Phoenix Woman

The story so far: Jimmy goes to meet with Hamas, saying that the Bush people didn't object. Condi sez they did. Jimmy sez Condi's lying. Who should we believe? Judging from Condi's track record, it sure as hell ain't her.

One of my best friends was on a flight out of DC the other day. He had a chance to listen in on an interesting conversation between a former Judge Advocate-General and the JAG's two friends; all of them were West Point grads. The reason the JAG is a former JAG is this: That particular JAG was sickened at what has happened to the armed forces in the last few years, especially the last two.

Hello, everyone! This morning I'd like to share with you a recipe that, unlike Cindy McCain, I actually made my very own self and didn't rip off from a website: Chicken Asparagus Lasagna! Yes, it's got fat to beat the band. It's still good!

Dang it, I hate it when somebody from outside of the state breaks a local story first: Wonkette reports getting a tip from three different sources that freshman Minnesota GOP congresscritter Michele Bachmann has been observed playing footsie with another unnamed person, likely another rep, at her Financial Services Committee meetings. Bush is gonna be soooo jealous when he hears this!

Bush and Cheney and their friends are looking for a pretext to attack Iran, and aren't above making one up, as Dan Froomkin reminds us. And John McCain is parroting their garbage.

Dog bites man. Sun rises in east. The WaPo's Fred Hiatt tries to cover for Republicans. Watch Fred Hiatt make some fancy verbal footwork trying to hide the stinky dead elephant in the room that is John McCain's breaking campaign finance law.

Things that the US press freaked out over last week: OMG! Hillary lied about a sick woman! (Not really, as it turns out.) OMG! Barack was picking on people! (Not really, as it turns out.) Things that the US press did not freak out over: John McCain's breaking campaign finance law (though they did a number of pieces on public financing of political campaigns). Welcome to our 'fair and balanced' media.

A little bit of the night before for those of you struggling to make sense of the morning after: Fabulous Irish musician Peter Yeates and friends, doing it up brown on a little tune that is allegedly based on a true event. Seems that during wartime, the wood for barrels for alcoholic beverages was somewhat short, so barrels had to be reused whenever possible, and so some cider was

Yet another one of the wingnutosphere's Grand Mal Temper Tantrums blows up in their collective faces (h/t digby): An Iraqi judicial committee has dismissed terrorism-related allegations against Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein and ordered him released nearly two years after he was detained by the U.S. military. Hussein, 36, remained in custody at Camp Cropper, a U.S.

File this one under "If he was a Democrat this would be all over the evening news and drive-time radio": Louisiana Sen. David Vitter may be called to testify in the upcoming trial of a woman accused of running a high-end Washington prostitution ring. The Republican senator was identified Monday as one of several possible witnesses as jury selection began in the racketeering and money laundering case against Deborah Palfrey.