Iraqi lawmakers say the United States is demanding 58 bases as part of a proposed "status of forces" agreement that will allow U.S. troops to remain in the country indefinitely.

Gee, who didn't see this coming? I love that they were originally called "enduring bases" so it wouldn't trigger the same connotations at permanent, but they are, and always have been. It's a good thing Georgie is doing his farewell tour of Europe now while he's still in office, if he tries to go back as an ex-head of state, he'll probably find himself in a jail cell.

McClatchy Washington Bureau | 06/09/2008 | U.S. seeking 58 bases in Iraq, Shiite lawmakers say

The revelation raises questions about whether Iran may have used a small cabal of officials in the Pentagon and in Vice President Dick Cheney's office to feed bogus intelligence on Iraq and Iran to senior policymakers in the Bush administration who were eager to oust the Iraqi dictator.

If they did or not isn't clear, but as stupid as these guys are, it wouldn't surprise me.

06/05/2008 | Did Iranian agents dupe Pentagon officials?

Crude oil has seen a huge rebound this week after falling amid a drop in demand for gasoline. The jump continued Friday; light, sweet crude set a high of $139.12 in after-hours trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange after settling at $138.54, a gain of $10.75 in the regular session. The surge followed a Morgan Stanley analyst's prediction that crude would reach $150 a barrel by July 4; a decline in the dollar and fresh tensions in the Middle East added to crude's advance.

Think it'll really take that long? Pool time! My prediction for breaking $150 is... June 23rd. Enter now!

Stocks fall sharply on surge in oil, jobs data - Yahoo! News

The cost to Iraq of this happening would be the immediate loss of $20bn. The US is able to threaten Iraq with the loss of 40 per cent of its foreign exchange reserves because Iraq's independence is still limited by the legacy of UN sanctions and restrictions imposed on Iraq since Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in the 1990s. This means that Iraq is still considered a threat to international security and stability under Chapter Seven of the UN charter. The US negotiators say the price of Iraq escaping Chapter Seven is to sign up to a new "strategic alliance" with the United States.

Bush is learning! He's progressed from fights to blackmail!

US issues threat to Iraq's $50bn foreign reserves in military deal - Middle East, World - The Independent

According to a report from GamePolitics, the judge who presided over Miami lawyer Jack Thompson's Bar trial has recommended to the Florida Supreme Court that he be found guilty on 27 of 31 charges of professional misconduct.

I think my phrase for this one is...
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!11!1!one!!

Traces Of Nuts: Judge Says Jack Thompson Guilty Of Misconduct During GTA, Bully Trials

"It is a serious error on the part of Sen. Obama that shows naivete and inexperience and lack of judgment to say that he wants to sit down across the table from an individual who leads a country who says that Israel is a stinking corpse," McCain said.

Let's apply that logic to some past events then. Nixon goes to China. Reagan calls the USSR the "evil empire" and proceeds to work on START. Reagan sells weapons to the Iranians to fund the contras. The infamous Rummy shaking hands with Saddam Hussein picture. The current 6 way talks concerning North Korea. Detente. I could go on, but you get the point.

So who don't we talk to now? Chavez, Hamas, Morales. Who have we pulled numbers on or tried to? Allende, Mossadegh, Ortega. What do they all have in common? Welcome to democracy. They all won control of their countries or areas (in the case of Hamas) by popular acclaim.

Not understanding the idea that "To jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war" is a failure. It doesn't mean you give up or make deals that make no sense (the failure of Neville Chamberlain, who looked into the eyes of Adolph Hitler and got a "sense of his soul," to borrow a phrase about a different botch). It means you use the brain you were given to see if there is another route other than to blow the crap out of things indiscriminately. Sometimes you end up making with the war-war, but ignoring the jaw-jaw part is a "miserable failure," which Google searches quite correctly. (It no longer goes directly to W, all the links however still talk about it)

Dems fire back at Bush on 'appeasement' statement - CNN.com

Ms. Cooper, 23, who had promised to show her boyfriend another side of her country on this visit — meaning Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon — eventually learned that he had been sent in shackles to a rural Virginia jail. And there he remained for more than 10 days, locked up without charges or legal recourse while Ms. Cooper, her parents and their well-connected neighbors tried everything to get him out.

I want to say this is unbelievable, in the literal sense of that word. But it's not. This is yet another illustration of why the current administration and their fellow fifth columnists should be run out of town on a rail.

Italian’s Detention Illustrates Dangers Foreign Visitors Face - New York Times

The Vatican's chief astronomer says that believing in aliens does not contradict faith in God.

It does if you're a fundamentalist that thinks the earth was created 6000 years ago.

Vatican: It's OK to believe in aliens

The 77-year-old, who shot to fame as Captain Kirk in the original 1960s TV show, insists he couldn't enjoy flings with the series' most devoted followers because he was so turned off by their bizarre bedroom behaviour.

Damn... Didn't see that one coming.

WILLIAM SHATNER - SHATNER HATED BEDDING STAR TREK FANS

Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), who has two young daughters, moved to table Tiahrt's request, setting up a revote. This time, 178 Republicans cast their votes against mothers.

Way to go guys. A fine illustration of Republican "values."

Republicans Vote Against Moms; No Word Yet on Puppies, Kittens - washingtonpost.com