One of Maya's adorable monkeyfeet 

"Doc, I'd like you to reconsider the silly hat prescription."  

See Mom, all gone. 

We imagine you can figure out what's going on over that well-staged shoulder.

Grandma Phyllis and Maya - the connection begins 

Maya Audio Update, Day 2

Maya shows Aunt Katie her kung-fu grip 3 hours after arrival 

Maya Ward Magnuson Arrives

Labor Update

And so it begins...

This morning we head to the hospital.

Actually, we're having an induction and it may take a few days to deliver. Or we may get rolling very quickly. There's no guarantee of timing. But we know that MiniMag's looking and feeling good although apparently he/she's a bit too comfy in utero. So we're gonna give him/her a tiny kick in the butt. Our bag is packed and the apartment's essentially ready for us to bring home a new, loud, demanding roommate who we can expect will never make dinner or clean up even a little bit or pay for anything. We can't wait.

Like most new parents-to-be, we've spent countless hours discussing what we hope for our child and how we'd best like to achieve those desires. Of course now all that's out the window. And concerns are coming to mind that our offspring might grow up to be like this guy or this chick or that fella...well, I suppose you can't control everything.

Send us your best thoughts. Sarah's been a stud all the way through this adventure thus far. I've become the sort of cheeseball who gets all choked up watching air freshener and GE commercials. We all have our roles in these things. I'll post an audio file or two once this show really presents itself. Rock on.

Why is Pooty-Poot so Pouty?

A Gannon-Free Morning Rundown

Even with Bush in Europe stirring up the beehives in both Iran and Russia, it smells like a pretty slow news cycle. 2 more U.S. soldiers were killed by separate attacks in Iraq, bringing that total perilously close to 1500 killed since the War began nearly 2 years ago. 2 British soldiers were convicted of abusing prisoners in Iraq. And the Coalition of the Willing just got 450 more troops committed by Australia, to the dismay of many Down Under. These should be big stories in any sort of normal world. But when they're below the fold of Jacko's jury selection, pre-Oscars senselessness, Prince Chuckles' wedding controversy and the Pope's latest near-death watch, we're all becoming dangerously averse to anything but triviality.

So...in other stupid news:

Randy Moss has been traded to the Raiders. Drew Bledsoe has signed in Big D. And chasing tennis balls in Dubai appears to be a really bad idea.

Hunter S. Thompson's funereal wishes will be honored. He wanted his ashes to be shot out of a cannon. No word yet on where it will be aimed.

And today's Abe Vigoda's 84th birthday. Like I said, slow news day.

MiniMag's gonna get assessed again this afternoon. We may schedule an induction. Or maybe we'll wait until after the Oscars. We'll keep you posted.

Borrrrrrrrrrrr-innnnnnnnnnng!

Uncle Bucky Sure Got Lucky

Barry Bonds just gets weirder and weirder. He spoke to the media at Spring Training yesterday for the first time since the off-season steroids scandal became Story #1 for baseball. He was dismissive, evasive and deranged. He compared questions about his steroid use to old episodes of "Sanford and Son." He called all reporters liars, told all humans to "clean their closets," and said that he won't let questions of his steroid use "ruin his joy." He's cracked. Never liked him, but now I'm actively rooting against him. Almost makes me mad that I was there last season when he hit his 700th. Almost. But that's part of the problem - people are still interested in seeing him hit the snot out of the ball and chase baseball's most cherished record. Or maybe it's the expectation that he's a trainwreck waiting to happen if another steroid allegation surfaces. Whatever the rationale, I for one won't let Bonds off the hook. There's a great deal of excitement surrounding the Giants this season. So check back - I'll be watching while still lamenting the soon-to-be disaster that will be the Milwaukee Brewers again this year.

Bush confused Europe and most of the world yesterday with his comment that it was "ridiculous" to think that the U.S. is planning to attack Iran. Immediately thereafter, he contradicted himself by saying that "all options are on the table." The LATimes reported that this flip-flop caused the crowd to laugh openly. And then today in Germany he tried to clarify, but only dug a more deeply confusing hole. That's what he gets for trying to talk off-the-cuff.

Who knew Dubya had an "Uncle Bucky" Bush? Never heard of the fella until today when the LATimes ran a piece about how he profitted from investments related to the so-called reconstruction in Iraq. Ol' Bucky made $450K. Not exactly Halliburton scratch, but not too shabby.

Salon ran a decent Gannongate piece today itemizing the day passes details of JD/Jeff's special treatment. For those of you that just can't get enough, this fills in good background with the text from the Congressional Press Office as to why Gannon/Guckert was not eligible for a Congressional Pass. Nice quotes also provided by interviewing Joe Lockhart (one of Clinton's Press Secretaries).

I'm still fighting to keep down my breakfast after reading this one - Ron Silver (has-been actor, freak) is reportedly dating the always disgusting Ann Coulter (soulless vixen, freak). Sorry to be the one to tell you.

MiniMag update - everything looks good, although Sarah's now 8 days late. Full Moon might tip the balance. Hopefully.

Gavin Courts the Heiress Vote

Looks like the geniuses behind the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth have a new target. Believe it or not, it's the AARP. The ad above is running on American Spectator's website. The angle appears to be something crazy about how they're anti-soldier, pro-gay marriage. Or maybe the elderly disproportionately favor formalwear. The reason for this outrage? Dubya's Social Security reform plan, which AARP openly opposes.

Gannongate now has a cheesy parody song. JD/Jeff certainly has arrived.

Looks like one of the numbers hacked from Paris Hilton's cell phone was none other than San Francisco's dreamy Mayor Gavin Newsome. Here at ATFb we certainly don't endorse publishing hacked or phreaked info. And by "we" I mean me. But this story is simply too juicy to pass up.

And to repeat a consistent update, still no baby. MiniMag's now one week late. Sarah's doing well, and we've got an appointment today to check out wassup wit dat. Check back for updates - we'll keep you posted.

No Answers, Just More Questions

The WashingtonPost has a story on Iraqi prisons that I've seen no mention of recently. Apparently, a large prisoner riot on January 31st led to a handful of deaths and a need to re-examine how the US Military is handling this rising tide. Ugly details and ominous forecasts throughout.

Hendrik Hertzberg gives a downer rundown of Gannongate (or "Nothinggate" as he predicted). Skillfully presented and a great primer for any of the handful of people out there interested yet uninformed about this brouhaha. Unfortunately, Hertzberg never touches on the elements that really matter - what classified materials and special access Gannon/Guckert was given. But the comparison to Travelgate in the Clinton WH is worth the trip.

I missed the Gannongate debate on Howie Kurtz's "Reliable Sources" yesterday. The transcript offers some tasty morsels of gay-bating counterspin from a "right wing blogger" (John Hinderaker, Powerlineblog.com). And some very interesting defenses of the reporting on JD/Jeff from bloggers (including John Aravosis, Ameriblog.com). My one conclusion - Kurtz is increasingly a pain in the ass. I remember seeing him struggling with his laptop all the way through a Howard Dean rally in Lebanon, NH last January before the Dem Primary. In other words, I have a hard time seeing him as a stellar example of professional reportage. Well-placed doofus is more like it.

Scott "My Brother's a Doctor And All I Got Was This T-shirt" McClellan tries to clear up the way Gannon/Guckert got his day pass in an interview with Editor & Publisher that went live on Friday. Sounds like more buck-passing to me. In effect, he blamed the day pass approvals for JD/Jeff on an unnamed assistant. They'll probably next say he/she was a temp.

All sorts of Hunter S. Thompson obits are running throughout the mediasphere this morning. My favorite Hunter quote sums it up for me:

"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence or insanity to anyone . . . but they've always worked for me."

He really lost it over, well, the last handful of decades. But the occasional nugget of deranged truth made his mountains of prose always worth the read. I'm sure he just couldn't stand the thought of another Dubya term. Or maybe the bats finally swooped low enough to really get to him. Whatever caused him to shoot himself, Hunter will be missed.

The Legend, The Loss, The Consideration of Where His Keys May Be... 

Gonzo's Dead...Long Live Journalism

I'm going to bed soon - not much to say about that. But the first reports of Hunter S. Thompson's assumed suicide are crossing the wires. I always admired what he accomplished, no matter how drug-addled and often messily arranged. Losing him would be a tragedy at any point in history's advance. Now it seems all the more apt. Gonzo journalism must live, no matter what Hunter's mind might have told him in the end. Sleep well, you crazy, brilliant freak.

Dubya Dug Weed

Bush's private conversations from back in '98 with a (soon-to-be-audited) pal are making the rounds this morning. He should have known better given that he was talking to someone named "Doug Wead" (or, as I'm sure the Nicknamer in Chief knew him then, "Dug Weed"). A vague inference that Dubya smoked pot is probably the most salacious, although his praise of Ashcroft's stature is most disturbing. But the story will probably be nothing more than a brief distraction before being cast into the bottomless pit of Dubya's past excessive par-tay-ing releases. Still, I'm sure the Bushies are glad he's on Spring Break in Europe when this one hit the wires.

Drudge went decidedly low-brow this morning with the exclusive that Paris Hilton's cell phone was hacked recently. A wide array of celebs private numbers were then posted on the internet. What a disgusting invasion of privacy. But if you're looking for Lindsey Lohan, Bennifer or Eminem's digits, let me know.

In the obligatory Gannongate update, JD/Jeff is now trying to threaten everyone with lawsuits that somehow will address his "political assassination." While I appreciate his spunkiness and continuing hilarity, if anything, his downfall was a suicide. A hypocritical, steeped-in-denail, tax-evading, law-breaking, caught with a $200/hour gay prostitute suicide. But with the mainstream media increasingly picking up the trail of Gannon/Guckert's questionable past, he better fire-up that the team of lawyers. They're gonna be awfully busy.

Time for all of us to put down the papers and return to our Daytona 5-Hunnerd tailgate parties. The SupaDupa Bowl of speed and light beers and Lynerd Skynerd coverbands. This hazy nostalgia reminds me of my favorite unintentionally hilarious sports-figure name of all-time. Fellow 'Sconi native - NASCAR Legend Dick Trickle. Oh, how I miss his name in the sports pages. See y'all in the parking lot after the race.

Anderson Cooper - Hard-nosed journalist?

Guckert/Gannon on Anderson Cooper 360 was a study in evasive hilarity. In short, the blame goes round and round, from JD/Jeff's POV, but somehow never falls at his feet. The White House approved his fake background. GOPUSA (the group that funded the fake news site he worked for) got him his credentials. Questions about the classified material he appears to have gotten access to garner responses about how "my opponents have tried to attack me with tactics heretofore unseen." His life has been "turned upside down and inside out" (would love to see how much he used to charge for those maneuvers). As if we should feel bad about outing this HotMilitaryStud. And I'm afraid Guckert/Gannon is fooling himself if he thinks anyone will give him protective cover using the standard rightwing reactionary shtick. Don't expect Ann Coulter to be singing his praises anytime soon. Regardless, his dissembling thanks to a surprisingly aggressive Anderson was fun to watch.

Rumsfeld's Lunchtime Shall Not Be Delayed, Puny Humans!

For all of those readers out there looking for a Lieutenant Guv race to focus their political junkie habit on, Ralph Reed has thrown his hat into the ring in Georgia. The incumbent (Mark Taylor - D) is planning to run next year against the current Guv, Sonny Perdue (R). Ralphie should be a hoot in that race - watch for Georgia Dems to push the Fed investigation into his connection with a casino scandal to the forefront of the debate.

Rummy got all pissy and walked out on the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday. Obviously, he's losing that shallow veneer of tolerance for piddly questioning about massive military failures and missile defense inopertiveness. I'm still waiting for his "you can't handle the truth!" moment to be caught on camera. 'Cause you know it's coming...

Joe Conason digs deeper into Gannon/Guckert's shady past in a posting on Salon today. It dates back to the Daschle/Thune Senate race and itemizes how Jeff/JD served as a GOP hitman in airing unsubstantiated attacks. There's certainly more of this sort of stuff to come.

And in baby news...well, we're still waiting. Updates to come when the situation changes.

Gannon - "just as legitimate as some of the fringe organizations in the room."

The title of this post is an astonishing verbatim "how the phuck can he say THAT" quote taken directly from Ari Fleischer's interview with "Editor and Publisher" regarding Gannongate. I'm utterly appalled. To downplay the insult of this jerk's credentialing inappropriately downplays...oh, screw it...Guckert's a perv. No matter what weirdly indignant flip-floppy (no pun intended) conservatives with a big "C" might say, guys like JD shouldn't get anywhere near the White House press briefing room. Yet Ari's offhanded dismissal of this growing story and the terrible implications of letting someone as despicable as Guckert into the White House is enough to make me reluctantly miss that deplorable lunkhead. Ari was incomparably threatening to American freedoms, time and time and time again. Yet...at least he dished some marginally-fascist, usable quotes every fortnight or so. Scott McClellan, on the entirely other hand, should be exiled back to Austin just for being such an insufferable, inconsiderate, uninteresting bore. If he were any more impossible to watch, he'd be a sitcom on CBS. Rimshot.

Gannongate Swings Wider

The Guckert/Gannon story continues to unravel. I'm sounding like a broken record, but I can't help being taken with this fascinating example of the extremes the Bushies will go to in hopes of manipulating the news. Frank Rich and Maureen Dowd weigh in today with typically well-written columns - Dowd's difficulty getting a White House press pass is essential reading to understand the special treatment Guckert received. But the bloggers are the real news hounds in this hunt. DailyKos has put together decent timeline answers, Media Matters has termed it "Gannongate" (knew that one was coming), and everyone with a computer seems to be commenting on the hilarious Daily Show segment on the story last night. You can watch it here - be forewarned that it's a sizable chunk to download.

Bush is getting ready to announce his pick for National Intelligence Director. If it's John Negroponte - currently our Ambassador to Iraq - I hope someone does a bit more on his background during the Reagan Administration and his part in channeling covert support to the Contras. Scary dude. Not the sort of person to have his fingers in everybody's bizness.

Grandma Phyllis gauges her overdue Grandson/Daughter 

Miller, Cooper and the NHL Get Iced

Still no baby, for those of you wondering. Gramma-to-be Phyllis got to town yesterday (see the pic above). Sarah's hoping this puppy drops ASAP, yet she still looks wonderful.

Looks like the NHL's done for this year. Too bad. Great sport, mainly if you live in Canada, Vermont or...well, either of those places. If you live near that unprotected Northern border, however, please be extra alert - an invasion is more possible now than at any time since the wild crossover success of Bob and Doug McKenzie.

Pitchers and catchers report this week for MLB Spring Training. Ironically, Jose Conseco also will report this week to his libel lawyers' offices for a number of weeks of intensive grilling. Many people seem to care about the Nats getting the ball rolling for DC. But by many, I mean a bit more than a handful. Still, it sure beats Quebec.

JD Guckert's still free to go about his greasy bidness, but it appears that fellow complicit Valerie Plame hacksters Judith Miller and Matthew Cooper may be going to jail. To be fair, Miller and Cooper never printed anything about Plame or even showed their penises to the world. But I'm of the mind that they should just tell the Feds who gave them the illegal info on Plame to damage her husband, Joseph Wilson. Sure, they'll be audited for the next 20 years and probably have a bugs planted in their anuses (or would that be "ani"?) in stealthy nighttime raids on their toney DC townhouses. But it makes more sense to deal with that shameful, unconstitutional discomfort than to allow the Bushies to hide their dirty tricks behind your journalistic ethics. If you don't know the backstory, a good primer came up in yesterday's White House briefing.

Oh, and it now appears quite obviously that JD Guckert/Jeff Gannon was in the White House well before there was a fake news organization for him to work with. Me thinkee this will get much more stinkee.

I just saw GOP Senate Staffer Robert Traynham on CNN's "Inside Politics" make a big deal of Ho-Ho Dean saying something hamfisted last Friday about Republicans not being able to get many African-Americans in a conference room unless they're "hotel staff." Maybe Dean tried to make a lame-ass funny. Maybe he made a faux pas. But Traynham (who is African-American, and an obvious conservative with a big "C") impresses me not even the slightest smidge with his mock indignation. Especially when he cited a handful of states (Florida, Pennslyvania...um, Moronia) that in '04 voted "in double digits" for Dubya. So 10% now is the benchmark for "foul!" cries? If so, as one of the more than 10% of people that believe Paula Abdul is an obvious Percocet addict, I call on FOX to dump her from the panel of judges for "American Idol" or they will rue the loss of my viewership. Beeyatch. As implied, Traynham and I are equally well-positioned and utterly delusional in our attacks.

Greenspan threw some cold water on Dubya's Social Security plan today in testimony before Congress. Which leads me to ask, has ANYONE come out to endorse this plan? If you've got links or thoughts in that regard, please let me know.

A (Loosely Justifiable) Opportunity to Mention the Brew Crew

Finally someone in Congress is turning up the flame on what's really worth questioning in the JD Guckert saga. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) deserves a cookie for being that someone.

Someone's missile did not fire on Valentine's Day. Sorry - tasteless joke. Especially when we're talking about yet another failed $85M test of our "missile defense" program that will cost all of us $8.8B through 2006. Call it a jobs program, Dubya, and you might convince a few more of those drinking your Kool Aid that it's actually worth it.

More steroids silliness (Giambi again this time), proving that the teams are just as complicit as the players' association. Makes me long for the days of the '82 Brewers, when being juiced up meant full of Blatz but still ready to play.

A Last Minute Valentine or Two

A good friend (thanks for the link, Bob) just forwarded the wedding registry for Mary Kay Letourneau (as Bob termed her, "the greatest 7th Grade Teacher of All Time") and her betrothed, Vili Fualaau. So if you don't have a twoo wuv to shower with gifts, these crazy kid(s) would surely appreciate a butter dish.

If you're surfing the internet with your kids, shame on you. But when they've gone to bed, you'll maybe wanna check out JD "Jeff Gannon's Much Easier to Pronounce" Guckert's hot lovin' as showcased by one of the many blogs tracking his lies. Many of you may find this level of obsessive reporting inappropriately vindictive. Some might say that JD's getting precisely what he deserves for being such a hypocrite and conservative tool (no pun intended). Personally, I don't think the legs on this jerk's story have even begun to run their full course. Gay porn has its place in the world, as does conservative with a big "C" commentary. Combine them, and everyone that would normally be interested gets uncomfortable.

Newsflash - And They Fly On Jetplanes To See One Another!

The Bushies officially send their Happy Valentine's Day message to Congress today in the form of a $82B supplemental defense funding bill for Iraq and Afghanistan operations.

The Iraqi elections results are in, but the results are certainly a matter of interpretive debate. Robin Wright seems to think the results indicate major disappointments for the NeoCons. The BBC briefly sums up British reaction as mixed. The Arab world (a tough thing for anyone to sum up) is much more vehemently debating the success or failure. A Turkish paper I'd not looked at previously offered this disturbingly logical nugget - "(a)ccording to the results, Sunnis are expected to have only five seats." That's out of 275, for 20% of the nation's population. Whatever the most telling analyses may hold, I'm among those that believe the easy part is now past. Calling this an historic achievement is like calling the Declaration of Independence the end of the Revolutionary War. Forming the coalitions necessary to govern and pull together 2/3rds of those 275 seats to elect a President and two Deputy Presidents will be a bitch.

Salon posted a thoughtful piece on Dubya's Social Security strategies. If past efforts by the Bushies (aim high and then quietly change tactics completely to take eventual credit) hold true in this case, we may see some measure of their "reform" after all. They do hold majorities in Congress and the Dems are pretty gawddamn weak-kneed far too much of the time. Watching Charlie Rangel (D-NY) on "Meet the Press" yesterday, however, makes that self-loathing analysis still seem pretty unlikely.

Drudge holds true to his Walter Winchell era thinking by trying to make a big deal out of Judy Dean's intention to stay in Vermont with her medical practice while Howie heads to DC (part-time, it must be said to clarify). Newsflash, Matt - women DO work. A tip of the fedora to the Deans for making that reality a bit more high-profile.

The NYTimes tries to get all up in the blogosphere's grill with a piece about "trophy hunting" and the resignation of Eason Jordan from CNN. How they could publish this piece without doing equal time on JD Guckert's dismantling is a mystery. Still, I don't really give a crap about the mainstream worrying about the gnats flying around their backsides.

I'm sounding like a broken record even though we're not "due" until tomorrow, but there's no baby yet. We've got an office appointment later this morning to suss out where things stand. I'll spare everyone the details, especially given that my in-laws may well be reading this somewhere. Rest assured that we'll let everyone know as soon as the adventure unfolds. Be well.

Spying on Tomorrow's Papers

Dean won fair and square. So maybe now I should dump the blog I half-heartedly started before the New Hampshire Primary last year. Nah. Someday JD Guckert may want to buy the domain name from me, given the limitless possibilities for his future that he continues to allude to.

Even if you couldn't care less about the steroids scandal bitchslappin' Major League Baseball's most treasured recent icons, I strongly suggest watching the trainwreck that is Jose Conseco's life on "60 Minutes" tomorrow night. The story in today's SF Chronicle outlining some of the more incriminating claims in his shlockbuster book is also worth a quick perusal. Here, in the City at the Heart of the Scandal, I must say that I'm truly paying attention. Elsewhere, I'm not so sure.

Drudge just pooped out a WashingtonPost scoop about a "US military using drone planes to spy in Iran" story from tomorrow's paper.

Grody story of Gitmo abuse also coming out in tomorrow's NYTimes. And the hits just keep on comin'...

Still no baby. We spent an hour or so this afternoon shopping for maternity bras. I encouraged Sarah to go with the leopard print. Surprisingly, no SpongeBob endorsed designs were available. James Dobson must have been right.

Childish PhotoShop Professionals Rejoice! YEEAARRGGHH!! 

An Appeal From a Friend

A good friend is doing the sort of thing so few of us do - venturing outside America's borders to offer help to the World's most unfortunate. I'm most assuredly NOT talking about Iraq, even though I hold nothing against those soldiers forced to go there and deal with someone else's mess. No, this friend (Josh Bycel, a writer who really embodies all the best that selflessness can be) is going to help in Africa with the refugee disaster spilling over the borders from Sudan. I can't do a better job than Josh in summing up his aims, so I'm posting his letter hereafter. Yes, people - he's trying to raise funds to contribute in the effort he's joining in Chad. But those funds are tax-deductible and entirely good for your karmic sense of self. All the appropriate contact info follows, but let me know if you have questions/comments/well-wishes you want me to pass along.
_________________________________________________________________
Dear Friends,

I am going to Chad. Yes, Chad. In Africa. It is one of the poorest countries in the world today…and yet one of the most generous. I’m going and I need your help. I am going to Chad this April because over the last year 200,000 people have gone there before me. These people are refugees fleeing the horrors of civil war and genocide in the Darfur region of western Sudan. They have lost everything. And those are the lucky ones. 100,000 people have been slaughtered in what the United Nations calls the “worst humanitarian crisis in the world today.”
I am going to Chad because I don’t agree with the belief that Americans care only about themselves. I know in my heart we all have a passion for idealism - a desire to make an impact in the world. Just look at the amazing outpour of support for the victims of the tsunami. This might be a naïve attitude but I really believe what we do and say still matters around the world.
I am going because over half of the refugees in Chad are children. One of my passions in life is working with and helping kids. Seeing the pictures of the haunted, yet still smiling refugee children made me realize that I must do my best to make everyone understand…Chad is ground zero in the fight to save the youth of the world.
I am not a doctor or aid worker and there’s a reason “Sitcom Writers Without Borders” hasn’t been created. But I am going to raise money for -- and awareness of -- the people who are the true heroes…the doctors, nurses, and aid workers of the International Medical Corps (IMC). THIS IS WHERE YOU COME IN.
I have committed to raising at least $50,000 for IMC. While in Chad, I will be volunteering with the IMC. The money I raise will go directly towards immunizing children, caring for pregnant women, providing food and water and, most importantly, building a small hospital to care for over 200,000 refugees and 100,000 Chadians.
I am paying my own way on this trip. Every penny I raise goes straight to the Sudan/Chad Relief fund. I know this is a hard time but I ask you to be as generous as you can. I am donating $2500 but any amount will make a profound difference.
You’re TAX-DEDUCTIBLE donation can be done online at https://www.imcworldwide.org/onlinedonation.shtml (designate it Chad Relief and when asked who told you about IMC, put “Josh Bycel”) or you can send your contribution directly to the International Medical Corps at 1919 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, Ca. 90404-1950. Designate it “Sudan Relief Fund – Bycel Project.”
Don Cheadle, star of the powerful new film “Hotel Rwanda”, said, about his recent trip to Chad and the Sudan, “It’s one thing to show the numbers and think about it as statistics, and another thing to actually touch these people and hear their stories and really share with them on a human
level.” That is why I am going to Chad.
If you are interested in donating or have any questions about my trip or IMC, please let me know. I would also ask you to forward this email to anyone you think might be interested in donating. Thanks for taking the time to read this letter.

Josh

__________________________________________________________
Thanks Josh. And best of luck.

Guckert Muck - The Gift That Keeps On Giving

The DC Dems are mounting a snotty defense of the Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). While the rest of the country yawns, Howie Kurtz takes a look at the fundraising letter that got Harry all steamed as well as some sent out recently by the DNC. If you're a political junkie, it's worth a looksie just to see how "the permanent campaign" has become even more intense. And piddly.

Speaking of "permanent campaign," it's all over but the whining for Howard Dean's ascension to the DNC Chair (the official vote is Saturday). Nothing really surprising in the spin thus far. Dan Balz gets a quote from an unnamed labor official that reads: "The question for all of us is, will he act as chairman of the Democratic Party or president of the Democrats, and what makes people nervous is the latter." Various papers give all-over-the-map ratings of thumbs up (Houston Chronicle), mocking "Scream" references (New York Post), and loads of bad-pun headlines using some sort of "Dean of the Party" shtick (Seattle P-I). I just hope someone buys him a few more shirts that fit his neck as a welcoming gift to the job.

The blogosphere continues to run with the Jeff Gannon/JD Guckert story. I saw Guckert (his real name - he said he chose the psuedonym Gannon because "it's easier to pronounce") interviewed by Wolf Blitzer yesterday afternoon. What a shifty, unapologetic sleazeball (Guckert, not Wolf who's just a well-groomed joke). And now Guckert's trying to claim that he's entertaining offers to work for other conservative shilltanks. If the Plame story continues to flame up in Guckert's direction, I doubt anyone will take a chance on him. But that's probably just wishful thinking. Regardless, it's good to know that JD's got those creepy domain names to fall back on to support "his family" (as described to Wolf, "family" means his mother, brother and sister-in-law). Hotmilitarystud.com seems the most promising, but I'm sure there are some other winners in the list.

A friend in Boston (thanks for the link, Ben) sent along an online diary by another Eric Magnuson that he stumbled upon when Googling for a specific guitar he's coveting. Lots of strip club and asian food menu descriptions from this goofball's "Adventures." I don't endorse his observations, but I do endorse his silliness as a perfect way to waste 10 minutes of your otherwise valuable time.

Still no baby on this end. So we're distracting ourselves by doing our taxes, hanging up pictures around the apartment and enjoying the San Francisco February weather. Pics to come as soon as there's something worth shooting besides Sarah's epic belly.

More Gannon Scrutiny

Jeff Gannon responded to "Editor & Publisher" last Friday with a previously undisclosed snotty sidestep of his past indiscretions as a White House shill. The piece published today including Congressional criticism of Gannon's status and prior affiliations is essential for understanding the ugly untold reality of this story. The only person that I can see being happy with this cascading poopstorm - Anthony Williams.

Gannon Goes Buh-bye

So Jeff Gannon's gone silent. Good riddance. MediaCitizen goes a great summation of how he fell apart under scrutiny, although many others are taking chunks out of the story as well. TalonNews has dumped Gannon's stories from their archives. And the blogosphere claims another victim of his or her own verifiable hypocrisy.

But before it fades away, there are a ton of questions to ask. Such as how did Gannon get access to a CIA memo no other press person could have legitimately found? Where will Gannon show up next? Will Gannon be forced to respond for his hackwork for the Bushies on Joseph Wilson (read Wilson's interview with SusanG from DailyKos if you read nothing else about this sumbitch)? And will conservatives with a big "C" throw him to the wolves because of his alleged homosexuality?

JD Guckert - Sexy Creepy Stealthy Bushie

The Budget should, once again, be the only story worth mentioning this morning. Josh Bolton appeared before Congress to frame the shell game, and everyone's playing the relevancy game, with regard to those programs that are hit or missed. I'm gonna sit back, read WAY too much background, and toss out there the stories I think need a moment of attention in your otherwise bizzy lives. No baby yet on this end, but thanks for asking. Trust us - we'll post all the shmutziest photos as soon as the FCC clears them post-delivery. Please check back.

My prior rant about White House-approved-plant Jeff Gannon and the collective disapproval of millions of Americans seem to have only emboldened this douchebag. Even though further "exposure" will probably only further encourage him, I suggest bookmarking his blog. Tracking how long he actually stays in the game might be rather fun. Oh, and all you puritans that believe that conservatives with a big "C" better reflect family values...look at this creep's personal webpage on AOL. My bet is that he'll last at best another month in DC and we'll be hearing very little from him thereafter. But for the time being, he's (barely) worth watching. I'm gonna email him this post to see if he will take my challenge to answer one question - "are you now, or have you ever been, JD Guckert?" If he takes that question, I'll eat a Minnesota Vikings hat. But I'm just one of hundreds of concerned viewers out there trying to discern what he wants to broadcast to our children. Still, great to see that Republican operatives represent a wide open and shirtless tent.

NFL Hall of Fame Inductee Fritz Pollard deserves every bit of that honor. Please read the rundown in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel of his years with the (formerly) NFL Badgers and otherwise. This induction represents long-overdue props to an entirely worthy era and the man most in need of mention from then.

Nobody can better assess Howard Dean's ascendancy than the handful of Vermont news organizations still on the story. I respect the Rutland News Herald, even though they sold out in cooperating with the Montpelier Times-Argus. I'm sure you feel the same.

The pager really diverts the eye - don't ya think? 

Much Better, Thank You Sir!

This is being bounced all over the blogosphere as taken directly from a White House transcript. Rightly so. Dubya's thinking on Social Security is certainly "muddled" when it comes to what he can and/or does say to even his handpicked crowds of supporters. If you don't believe me, check out the whole event's text that is most undeniably at its ugliest in this answer. Vintage silliness from Our Prezidant.

Q -- how is it the new plan is going to fix that problem?

THE PRESIDENT: Because the -- all which is on the table begins to address the big cost drivers. For example, how benefits are calculate, for example, is on the table; whether or not benefits rise based upon wage increases or price increases. There's a series of parts of the formula that are being considered. And when you couple that, those different cost drivers, affecting those -- changing those with personal accounts, the idea is to get what has been promised more likely to be -- or closer delivered to what has been promised.

Does that make any sense to you? It's kind of muddled. Look, there's a series of things that cause the -- like, for example, benefits are calculated based upon the increase of wages, as opposed to the increase of prices. Some have suggested that we calculate -- the benefits will rise based upon inflation, as opposed to wage increases. There is a reform that would help solve the red if that were put into effect. In other words, how fast benefits grow, how fast the promised benefits grow, if those -- if that growth is affected, it will help on the red.

Okay, better? I'll keep working on it. (Laughter.)

A New Kind of Budgetary Conservativeness

It appears that the new Bushie budget ain't so conservative with a big "C" after all. $2.57 trillion with a big "T" leaving a $420B+ projected deficit even with the paltry $15B saved by slashing 150 current Federal programs. Not to mention the extra $80B defense supplemental already released for Iraq/Afganistan/pre-Iran outside of this tally - call the deficit a round Half a Trill and we're using their best-case-scenario projections. Plus, for the long-term to make things fair and indefensibly disastrous for our children, let's make the disproportionately upper-bracket tax cuts permanent. Bushonomics. The new fuzzy math.

A Whole Lotta Bull Again This Year

Budget battles are well underway already after the Bushies dumped their omni-juggle for '05 on the Congress. Condi's ready to announce diplomatic headway in the Middle East in her first week on the job - a cease-fire between the Israelis and Palestinians is set to be conveniently unfurled tomorrow. And apparently Dubya believes that books are a great escape, particularly when those books feature ridiculously labored descriptions of sex and hard-partying in college. So, so many important stories hit the wires today.

But in our little slice of the BlueStates, the SupaDupa Bowl is still the freshest morsel in our coversational Igloo cooler. We had a party at our apartment, figuring weeks ago that if we made it this close to Sarah's due date, all would be well and we'd be psyched to have invited folks into the fold for one last mixer. So we feel especially lucky to have been blessed with varied and hilarious guests, a great game, piles of delicious grub, and tons of fun asides that had little to do with football. The Patriots are a class act that deserved to win even with one musket tied behind their backs. The Eagles were a damn good bunch of losers, even if Donovan McNabb stunk up the house like a burnt bowl of Cambell's Chunky Sirloin Steak soup. The in-game commericals were toned down somewhat after last year's incessantly-mentioned, rather-shocking nipple sighting. The Bud Light skydiving commercial and surprising dinner ad from AmeriQuest were the faves on this Coast by a healthy margin. But FOX still managed to push the bounds of tastelessness to new, hypocritical extremes. Not more than 5 minutes after the game ended (and one must assume the FCC's spotlighted scrutiny dimmed), they aired here in SF a widely-criticized Carl's Jr. ad from LAST YEAR featuring a cheesily-dressed woman eating a greasy hamburger while grinding out a ride on a mechanical bull. For knee-jerk examples of last year's outrage, look here and here and here. For this year's outrage...good luck finding it. The election's over, McCartney kept his pants on, flag-waving jingoism was everywhere, and freedom is on the march. Except for places like here and here and here. But who pays attention to that sort of stuff when SportsCenter is on.

"Mad Dog" Mattis and His Bosses Have Some Fun

A few obvious stories to warm up this morning...

So Rumsfeld now says he "has no regrets" about how the Abu Gharib scandal exposed American abuses. And he claims he submitted his resignation, twice, but Bush wouldn't accept it. Well, ya know Donnie, THREE's usually a charm.

Condi's making news in England right out of the starting gate, talking down "the unelected mullahs in Iran" while privately announcing that the U.S. will not support European attempts to present incentives for Iran to drop its nuclear program. But at least she said that a direct military attack is "simply not on the agenda at this point." So in short order, State has been transformed. Diplomacy was for wusses anyways.

In the worst example of foot-in-mouth disease from the last news cycle, Lt. Gen. James Mattis showed his war philosophy on Tuesday in San Diego. At a forum on tactics for fighting the war on terrorism he said, "(i)t's fun to shoot some people." Yesterday the Pentagon said that "Mad Dog" Mattis (as he's lovingly described by his men) has been "counseled" but doesn't currently face any other discipline. Here's more of what he said:

"Actually, it's a lot of fun to fight, you know. It's a hell of a hoot. It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right upfront with you, I like brawling." Mattis added: "You go into Afghanistan, you've got guys who slapped women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them."

Some might say that by criticizing "Mad Dog," I'm emboldening the enemy. So be it. Morons like this jarhead should be muzzled in public.

"Integrity" and "Honesty"

Bush delivered his Speech last night with more mastery and well-hidden duplicity than ever before. The use of the Iraqi activist, Safia Taleb al-Suhail, and the parents of the dead Marine, Byron Norwood, was the sort of stage and image management you can only get from pros playing the game at the height of their abilities. As far as content goes, there was nothing included to sway the opponents of the Administration. I took notes and intended to comment on all the purple-tinged silliness and snarkiness shown in reply. But, to be honest, it was a wholly unimportant moment in this era of very important moments and I don't care to analyze any more of it today. Anything you need to know about this speech and Dubya's prior efforts can be better illustrated using the wonder that is "The State of the Union Parsing Tool" (thanks for the link, Chris). As suggested to me to best kickstart the logic of the goofy wordsmithing typically seen in SOTUs, try entering the following couplets:

"osama" and "saddam"
"teacher" and "education"
"evil" and "terror"

The results are appallingly entertaining.

Other items that make me much more uncomfortable and need to not be swept under today's news cycle:

One of the Bush press plants (Jeff Gannon) has been outed for being a shady, partisan shill by the Boston Globe. Lots of ugly stories have come from his no-standing byline (he gets "daily passes" to the White House Press room not the standard "hard pass" given to actual journalists). And his funding comes from a delegate to the Texas GOP with other internet fundraising ventures still in play. TalonNews.com - a worthless GOP glorified blog that deserves more scrutiny. As the Globe piece points out, no other bloggers have been given press passes, even on a "daily" basis. Given the recent Armstrong Williams revelations, more examples of press manipulations by the Bushies just look all the more insulting to those of us that care about an active and independent press. Gannon should be outta da Pool for good. That, of course, is unlikely.

In today's blast from past scandals file, the previously disgraced Elliott Abrams (convicted in 1991 of lying to Congress with regard to his Iran-Contra testimony) got yet another promotion from Dubya. Yes, now Abrams will be Deputy National Security Adviser with, and I'm not making this up, "a focus on promoting global democracy and human rights." The good news for him is that he won't need to be confirmed by Congress. Not that this Congress would let a little thing like a felony conviction work against a man's pursuit of tyranny elsewhere in the world.

Oh, and the House Republicans ousted their Ethics Committee Chair, Joel Hefley (R-CO), for past attempts to reign in Tom Delay. The new chair, Richard Hastings (R-Wash.), was hand-chosen by Denny Hastert and can be expected to be much less diligent about investigations. Leaving Hastings free, one must assume, to pursue the other primary missions of the Ethics Committee. Such as creating other primary missions for a Committee solely meant to monitor the actions of Representatives. According to the WashintonPost:

Hefley said in an interview yesterday that he believes he was removed because he was too independent. He said there is "a bad perception out there that there was a purge in the committee and that people were put in that would protect our side of the aisle better than I did. Nobody should be there to protect anybody," he said. "They should be there to protect the integrity of the institution."

I'd love to hear someone try to explain a rational reason for Delay and Hastert's manipulation of the House in this manner. Or if you've got comments on the SOTU, SupaDupa Bowl picks, or general rants, let me know.

SOTU Eve - Chestnuts Roasting On a Cliched Fire

Just my luck - as soon as I came out in opposition to Dean's candidacy for DNC Chair, the PowersThatBe say that he's sewn it up. Let's regain some perspective, my belovably-smartish readers. Wellington Webb was a non-starter and Martin Frost was a throwback to an era when...ah hell, he never was a possibility. But are there no others in the mix beyond Dean, Fowler and the no-chance-in-hell Rosenberg (who I will come out of the closet as acknowledging as my preference)? I mean, SERIOUSLY?!!! If the Dems are going to be relevant, they need to debate their leadership with a hard-edged relevancy. Dean's a downtick in support for the Party waiting to loom large.

Everyone in DC is focused, as they should be, on the State of the Union speech. Aside from the boozers in the Dupont Circle hotspots, little attention I fear will be given to the actual policy shifts that should be expected in the speech. And how many Americans are willing to hear that Iraq suddenly became a success story after Sunday's election when we still have 150,000 troops there and over 1400 Americans have died there thus far? That's the true test of this speech - will Americans allow Bush to once again change the subject?

For those of you interested in actual news, Michael Chertoff's confirmation hearings in the Senate are worth noticing. He'll get in, but I would have preferred Bernie Kerik when you consider what a sleezy yes-man Chertoff may well be. Seriously.

If this is true, I'm going to be sick.

And even though I loved "Festival Diaries" on Sundance, Jay Mohr appears to be disgusting. Oh well.

Enjoy the SOTU - I'll present a full diary soon thereafter. Comment if you get a chance.

Punxutawney Phil has seen his shadow meaning 6 more weeks of winter. Deal with it. 

Michael looks forward to day "This Many" of Jury Selection 

Dean and the Dems Future

More and more, Democrats that have one of the rare 447 votes to pick the new DNC Chair are siding with Howard Dean. I'm beginning to think this Party wants to get this snowplow stuck even deeper into the drift (a bad thing for those of you that have never done so). Some of you that know I used to work for Dean's campaign and have had many kind things to say about him might be surprised to hear that I think he's the absolutely most wrong person for the job. The others in the running have no national exposure or stature in the public mind - that's a strong argument for Dean, I'll grant his supporters. But they also have none of the baggage that Dean's dragging behind him like a 40-mule caravan. And what ever happened to building up Democracy for America into a king-maker group within the Party? They may still only be located in Vermont (a definite disadvantage). They may have lost the spotlight. But if Howie put half the time into promoting that group that's he put into contemplating his run for DNC Chair, DFA would be an increasingly useful faction. I've looked into Dean's opponents. Simon Rosenberg (young guy, smart, good organizer, lots of the Dean buzz has already reconstituted itself there, possibly Jewish), Donnie Fowler Jr. (another young smarty-pants rising star, endorsed by many of the outgoing folks, all the right background, stylish eyewear), Martin Frost (lost his TX seat in '04 due to Delay's re-districting, really middle-of-the-road, less telegenic than Bob Newhart). Of course Dean's more exposed and battle-tested. Sure he's fiesty. But the voters that the Dems need to attract I don't see coming to the Party when they see Dean as the public face of its policies. The Republicans decided to perpetually remind voters of '04 by making Ken "I'm Smarmy, Not Charmy" Mehlman their RNC Chair. Dems need to move on. Dean can help in a whole LOT of ways. Just not DNC Chair.

Bush had the Pistons over to the White House yesterday. I'm always surprised that it takes so long for Championship teams to get their contrived moment in the Presidential spotlight. Good to know that Ben Wallace thinks Bush is "not at all high and mighty."

Jury selection got rolling for Michael Jackson's trial in Santa Maria yesterday. The circus has a officially put up its tent in a new town.

The only thing you need to read about the Social Security debate today is the Essential Krug's standard Tuesday NYTimes column. It's sometimes easy to forget that he's an economist. Not today.

If you're not yet full to the gills with Iraqi post-election spin, Howard Kurtz gives you a fix in today's Post. With a bonus pic of the still thin and probably wired Rush Limbaugh thrown in for higher Googling pleasure.

The SupaDupa Bowl hype is humming along, albeit without any real stories worth mentioning. The various media markets are hoping for a big game - no news there. And a back-up player - although tremendously entertaining in an Icarus sort of fashion - is dominating the trash talking. Yawn. I'm waiting for a love-triangle double murder on a team bus headed to practice or similar greasiness. Cause ya know it's coming...