When President Bush campaigned yesterday in Greeley, Colorado for the mother of the anti-gay marriage amendment, here's the billboard that greeted him:

[Via ProgressAction Now.]

Monday, the day before Election Day, the White House is trotting out Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and HSA chief Michael Chertoff to announce a new get tough on crime measure:

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales will participate in a press conference with Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, European Union Vice President Franco Frattini, Finland's Minister of Justice Leena Luhtanen, and Finland's Minister of Interior Kari Rajamaki regarding the signing of an agreement by the United States and the European Union to improve joint efforts to fight transnational crime on MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2006 at 1:30 P.M. EST.

I guess they figure they're losing their battle to be the party that will make us safer in the war on terror, but they can still be the tough on crime party anxious to increase the prison population.

Kos remembers a few "truths" we were told abouts Dems right after the 2004 election:

Remember how electing Howard Dean chair of the Democratic Party would spell the end of Democratic chances in 2006? Remember how the netroots would spell the end of Democratic chances in 2006? Remember how calling for an Iraq pullout would spell the end of Democratic chances in 2006? In a couple of days, we'll find out if those claims turned out to be true.

I remember a few others "truths" we were told--

How Dems had to have a "positive" agenda, a "plan" for Iraq, reach out to "values voters," abandon choice, listen to Rahm Emanuel about trying to eke out 16 seat in the House, "get serious" about national security (i.e. - adopt Joe Lieberman's views), and so on.

All nonsense.

Like Amnesty International, TalkLeft condemns the death sentence imposed on Saddam Hussein. From their press release:

"This trial should have been a major contribution toward establishing justice and the rule of law in Iraq, and in ensuring truth and accountability for the massive human rights violations perpetrated by Saddam Hussein's rule," said Malcolm Smart, director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme. "In practice, it has been a shabby affair, marred by serious flaws that call into question the capacity of the tribunal, as currently established, to administer justice fairly, in conformity with international standards."

The Right again demonstrates simplemindedness on Iraq:

The DNC chairman praises the result that would not have come without the actions he opposed:

Justice for the Iraqi people was finally served today with the conviction of Saddam Hussein. This dictator ruled by fear, torturing and murdering his own people to satisfy his malicious interests. It’s commendable and important that he was brought to justice in the country where he committed these atrocities against humanity.

Is is too much for Byron York to understand that justice for Saddam Hussein was not worth the Iraq Debacle? Apparently not. Indeed, THAT is the referendum for the American People on Tuesday. Byron York and the Republicans believe the Iraq Debacle was a success because of today. And that we should stay the course and do the same for Iran. Democrats and the American People do not.

Let us vote accordingly.

This is shocking . . . not.

UPDATE: I have to add this from Ledeen's response to the criticism:

As for the Scowcroft excoriation left bloggers are pointing to, I never address military action in it. Which, again, anyone who's been reading me all this time know wasn't my solution to the problem.

His cited reference has him saying:

So it's good news when Scowcroft comes out against the desperately-needed and long overdue war against Saddam Hussein and the rest of the terror masters. . . . Blessedly, President Bush knows by now that the Palestinian question can only be addressed effectively once the war against Saddam and his ilk has been won.

. . .[Scowcroft] fears that if we attack Iraq "I think we could have an explosion in the Middle East. It could turn the whole region into a caldron and destroy the War on Terror."

One can only hope that we turn the region into a cauldron, and faster, please. If ever there were a region that richly deserved being cauldronized, it is the Middle East today. If we wage the war effectively, we will bring down the terror regimes in Iraq, Iran, and Syria, and either bring down the Saudi monarchy or force it to abandon its global assembly line to indoctrinate young terrorists. That's our mission in the war against terror.

An insane liar. Scary.

Reverand Haggard, I submit, should not have resigned, as reported by Jeralyn here. He should have fought for his position.

He admitted to a "'lifelong' sexual problem"; meaning, ... I guess, he has always been gay but married because Jesus required it of him?

Assume, for the sake of argument, that the Democrats take the House on Tuesday. The new Congress is sworn in in early January.

Assume further that the House, finally exercising checks and balances, votes to impeach President Bush and Vice President Cheney. Assume further that the Senate actually convicts, a really big assumption, considering that a vote along party lines would not reach the required number of 67 (U.S. Const., Art. I, § 3, cl. 6).

If both the President and Vice President were convicted on an Article of Impeachment, the Speaker of the House would assume the Presidency.  Then, the new President would name a Vice President to be confirmed by the House under the Twenty-fifth Amendment.

A letter written by Ted Haggard was read to the congregation of New Life Church this morning:

Evangelical pastor Ted Haggard confessed on Sunday to a "lifelong" sexual problem, and said he was "a deceiver and a liar," in a letter read to his New Life Church. "There is part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I have been warring against it all my life," he said in the letter.

A letter from his wife was also read:

Gayle Haggard said while her heart is broken, she remains "committed to him until death do us part."

Yesterday's Examiner: Three Santa Barbara elementary schools to fingerprint students. The purpose: use of the cafeteria.

A plan to fingerprint elementary school students when they buy lunch has some parents worrying that Big Brother has come to the cafeteria.

The Hope Elementary School District has notified parents that beginning this month, students at Monte Vista, Vieja Valley and Hope elementary schools will press an index finger to a scanner before buying cafeteria food.

The scan will call up the student's name and student ID, teacher's name and how much the student owes, since some receive government assistance for food.

Update: Saddam has been sentenced to die by hanging.

A curfew is in place in Baghdad for the release of the 200 page verdict Sunday against Saddam Hussein. Saddam faces hanging if convicted.

Saddam says he will die with honor and no fear.

Saddam's lawyers told Reuters they chatted with him for more than three hours on Saturday, saying he was in high spirits and talked about mounting U.S. military losses and the insurgency.

"I will die with honour and with no fear, with pride for my country and my Arab nation but the U.S. occupiers will leave in humiliation and defeat," they quoted Saddam as saying.

"They will see rivers of blood for years to come. It will dwarf Vietnam."

If sentenced to death, it is unlikely to happen soon.

So much for the "just a massage" story. One of the members of the Ted Haggard investigation committee said in an interview Saturday night:

...a member of the four-member oversight board said in an interview Saturday night that Haggard admitted Thursday to sexual misconduct.

The board member, the Rev. Michael Ware of Victory Church in Westminster, said the board first met with Haggard and his wife Thursday and Haggard immediately confessed to sexually immoral conduct.

Ware would not describe what Haggard admitted to but made clear the probe was limited to allegations by Michael Forest Jones, an admitted gay prostitute from Denver. Ware said more details would be shared with the congregation today.

I wonder if Haggard stuck to his story that he threw away the meth he bought unused. On the one hand, it would debunk the overused "gateway" theory of drug use. On the other, he's asking us to believe the equivalent of "No, I've never even smoked a joint, but i was thinking of shooting up heroin -- could you tie me off?"