Kwan Signs Depilatory Endorsement Contract

Bush Pleads Ignorance - Again

Jack who?

Bush says pix just 'grip and grin'

By THOMAS M. DeFRANK and MICHAEL McAULIFF DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON - President Bush says he doesn't know Jack. That was his defense yesterday as reporters grilled him on why he won't release at least five photos of himself with crooked lobbyist Jack Abramoff. "I, frankly, don't even remember having my picture taken with the guy," Bush told reporters at the White House. "I don't know him." Abramoff, who raised more than $100,000 for Bush in 2004, has pleaded guilty to corruption charges and agreed to help with a Justice Department probe into the growing influence-peddling scandal. "Obviously, we went to fund-raisers, but I've never sat down with him and had a discussion with the guy," Bush said, suggesting the photos came from the many "grip-and-grin" sessions he does. He said releasing the shots of him and Abramoff would only give enemies an unfair weapon. [Bush's "I don't recall" defense is reminiscent of his tall tale about not knowing Kenny Boy Lay, disgraced CEO of Enron, until 1994] George W. Bush lied when he said that he first got to know Ken Lay in 1994 and that Ken Lay was a supporter of his opponent, Ann Richards. Actually, Lay first started contributing to GW's career back in 1978, and in fact gave GW three times as much money in 1994 as he did Ann Richards. http://www.hereinreality.com/enron.html

Impeach Now--Avoid the Rush

Most Want Bush

to Disclose Abramoff Links

By Richard Morin, Washington Post Staff Writer

[The stench of corruption emanating from the White House just won't go away. Even diehard Republicans can't stand the stink.]

A strong bipartisan majority of the public believes President Bush should disclose contacts between disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and White House staff members, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

The survey found that three in four -- 76 percent -- of Americans said Bush should release lists of all meetings between aides and Abramoff; 18 percent disagreed. Two in three Republicans joined with eight in 10 Democrats and political independents in favoring disclosure, according to the poll.

2,222 Have Not Died In Vain

Rove Explains Why U.S. Is in Iraq

It's not the non-existent WMDs--It's the GOP's only campaign issue

Forget the 2,222 U.S. soldiers who have died. They were cannon fodder for the "war on terror," which justifies everything from warrantless wiretaps to rightwing court nominees.

(AP)--Embattled White House adviser Karl Rove vowed Friday to make the war on terrorism a central campaign issue in November.

He also said Democratic senators looked "mean-spirited and small-minded" in questioning Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito.

"Republicans have a post-9/11 view of the world. And Democrats have a pre-9/11 view of the world," Rove told Republican activists. "That doesn't make them unpatriotic, not at all. But it does make them wrong deeply and profoundly and consistently wrong."

Walter Suggests Exit Strategy

Cronkite: Time for U.S. to Leave Iraq

By DAVID BAUDER , AP Television Writer

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- Former CBS anchor Walter Cronkite, whose 1968 conclusion that the Vietnam War was unwinnable keenly influenced public opinion then, said Sunday he'd say the same thing today about Iraq.

"It's my belief that we should get out now," Cronkite said in a meeting with reporters.

Now 89, the television journalist once known as "the most trusted man in America" has been off the "CBS Evening News" for nearly a quarter-century. He's still a CBS News employee, although he does little for them.

Cronkite said one of his proudest moments came at the end of a 1968 documentary he made following a visit to Vietnam during the Tet offensive. Urged by his boss to briefly set aside his objectivity to give his view of the situation, Cronkite said the war was unwinnable and that the U.S. should exit.

"We had an opportunity to say to the world and Iraqis after the hurricane disaster that Mother Nature has not treated us well and we find ourselves missing the amount of money it takes to help these poor people out of their homeless situation and rebuild some of our most important cities in the United States," he said. "Therefore, we are going to have to bring our troops home."

"I think we could have been able to retire with honor," he said. "In fact, I think we can retire with honor anyway."

Cronkite has spoken out against the Iraq war in the past, saying in 2004 that Americans weren't any safer because of the invasion.

Bush Rx for Disaster

President Tells Insurers to Aid Ailing Medicare Drug Plan
By Robert Pear, The New York Times

[From the man who wanted to revamp (trash) Social Security]

With tens of thousands of people unable to get medicines promised by Medicare, the Bush administration has told insurers that they must provide a 30-day supply of any drug that a beneficiary was previously taking, and it said that poor people must not be charged more than $5 for a covered drug.

The actions came after several states declared public health emergencies, and many states announced that they would step in to pay for prescriptions that should have been covered by the federal Medicare program.

Republicans have joined Democrats in asserting that the federal government botched the beginning of the prescription drug program, which started on Jan. 1. People who had signed up for coverage found that they were not on the government's list of subscribers. Insurers said they had no way to identify poor people entitled to extra help with their drug costs. Pharmacists spent hours on the telephone trying to reach insurance companies that administer the drug benefit under contract to Medicare.

Best Government Money Can Buy

Dozens of lawmakers jettison Abramoff donations

Republicans make up three quarters of those donating funds

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush and numerous lawmakers hastily jettisoned campaign donations linked to lobbyist Jack Abramoff on Wednesday as Republican Party officials pondered the impact of a spreading scandal on their 2006 election prospects.

"I wish it hadn't happened because it's not going to help us keep our majority," conceded Rep. Ralph Regula, R-Ohio.

W's Fantasy Land

"The main thrust of our success will be when the Iraqis are able to take the fight to the enemy that wants to stop their democracy and we're making darn good progress along those lines."
--George W. Bush

--------------------------------------------

The Harsh Reality

Reuters--Insurgent violence surged anew in Iraq. Two suicide bombers killed at least 129 people and wounded more than 200 in the cities of Karbala and Ramadi and five U.S. soldiers were also killed in a roadside bomb attack.

U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq: 2,187
WMDs Found in Iraq: 0
Saddam Hussein captured...but not terrorist attacker Osama bin Laden

Fuzzy Math

Bush Campaign Lightens Up

on Lobbyist's Money

President Bush's re-election campaign is giving up $6,000 in campaign contributions connected to lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who faced more guilty pleas as part of a broad-ranging political corruption investigation. Bush joined several lawmakers, including House Speaker Dennis Hastert and former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who have announced plans to donate Abramoff's campaign contributions to charity.

Abramoff raised at least $100,000 for the Bush-Cheney '04 re-election campaign, earning the honorary title "pioneer" from the campaign.

But the campaign is giving up only $6,000 directly from Abramoff, his wife and one of the Indian tribes that he worked to win influence for in Washington. Abramoff, his wife and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan each donated $2,000 to the Bush campaign, said Republican National Committee spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt. The rest of the money that Abramoff brought in was from other individuals whom he encouraged to donate to Bush.