The AP's John Solomon offers one of those handy AP stories summarizing what others have been reporting about our well-paid friend Ahmad Chalabi's leak of classified information to the Iranian government. (Bonus points to Solomon for citing The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, CBS and NBC News, all in one article. He seems to be auditioning for Eric Umansky's job.) From Solomon: American officials quoted in the news reports said Chalabi told the Baghdad chief... Read more

I’ve been dreaming of a time when To be English Is not to be baneful To be standing by the flag not feeling Shameful, racist or partial … — Morrissey, from "Irish Blood, English Heart" This got buried in the previous post, so let me highlight this again, from President Bush's remarks to a small group of religion writers: I said I am sorry for those people who were humiliated. That's all I said. I also said, "The great thing... Read more

There's an old joke about racist jokes that asks "How does every joke in [insert name of homogenous, xenophobic white neighborhood] begin?" The answer — it's a visual gag — is pantomiming looking over both shoulders suspiciously then leaning forward to whisper. The point of that joke is that some people talk differently around one set of neighbors than they do around another set of neighbors — and the differences can be revealing. President Bush met with nine writers and... Read more

Item: "A Saddam Souvenir," by Matthew Cooper in Time. When Saddam Hussein was rousted from his spider hole in Dawr, a town near Tikrit, by U.S. soldiers last December, Iraq's fallen dictator was clutching a pistol. … The sidearm has made its way to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Sources say that the military had the pistol mounted after the soldiers seized it from Saddam and that it was then presented to the president privately by some of the troops who played... Read more