So the debate was on Fox last night. The debate itself was lackluster, mainly because protesting people kept yelling at moments. Whoever did security should be fired.

Post debate, I watched Fox until I grew too nauseated to stand it. In addition to having Fred Barnes be the first post-debate speaker (he railed against the Dems for describing an America most people "disagree with"...as if everything was sunshine and lollipops right now!) the disgusting Sean Hannity came on afterwards and with alan colmes managed to provide no newsworthy comments.

I flipped back a few minutes later to find some Fox talking head describing the latest attacks in Israel as "Homicide Bombings". I'd never heard this spin before. For a few minutes I waited to see if they were describing a different technique, ie, if the bombers had placed bombs un unsuspecting civilians and then detonated them remotely. But no, they were just labeling "suicide bombers" a different name. What a joke. I mean, how many people hear the term "suicide bomber" and think to themselves "what a poor, misguided soul...if only we could've saved him!" Calling them "homicide bombers" is just another way to try and spin things.

As I'm flipping down the channels, I notice CNN is covering the bombings, so I quickly flip to MSNBC, which is airing a show involving one conservative host (Joe Scarborough) interviewing another conservative talking head (Ann Coulter) talking about how the Dems are salivating for Senator Clinton to get in the race.

I wanted to throw my shoe at the television, but wisely decided not to. Thank god this president will be gone in a year and a half. It's too bad the conservatives will start to demonize Dean as soon as he gets the nomination.

So today was busy. Hence no recap of the weekend.

I'm trying to cut back a bit on the craziness, at least from a financial perspective. I haven't been this low on funds since I moved to the city and it's starting to wear me down. That said, you can still have fun with friends on the cheap.

On that note, let's say I have two friends, Mr. X and Ms. Y. Mr. X and Ms. Y wish to be included in this little newstastic thread. I'm not sure why, but evidently I haven't spoken about them before. (Mr. X used to display an odd propensity for calling me with his butt...ie his cell phone would somehow activate while he was driving around town in his jeep, so I'd get to hear both X and Y discuss things in a muffled manner on my voicemail)

So Mr. X and Ms. Y invite me to a cookout over at their place, and to watch some football. I really should've snagged that Sunday ticket bit on DirecTV but I was lazy. My Saturday spent going for a decent ride, my body was trying to recover from the libations I poured in it both Friday night and Saturday evening. So I'm hurting a bit Sunday, and I'm slow to get over to their place.

When I finally make it over there (several containers of bottles slowed me down somewhat) I'm sweating like a sponge in the sahara. On the upside, due to the rather sucky nature of the games at 1:00, I got to introduce X and Y (and their special guest Z!) to the coolest show on television: MXC. The show is basically like the old Woody Allen flick, "What's Up Tiger Lily" only instead of a movie, it's a game show. So the Japanese stars are in some wacky Nintendo like universe (the original show is called Takeishi's Castle I think) where they have to do crazy stunts to win the game. Dubbed though, the show is wicked fun. Wicked fun. Let's say that again: the show is wicked mad crazy fun.

So after introducing X and Y and Z to the show, we flipped back and forth between a rather lousy NFL Sunday and MXC. (Does anyone remember last year...with all the great games? They can't equal last season anytime soon.)

So there you are, letter-people. I'll reintroduce you the next time we hang out. Which we did on Friday, but it wasn't interesting enough to relate. So there. I'm expecting a little diamond love the next time. Just so U know.

Memo to self: don't have too much fun on Friday night, get no sleep, then bike a bunch the next day, forget to eat until really late, and then rinse later repeat.

I'd describe the kick-ass Dean event from this evening (mixing great Blues guitar work and poltiics is a great combination) which was only a block or two from my house, but I"m too tired. Must get home, somehow. Not enough money for cab.

You probably already saw it, but just in case you missed the boat, here's the latest scoop from Zogby: Bush is extremely vulnerable! Read the whole bit, but the important numbers to remember are that a majority of people (52%) now want someone else in the White House, with only 40% voting to keep him in.

As usual, the full nuanced view can be found over at Pollkatz which includes Zogby's numbers along with the rest of them. Zogby has been consistently down on Bush, but the line he draws is clear: the President's numbers haven't hit the floor yet. It seems as if there's no end to the troubles ahead.

I'm really only fiscally conservative, but occasionally even I get into the Puritanical spirit when it is called for. So last night's idiotic "let's sell the National Mall to the highest bidder" smacked of a sell-out. From a great article you should read right now is the definitive takedown:

The event was deemed so auspicious that George W. Bush took yet more time off from fighting the war on terrorism to appear, via videotape, at the end of the concert and just before the game, in the manner of a TV huckster. He tried to make some connection between football and "the spirit that guides the brave men and women" of the military, much as the concert had done.

He also said pro football "celebrates the values that make our country so strong." Like what, violence and greed?

Then, in intense close-up, the leader of the Free World asked the trademarked rhetorical question, "Are you ready for some football?"

Some bureaucrat whose thinking cap had blown off authorized lending the once-solemn, or at least dignified, Mall to this very raucous and very commercial event. The show was a collaboration between the NFL, apparently trying to lure younger viewers to football, and, as the announcer said, "New Pepsi Vanilla and Diet Pepsi Vanilla, the Not-So-Vanilla Vanilla."

...

Each musical act was introduced by a former NFL star -- Joe Theismann and Joe Namath opened the show together -- teamed with a member of the armed forces. Theismann said of the concert, "It's a national moment of remembrance," which really seems preposterous in light of what followed. A woman representing the Coast Guard said, "I'm proud to be an American" before introducing Aerosmith.

I'm not a huge Tom Shales fan...but his article was great. Way to go, Tom!

Because this Times article is explosive. I would hope that some Democratic Candidate (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) tonight would point out that our government spent a great deal of time after 9/11 worrying about how the Saudis would feel while people around the country were stuck in airports unable to go anywhere. But if your last name was bin Laden, evidently you got VIP treatment. This is way bigger than the Niger flap. If the Post picks it up, and assigns Milbank to the story, you can kiss the 50% popularity rating goodbye. Ferrying Saudi nationals around the country in the wake of an attack by said country's citizens is idiotic.

Here's some choice excerpts:

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3 — Top White House officials personally approved the evacuation of dozens of influential Saudis, including relatives of Osama bin Laden, from the United States in the days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks when most flights were still grounded, a former White House adviser said today.

The adviser, Richard Clarke, who ran the White House crisis team after the attacks but has since left the Bush administration, said he agreed to the extraordinary plan because the Federal Bureau of Investigation assured him that the departing Saudis were not linked to terrorism. The White House feared that the Saudis could face "retribution" for the hijackings if they remained in the United States, Mr. Clarke said.

The fact that relatives of Mr. bin Laden and other Saudis had been rushed out of the country became public soon after the Sept. 11 attacks. But questions have lingered about the circumstances of their departure, and Mr. Clarke's statements provided the first acknowledgment that the White House had any direct involvement in the plan and that senior administration officials personally signed off on it.

Mr. Clarke first made his remarks about the plan in an article in Vanity Fair due out Thursday, and he expanded on those remarks today in an interview and in Congressional testimony. The White House said today that it had no comment on Mr. Clarke's statements.

The disclosure came just weeks after the classified part of a Congressional report on the Sept. 11 attacks suggested that Saudi Arabia had financial links to the hijackers, and Mr. Clarke's comments are likely to fuel accusations that the United States has gone soft on the Saudis because of diplomatic concerns.

Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, seized on Mr. Clarke's comments to call on the White House to conduct an investigation into the hasty departures of about 140 Saudis from the United States in the days after the attacks.

Mr. Schumer said in an interview that he suspected that some of the Saudis who were allowed to leave, particularly two relatives of Mr. bin Laden who he said had links to terrorist groups themselves, could have shed light on the events of Sept. 11.

"This is just another example of our country coddling the Saudis and giving them special privileges that others would never get," Mr. Schumer said. "It's almost as if we didn't want to find out what links existed."

Be sure to read the entire article.

From the hilarious site itself, here's the scoop:

SHOCKING PHOTOS OF CALIFORNIA LIEUT. GOVERNOR CRUZ BUSTAMANTE AS MEMBER OF 'LATINO HATE GROUP'

FRESNO, CA (Fox News) Shocking photographs from Lieut. Governor Cruz Bustamante's sordid past as a Fresno State University militant Chicano hate group member in the free wheeling 1970s surfaced today on my desk. These photos are compelling evidence that his membership in the college student group 'MEChA', whose acronym in Spanish means, "Mexican Ku Klux Klan," is more than a youthful indiscretion. Bustamante, which in Spanish means, "He who breaks open the skull of the White Man," is shown racing towards a carne asada barbecue area, toting a Mexican flag and full Chicano revolutionary regalia. He is accompanied by a band of fellow unbathed MEChISTAS, which in Spanish means, "Mexican Aryan Nation."

It is un-American for this gordo bandido (fat democrat) to not renounce his membership in this dangerous and reckless seditious Chicano hate group. You can just hear the shouts of, "Hispanic Power!" and a bloodcurdling "Ole!" as you stare at this horrific scene of South of the Border savagery. Among the goals of this militant Mexican mafia are the complete takeover of Aztlan, which means "move into your house and violate your blonde daughter" and the most offensive and radical, to recruit Latino students into college. Disgusting!

The MEChA slogan is, "La Union Hace La Fuerza," which means in Spanish, "Get your paws off me you damn dirty Gringo ape!"

Check out the site. A very funny place.