed guns, so they planned a daring raid. Armed mainly with machetes, they would launch simultaneous attacks on police stations across southern Thailand, killing as many officers as they could.
Unknown to the extremists, however, someone in their group had tipped off the police. When the rebels attacked 12 police stations at dawn Wednesday, police and soldiers were lying in wait and gunned them down. By the end of the day, 108 fighters were dead, most of them teenagers. (L.A. Times)

Journalists Send Drugs to Politicians

Journalists Send Drugs to Politicians---Journalists from a trendy magazine on Thursday slipped envelopes containing small quantities of marijuana into Bulgarian lawmakers' mailboxes to protest a tough new drug law, drawing heated reactions from indignant legislators.
The letters were part of a campaign against parliament's recent decision to criminalize the possession of a single dose of any kind of narcotic substance...Last month, (the Bulgarian) parliament approved amendments that made the possession of a single dose of any drug to be a crime punishable with 3 to 15 years in prison. (AP)

Bush undergoes 9/11 questioning

Bush undergoes 9/11 questioning---(Bush and Cheney) were not under oath and no recording was made at the private meeting at the White House which lasted more than three hours. (BBC)
What a sad fucking joke. Bush and Cheney refused to appear under oath or have their testimonies recorded. Sounds like they really have nothing to hide. Nixon was an open book compared to these guys. Sadder yet, a large part of America still thinks that Bush is a down home straight-shooter who was called to do God's will. God bless America, the land of the pridefully ignorant. Is it too early to start drinking? The headmaster weeps for our children.

Ashcroft may face Justice probe

Ashcroft may face Justice probe---The FEC determined in December that Ashcroft's former political action committee, Spirit of America, and his Senate reelection committee violated campaign finance laws by renting out a mailing list that resulted in an excessive, unreported $110,000 contribution. PACs are allowed to give only $5,000 per election to a campaign.
The two committees agreed to pay a $37,000 fine. (Boston Globe)

Two Md. Teen Girls Plead Guilty in Beating

Two Md. Teen Girls Plead Guilty in Beating---Two teenage girls admitted Wednesday they attacked a 12-year-old girl at a birthday party because a boy kissed her on the cheek. The beating put the girl in a coma for three weeks. (AP)

Boy beats off angry bear

Boy beats off angry bear---The 15-year-old American boy was woken up by a 400-pound bear that had entered the campsite for emotionally-troubled youths.
When the boy tried to leave his tent, the bear bit him on the arm, Alaska policeman Adam Benson told the Associated Press news agency.
According to Mr Benson, the boy then decided to fight back.
He delivered several punches to the bear, using his uninjured arm. But when he attempted to flee the animal for the second time, it bit him again, now leaving puncture wounds below the ribs...(BBC)

Palestinians Eke Out Living Off Israeli Roadblock

Palestinians Eke Out Living Off Israeli Roadblock---Business leaders say the Palestinian economy has shriveled by 50 percent in the past three years, leading to many business closures and a sharp rise in unemployment. (Reuters)

Since that ("Mission Accomplished") speech, 587 U.S. troops have died in Iraq, including 415 in hostile action

He showed a picture of Bush giving a speech on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln with the banner "Mission Accomplished" in the background...Since that ("Mission Accomplished") speech, 587 U.S. troops have died in Iraq, including 415 in hostile action.(CNN.com)