what would i do??

(another quick update - i'm mostly busy with the DeLay/Chron issue)

AMDOM
* ""I believe we have a fair and independent judiciary today," said Frist, now trying to resolve a battle with Democrats over judicial nominations that threatens to tie his chamber into knots. "I respect that."" LINK
the good doctor... frist, do no harm

* im sure dbrooks writes stuff like this just for fun: "Conservatives have not triumphed because they have built a disciplined and efficient message machine. Conservatives have thrived because they are split into feuding factions that squabble incessantly... In disunity there is strength." LINK
strength is also to be found in having a favourite philosopher.

* man, DeLay is getting slammed *everywhere*. first me, now WaPo and NYT ;-)

* "Remember: if there's no judge, there's no verdict." LINK

* juancole: " Hilary has started giving that disgusting standard AIPAC stump speach that Fritz Hollings told us is distributed to you as soon as you get elected to Congress." LINK

PAPALISM
* davidcorn wants to know whether the pope is in heaven. which is more difficult to answer than 'is the pope a catholic?' LINK

* for some reason im reminded of joseph cannons hilarious talking jesus doll which asks "what would i do?" (in aramaic) LINK

* btw - is there something culture-of-death-ish about 3million folk lining up to see a dead pope?


WAR
* wesley clarke: 'the aim was to punish Asad's regime and topple it, and likewise with Iran.
The problem with this idea of using Iraq as a springboard to finish off the regimes in Damascus and Tehran is that Bush has given Syria and Iran every reason to interfere with a soft landing of the US (in Iraq)' LINK

* juancole: "Enough security to allow a meeting of the (Iraqi) parliament was achieved, however, only by closing major bridges in and out of Baghdad and placing restrictions on the circulation of drivers in the capital. Member of parliament and cleric, Shaikh Hussein al-Sadr, warned that such measures invonvenience Baghdadi shopkeepers and others and could produce dislike for the parliament if they continued (ash-Sharq al-Awsat). Meanwhile, journalists complained about being locked out of the proceedings." LINK

OTHER
* "The survey of those who describe themselves as “absolutely certain” to vote puts Michael Howard's party on 39 per cent, Labour on 34 per cent, and Charles Kennedy and the Liberal Democrats on 21 per cent.
The Conservatives' five-point lead is a sharp improvement on MORI's poll on March 24, when the two main parties were neck and neck on 37 points each." LINK
in other news, tradesports still has blair @ 90.