Lots of news items today.

The filibuster runaway train continues on. Frist blares, "Nominees deserve an up-or-down vote on this floor." Funny how that didn't seem to matter with the 60+ they held up on Clinton. To further illustrate what they're trying to pull: it would be like George Steinbrenner wanting to change the height and/or depth of the right and left field stadium walls on a year-to-year basis, depending on how many lefty or righty sluggers he had on the Yankee roster.

The House passes bill to curb terrorism color codes. What a crock of horsesh*t. Recall how frequent these alerts changed leading up to the November election last year, and Ridge recently came out saying as much that these changes were highly curious or suspect. Notice we haven't heard boo about alert changes since last November? Oh, but it was never politically driven....

The Iraq invasion and occupation could cost $600 bil. by 2010. And this figure is not being counted in the current $400+ bil. federal deficit.

Another incident of bullying by Bolton against those who disagreed with him. If Dems allow this guy to get through it will be a huge blow for them, one that will perhaps cripple them for months if not the rest of GW's term. Many of the Republicans know Bolton sucks and if they somehow win this one, they'll be laughing behind closed doors, with chests reinflated.

Graduates for the class of 2005 fear debt and unemployment more than terrorism. GW/Rove better return to getting those terror alerts cranked up!

The Senate Energy Committee nixed a Democratic plan to require SUVs and minivans to become more fuel efficient and achieve the same gasoline mileage as passenger cars -- over six years no less. The technology currently exists to make this happen without added pain and suffering. Anything else you hear is lobbyist-ridden BS.

Meanwhile, Vietnam builds its first wind powered generator. Hardly as advanced a country as the U.S., but apparently much more forward-thinking. Makes us look like head-in-the-sand idiots.

Finally, more states have filed suit against the EPA and federal government over pollution control standards. Hmm, what could those eleven, count them, eleven, states see that's so bad with the Orwellian-titled "Clean Air Mercury Rule" I wonder....