As we wait for the Bush Administration's next terror alert, watch this. Just fabulous.

For a much less subtle critique of Bush, here's "You're an A**hole,also quite good. Add your reaction to it here. [hat tip to reader Rochelle for both links]

Rudy Giuliani on the Today Show this morning, 7:15 am:

Giuliani: "The president was cautious the president was prudent the president did what a commander in chief should do. No matter how you try to blame it on the president the actual responsibility for it really would be for the troops that were there. Did they search carefully enough? Didn't they search carefully enough?"

Update: Rudy realizes he stuck his foot in his mouth and responds, claiming his words were taken out of context? Sorry, we watched the video. They were about as in context as you can get.

The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press has re-polled more than 500 voters who were undecided in September. More leaned towards Bush than Kerry. Now, they are evenly split. By a three to one margin, they said John Kerry did better than Bush in the debates.

The New York Times takes President Bush to task for his failure to investigate and hold accountable those responsible for the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. But at the end, it inexplicably gives him another chance:

When the Abu Ghraib prison scandal first broke, the Bush administration struck a pose of righteous indignation. It assured the world that the problem was limited to one block of one prison, that the United States would never condone the atrocities we saw in those terrible photos, that it would punish those responsible for any abuse - regardless of their rank - and that it was committed to defending the Geneva Conventions and the rights of prisoners. None of this appears to be true.

After citing numerous examples of those who have not been held accountable, the Times moves on to Bush's secret creation of a "parallel and unconsitutional judicial universe" at Guantanamo.

The White House was so determined to suspend the normal rights and processes for the hundreds of men captured in Afghanistan - none of them important members of Al Qaeda and most of them no threat at all - that it hid the details from Secretary of State Colin Powell and never bothered to consult Congress.

From there the Times recounts recent revelations of the Administration's transporting prisoners out of Iraq and hiding them from the Red Cross.

The Ohio GOP lost a big one Wednesday with a federal judge rejecting its attempt to challenge the voting credentials of thousands of Ohio voters ahead of Election Day.

Judge Susan J. Dlott in Cincinnati issued an order preventing local election boards from going forward with plans to notify challenged voters and hold hearings until she hears legal arguments tomorrow. But because her ruling means that those election board hearings cannot take place within the time frame state law requires before the election, Dlott's ruling kills the GOP effort that had targeted 35,000 voters, Democratic and Republican party officials said.

Democrats charged the Republicans had no evidence of voter ineligiblity and that the suit was just an attempt to intimidate voters, particularly minorities. The Republicans aren't giving up, just changing their strategy. They still plan on installing 3,400 monitors at polling places, and will make their challenges Tuesday when they show up to vote.

What it means: There will be longer lines at the polls Tuesday for Ohioans in Democratic neighborhoods. Republicans will be sending out 5,000 monitors in Florida and 350 in Denver for similar purposes.

Don't forget to bring your videocamera when you go to vote so you can capture any improprieties or attempts at voter intimidation outside the entrances to polling precincts.

The Associated Press is reporting there may be a showdown in Iraqsoon

An uptick in airstrikes and other military moves point to an imminent showdown between U.S. forces and Sunni Muslim insurgents west of Baghdad -- a decisive battle that could determine whether the campaign to bring democracy and stability to Iraq can succeed.

After providing facts to support the showdown conclusion, the AP continues:

A series of policy mistakes by the U.S. military and the Bush administration have transformed Fallujah from a shabby, dusty backwater known regionally for mosques and tasty kebabs into a symbol of Arab pride and defiance of the United States throughout the Islamic world. (our emphasis)

A videotape obtained Tuesday by Associated Press Television News featured a warning by masked gunmen that if Fallujah is subjected to an all-out assault, they will strike "with weapons and military tactics" that the Americans and their allies "have not experienced before."

It's interesting that the AP's interpretation of Bush's policies are stated factually to be mistakes. There seems to be no other plausible explanation.

TChris has this topic covered so I'll just post a runner-up: In Memphis, a stool-pidgeon parrot is on the lam:

Fearing a parrot named Marshmallow could identify them, three thieves returned to the scene of the crime to silence the bird -- only to be caught by police.

After making off with a booty of DVD players, computers, radios, TVs and other electronic gear _ one of the suspects realized a parrot in the home had heard him using the nickname ``J. J.'' and was repeating it.

``They were afraid the bird would 'stool' on them,'' police Maj. Billy Garrett said.``They actually believed he could identify them.'' They decided to go back for the bird, loading it into the getaway car as police arrived on the scene. The chase ended in just a few blocks, with the men crashing their car.

The foot-tall parrot, with light green feathers, flew away when his cage broke open in the crash. It hasn't been seen since. Police charged Mark Martin, 18, Dallas Davis, 25, and Jarrin Hicks, 21, with aggravated burglary and evading arrest.

Three kids would like their pet parrot back. If you see it, drop a dime to the Memphis P.D.

We're not making this up, read it for yourself. An editor at American Conservative backs John Kerry for President. [Update: Edited to reflect that not all of the magazine's editors back Kerry]

Update: With Pictures.

On Thursday, October 28, 2004, Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry will be joined on the campaign trail by Bruce Springsteen for rallies in Madison, WI, and Columbus, OH. Springsteen is expected to perform one or two songs. Here are the details, as received from the Kerry campaign:

Six days left, there will probably be a doozy of a terror alert coming soon. It could even be this one.

Why?

When the government issues a terror warning, the president's approval rating increases an average of nearly three points, a Cornell University sociologist says.

Now #1 on MTV.

Watch it here Then go here and vote to keep it up there.

More viewing sites and lyrics available here.

Bush Be Gone...

Update: The best place I've found to watch it is here...no commercials, full screen, good sound.

by TChris

Katherine Harris is not-so-fondly remembered as the Secretary of State who did everything she could to disenfranchise Florida's Gore voters in 2000. Anger against Harris is understandable, but Barry Seltzer's reaction to the sight of Harris was a bit extreme: he pointed his car at her and stepped on the gas.

"I was exercising my political expression," [the police report] quoted him as saying. "I did not run them down, I scared them a little."

Seltzer swerved to avoid actually hitting Harris. He was arrested for "aggravated assault with a deadly weapon."