"It's a shame we're wasting our time on this today..." said one senator on Thursday, showing the deep commitment to democracy that we've all come to expect from the GOP. No senator would do it in 2000, but - as noted Thursday - Barbara Boxer stood up for electoral reform this year. Thank her here.

Last spring, the progressive political community opposed the appointment of John Negroponte as US ambassador to Iraq in large part because of his fondness for death squads - which he facilitated during his early 80s appointment as ambassador to the Honduras. Mere coicidence, I'm sure, but guess what the Pentagon is talking about using in Iraq?

Meanwhile, though we learned last week that Bush will not let even close advisors give him bad news about Iraq, much of Washington appears eager to find a way out while still proclaiming "Mission (sort of) Accomplished." Go here from time to time to remember some of those who are paying for the president's delusions of triumph. (FYI, the New Yorker has set up a generous archive of all their reporting on the war in Iraq here.)

Marjorie Cohn effectively captures the charms of Alberto Gonzales. Here are some lowlights from the revolting "hearings" which took Gonzales one shameful step closer to confirmation. What a fine poster boy he will make as the US "promotes" human rights around the world. (Nat Hentoff has a good column on the meaningless posturing and absence of moral leadership of the Congress on torture "policy.")

Were you shocked to hear that the administration (indirectly) paid yet another journalist to promote yet another harmful initiative with fake news reports? Armstrong Williams initially said he wanted to do it because "it's something I believe in..." but now he calls it "a mistake." Yes, well, live and learn. Or not.

I heard this this morning and couldn't believe my ears. But now I've seen it in print. Ready? Newt Gingrich is considering a run for the presidency in 2008. (I needed a good laugh.)

Scientists have discovered that rats can distinguish spoken Japanese from spoken Dutch. Of course, they don't understand either, but just so you know -- if you switch from Japanese to Dutch and think you're pulling a fast one on a nearby rat, well, he's gonna know something is up.