The Observer takes a look at the Heartland today and finds Republicans not only deserting Bush but switching party affiliation to the Democrats. It begins in Kansas with Mark Parkison who changed affiliation recently.

a few weeks ago Parkinson was a Republican. In fact, he was Kansas Republican party chairman. His defection to the Democrats sent shockwaves through a state deeply associated with the national Republican cause and the evangelical conservatives at its base. Nor was it just Parkinson's leave-taking that left Republicans spluttering with rage and talking of betrayal. It was that as he left Parkinson lambasted his former party's obsession with conservative and religious issues such as gay marriage, evolution and abortion

The Republicans' loss is the Democrats' gain:

The Observer has a very personal interview with Neil Young, in which he discusses his family, his two sons with cerebral palsy, his life and Iraq.

If you don't yet have a copy of Living With War, get it here:

14 Saudi detainees at Guantanamo have been returned to Saudi Arabia. Of them, one was declared by the U.S. not to be an enemy combatent.

The releases bring to 310 the number of detainees who have departed Guantanamo to other governments, including Albania, Afghanistan, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Kuwait, Morocco, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden and Uganda.

About 450 detainees remain at Guantanamo, including 120 who are considered eligible for transfer or release. Decisions in those cases depend on discussions between the United States and other nations.

The Road to Guantanamo is showing in several cities now. It really is an important film to see. Details are here.

Legal eagle and television commentator Mickey Sherman and Fox News Legal Analyst Lis Wiel got married last night at Valbella in Greenwich, CT. Both are great friends and I'm sorry I wasn't able to attend in person. Here's the invitation.

Mickey's good friend Michael Bolton sang as they walked down the aisle.

Congrats to both, they are great together and individually. I wish them both many, many happy years to come.

Patsy Ramsey, the mother of Jonbenet Ramsey, has died of ovarian cancer at age 49.

Rest it peace, Patsy. You endured not only the heartbreak of losing your daughter, but of being accused for years in the court of public opinion of having something to do with her murder.

Someday Jonbenet's killer will be found through DNA testing and you will be vindicated once and for all. Our thoughts are with John and Burke Ramsey today, how sad that they must endure yet another tragedy.

Note to commenters: In respect for the passing of Patsy Ramsey, there will be no comments allowed attacking her or speculating she was responsible in any way for her daughter's death.

Update: The Washington Post has a more thorough article about Patsy.

Focus on the Family founder James Dobson (the evangelical leader called by Karl Rove to help sell the Harriet Miers nomination) is revealed in a feature article by Pulitzer prize winner Eileen Welsome in this month's 5280. And on the Eighth Day, Dr. Dobson Created Himself is free and online, don't miss it.

The evangelical leader is going strong at 70:

Today, his behemoth ministry, based at the foot of the Rockies, reaches more than 220 million people around the globe through its radio and television programs, magazines, books, videos, audio recordings, and a powerful website that offers webzines, podcasts, music, and even movie reviews.

Tom Delay credits him with "walking him back to Jesus." Republicans generally are in his debt:

The Times of London reports it has seen a proposed peace plan the Iraqi Government will submit to the U.N., probably this weekend.

The 28-point package for national reconciliation will offer Iraqi resistance groups inclusion in the political process and an amnesty for their prisoners if they renounce violence and lay down their arms, The Times can reveal.

The Government will promise a finite, UN-approved timeline for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Iraq; a halt to US operations against insurgent strongholds; an end to human rights violations, including those by coalition troops; and compensation for victims of attacks by terrorists or Iraqi and coalition forces. It will pledge to take action against Shia militias and death squads. It will also offer to review the process of "de-Baathification" and financial compensation for the thousands of Sunnis who were purged from senior jobs in the Armed Forces and Civil Service after the fall of Saddam Hussein.

The Second Circuit Court of Appeals has denied Albany, NY defense lawyer (and TalkLeft commenter) Terry Kindlon's appeal of a secret court order refusing to make the Government admit or deny that it engaged in illegal warrantless electronic surveillance of his client, an Iman at a mosque charged with money laundering. You can read the opinion here.

As background, Terry was the first lawyer in the U.S. to challenge the NSA warrantless surveillance program. His motion alleged:

Yesterday's Duke thread is filled to the brim. Lots of talk about the police report in which the accuser said she was raped by five men at the party and that there were four dancers, not two. More details here.

And how about this? The accuser's cousin claims the accuser turned down $2 million to walk away from the case. (hat tip La Shawn Barber.)

Also: Sports Illustrated: The Damage Done

Arnold refuses Bush, who would have thought? The Associated Press reports that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has rejected Bush's request to send an additional 1,500 California National Guard troops to the Mexican border to fight illegal immigration.

Arnie says California needs them more.

Schwarzenegger said the request would stretch the California Guard too thin in case of an emergency or natural disaster.....Schwarzenegger spokesman Adam Mendelsohn....said the governor believed sending more troops would create an inappropriate burden on the state and disrupt the guard's training schedule.

Earlier, Schwarzenegger agreed to send 1,000 troops to the border by July 31. 250 are there now. Under his executive order, they must leave by the end of 2008.

Journalist Matt Cooper is leaving Time Magazine to become the Washington editor of a new Conde Nast business publication, Portfolio, scheduled to debut in April, 2007.

Time is a great American institution and Time.com, where I've worked the last few months, a great site and I know they'll get stronger under my friend, [Time managing editor] Rick Stengel," said Cooper in a statement on his move. "The company also stood by me, personally and financially, during the Plame case and I'll always be grateful for that. But startups are rare and the chance to be present at the creation of something new was impossible to resist."

Sorry for the less frequent posting today, I guest-hosted again at Eric Alterman's Altercation. Today's topic is Hold the Story, the Treasury Department's request to the New York Times and LA Times not to publish their reports on the Administration's program to obtain international bank records using administrative subpoenas issued without court authorization.

My view:

The newspapers were right to publish reports on the program. We have an Administration that operates in incredible secrecy and a President who believes he can trump the will of Congress and bypass the Courts. Given the NSA warrantless electronic surveillance program and the huge surge in the use of national security letters to obtain our phone records and more, we cannot just take them at their word.