Update: Burnt Orange Report got a phone call from Tim Roemer's office saying he's dropping out too. He didn't want to announce on the same day as Frost.

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Martin Frost dropped out of the race for DNC Chair today. So did David Leland. Wellington Webb dropped out yesterday. Donnie Fowler got some bad press related to the Michigan Kerry campaign (he was its Director.)

Fowler says the AFL-CIO's decision not to endorse a candidate should be viewed as a statement against Dean. That may be a stretch. Tim Roemer's anti-abortion views have killed his bid, although he wouldn't agree and hasn't dropped out yet.

That leaves Howard Dean. If Dean does something to muck it up, Simon Rosenberg is still intact.

Right now it's Dean, Fowler, Rosenberg, with Dean in first place with a healthy lead. Any of those three is fine with us.

Determined to be controversial to the bitter end, Ashcroft delivered a final parting shot today during a speech at the Heritage Foundation:

In a stinging parting shot at administration critics, Attorney General John Ashcroft on Tuesday warned of serious threats to public safety and security if Congress fails to restore stiff sentencing guidelines and does not renew portions of the Patriot Act.

"Last month's Supreme Court ruling that federal judges are not bound by sentencing guidelines is a retreat from justice that may put the public's safety in jeopardy," Ashcroft declared. "Which of our daughters, wives and husbands -- are we willing to sacrifice to return to revolving door justice." Ashcroft demanded Congress "reinstitute tough sentences and certain justice for criminals".

Ashcroft's resignation is effective "the moment" Alberto Gonazales is confirmed as Attorney General, which should be no later Thursday.

Update: Law Prof Doug Berman of Sentencing Law and Policy weighs in on the Booker aspect of Ashcroft's speech.

The Connecticut Legislature held hearings yesterday on abolishing the death penalty.

Murder victims' relatives, a retired prison warden and even a former death row inmate were among dozens Monday who spent hours urging a state legislative committee to scrap Connecticut's death penalty.

Almost all the 75 speakers at the judiciary committee's hearing in Hartford backed a proposal to abolish the death penalty and make life in prison without release the state's worst punishment.

Among the great quotes of the day:

If you oppose the confirmation of Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General, here's a current list of Senators with phone numbers. They like to hear from constituents. All you have to say is your name, that you are a constituent, and that you are asking the Senator to vote no on confirming Gonzales.

Need more reasons? Videos were released today of Guantanamo prisoner abuse that occurred at the hands of the "Immediate Reaction Forces." The videos are contained in a report by the U.S. Southern Command in Miami, which is responsible for oversight of Guantanamo. The Associated Press got ahold of the June, 2004 report. Check out what it says about "Romeo Block," where detainees were taken, stripped and held naked for days:

The reason that the vote on Alberto Gonzales was deferred until Thursday is, according to Democrats, that Democrats want more time to debate the issue. Republicans say it was to prevent Bush from having another feather in his cap during his SOTU. Here are some of the quotes from Senators today:

Sen. Patrick Leahy:

Judge Gonzales is the wrong man for this job," Senator Patrick Leahy, Democrat of Vermont, declared, using the title Mr. Gonzales acquired as a member of the Texas Supreme Court. Mr. Gonzales' actions as White House counsel, Mr. Leahy continued, "have tarnished our country's moral leadership in the world and put American soldiers and American citizens at greater risk."

Sen. Orrin Hatch plays the race card:

Iraq is demanding an investigation into yesterday's "riot" at Camp Bucca in Iraq during which U.S. guards opened fire and killed four detainees.

U.S. guards who shot dead four inmates should be put on trial if found to have used excessive force in quelling a riot at a military detention camp, Iraq's human rights minister said on Tuesday. Bakhtiar Amin said he believed two U.S. troops had fired on rioters on Monday but he did not know why. His ministry had sent a delegation to the camp in southern Iraq to investigate.

"If we are convinced there was no justification for the degree of force used then we want them to be tried," Amin told Reuters. "That is what the American side says as well."

This isn't the first time guards at Camp Bucca have been investigated for prisoner abuse. One former prisoner called it a "torture camp." From August, 2003:

Colorado Congressman and chief immigration foe Tom Tancredo is ready to assume his role as "most colorful" Colorado politician now that Ben Nighthorse Campbell has departed. Denver's alternative weekly, Westword, interviewed the Congressman recently, here's the exchange:

Q: With Ben Nighthorse Campbell gone, any truth to the rumor that you're going to declare yourself Native American?

A: I've got the Harley to prove it. I'm calling myself Tom Tom Tancredo. And I came up with that all by myself.

[link via Walter in Denver with a hat tip to Colorado Politics and Makes Me Ralph.]

Markos at Daily Kos reports that 30 Democrats, including Minority Leader Reid, will vote "no" on Gonzales. Nice to see them take a stand.

Update: Raw Story reports the number is 40 Dems who will oppose him.

Update: Reuters confirms.

Forget live blogging, it's time to pre-blog. Here's Regular Staple's minute by minute account of tomorrow's State of the Union Address. [via Wonkette.]

TalkLeft will not be live-blogging SOTU. I'll be debating what's wrong with mandatory minimum drug sentences on Reggie River's show (PBS, Colorado.) To be honest, I probably wouldn't watch anyway, unless someone paid me. The late night cable and morning-after news coverage, the transcript and blogger reactions will be plenty for me.

University of Colorado Professor Ward Churchill released this statement in response to the criticism over his past 9/11 remarks. Hamilton College today canceled Professor Churchill's talk, citing numerous death threats.

Background and details are here.

Al Jazeera reports on a video received in connection with a claim that an Iraqi militant group shot down the British plane that crashed Sunday, killing 10 soldiers.

The video, issued by the military wing of the 1920 Revolution Brigades, also showed an explosion at a distance and what appeared to be the debris of a plane on the ground. Aljazeera said on Monday it had received a copy of the tape from the group.

British Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon said in a statement: "We are aware of reports that the aircraft may have been shot down, but we are not in a position to come to any conclusions until the investigation is complete."

More from The Guardian here and here.

Update: It appears to be a hoax and the photo on the website appears to be that of an action figure.

Bad news to report. A U.S. Soldier reportedly has been captured by Iraqi miltants and they are threatening to behead him.

The posting, on a Web site that frequently carried militants' statements, included a photo of what appeared to be an American soldier in desert fatigues seated with his hands tied behind his back. A gun barrel was pointed at his head, and he is seated in front of a black banner emblazoned with the Islamic profession of faith, "There is no god but God and Muhammad is His prophet."

The website suggests the group has killed other soldiers and currently is holding more.

“Our mujahedeen heroes of Iraq’s Jihadi Battalion were able to capture American military man John Adam after killing a number of his comrades and capturing the rest,” said the statement, signed by the “Mujahedeen Brigades.”

How many soliers are missing and for how long?