I'm Votin' fer the Dead Woman

There were signs at every polling place reminding voters that former state Controller Kathy Augustine was dead -- she died last month. But she still got 19% of the vote in Tuessday's Republican primary for State Treasurer in Nevada.

This Congressman Delivers

Rep Bobby Jindal (R-LA) delivered his third child at home -- with help from a nurse over the phone. Slade Ryan Jindal was born early Tuesday morning. Mother, Supriya, woke with labor pains early Tuesday morning -- and Slade Ryan Jindal arrived while the Jindals were waiting for the ambulance to arrive. (CNN)

Video Camera? Racial Slur? Not the Brightest Bulb in the Six-Pack

Sen George Allen (R-VA) is working damage control after twice hurling a racial slur at one of his constituents.

S.R. Sidarth was born and raised in the Commonwealth of Virginia. He's of Indian descent. Mr Sidarth is a volunteer for Sen Allen's opponent, James Webb. And Mr Sidarth has videotaped many of Sen Allen's campaign speeches.

During one of the speeches, Sen Allen twice pointed to the camera and called Mr Sidarth "Macaca."

Macaca is a type of Asian monkey -- and considered a serious racial slur among Indians.



Sen Allen also suggests that Mr Sidarth was not an American -- nor from Virginia -- also caught on tape.

Osama & Hillary

New York Republican John Spencer compares Sen Hillary Clinton (D-NY) to Osama bin Laden in his new campaign ad.



(Spencer for Senate)

Something about this Plan Stinks -- Could be the Feet

Since the British terror plot was busted, TSA here in the states has insisted that all shoes be x-rayed -- so screeners can find hidden explosives.

Just one problem.

The x-ray machines can't find explosives.

Feel safer yet? (CBS News)

Lawyers Loose with Money

People too poor to afford lawyers have to turn to Legal Aid -- and the taxpayer funded outfit has to turn away half the people who come looking for help because there's not enough money in the budget.

But the AP reports that the outfit's honchos are blowing money on $14 dollar deserts and $400 limo rides:

"The government-funded corporation boasts a spacious headquarters in Washington's swank Georgetown district — with views of the Potomac River and a rent significantly higher than other tenants in the same building.

And board members wrote themselves a policy that doubled the amount they could claim for meals compared with their staff."

The top guys tend to meet at hotels for conferences -- instead of at the Georgetown HQ. Even when they meet in DC, they rent hotel conference rooms. These conferences cost up to 55-grand and the last one was in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Take a lok at the per-person bill for one of thier stays:

• $59 Three-entree buffet
• $17 Belgian waffle breakfast
• $28 Deli buffet
• $13 "High Tea" service
• $12 Bagel break
• $12 Cookie sortment
• $14 "Death By Chocolate" dessert

Somebody should sue these guys! (AP via USAToday)

Not a Real "Family Values" Kind of Candidate

The Studebaker for Congress campaign is suspending all campaign activities in Ohio. Democratic candidate Stephanie Studebaker and her husband, Sam, were arrested for domestic violence Saturday night -- each were released on $25,000 bond.

The mugshot (right) would likely have turned up in an ad for opponent, Rep Mike Turner (R-OH). (USAToday)

The Key to FEMA's Problems

FEMA's replacing all the locks on 118,000 trailers people have been living in since Gulf Coast hurricanes smashed their houses.

Turns out a single key can open all the locks.

One of the drawbacks to that "lowest bidder" concept. (USAToday)

Democrats Tackle Terror

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) has a new web ad questioning the Bush administration's national security policies in the wake of the British terror plot.



The ad comes as Democrats mount an offensive on the administration's policies as bureaucratic and ineffective in the War on Terror. And as CBS News relesed the first post-terror-plot poll showing the President's overall and terrorism-specific approval ratings unchanged from July. (DSCC/CBS)

Feel Safer Yet?

A close call five years after 9/11. Should we feel any safer?

Poll Position: 8/12/2006 -- Remember 9/11?

The first Lieberman-Lamont poll of the general election campaign and surprising numbers about Iraqi urban legends and 9/11 memory loss.

Warrantless Wiretaps NOT Used in Busting Terror Plot

It appears the British terror plot was busted without using warrantless wiretaps. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Sen Russ Feingold (D-WI) discuss the program on ABC's "This Week."

"Wand" Still Airing Despite Similarities to Terror Plot

Despite pop bottles used as bombs in the British terror plot -- Sierra Mist is still running it's commercial featuring Kathy Griffin and other comedians stealing a passenger's soft drink at a security checkpoint.



Media outlets for years have been quick to take down ads that might remind consumers of sad or scary news events. Ford pulled an ad compaing it's early minivan "Aerostar" to the Space Shuttle when Challenger exploded shortly after launch, and Hollywood digitally erased images of the World Trade Center for months after the 9/11 atttacks. (TIME)

It's 11:00 On the East Coast -- Do Know Where Your President Is?

As of 11:00 am EDT, the White House had done little more than rush quick statements to it's website in the PR front of the British Terror Plot.

A series of events throughout the morning suggested the administration was in the dark about what was going on in London and Birmingham -- or at least in the dark about how to explain it to the American people.

At 7:37 am, ABC News reported that the White House was still working on a statement.

At the same time, Brian Ross was providing details on "Good Morning America."

Shortly after 8:00 am, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales presented what might be called a "News-You-Can-Use Conference."

They presented little "news" about the terror plot. Mainly, it appeared to be cookie cutter talking points about the War on Terror in general -- and an relatively enormous amount of advice on how to avoid delays at the airport. More like what you'd expect from "Hints from Heloise."

Again, Brian Ross at ABC had details about a potential threat to the US on World News earlier in the week. Click the TV Screen to watch it.




Mr Ross reported earlier this year he'd been told by one of his sources the feds were bugging the phones of both Mr Ross and his producer.

That seems to be unfounded now. Otherwise, it appears the Bush Administration would know what's going on. (ABC News/The White House)

It was a Really Good Letter, too -- Until You Get to the Part about Israel

Republican California Lt Governor candidate Tom McClintock (right) has to come up with a new fundraising letter.

He had a great one. Three pages long. Written by a big time movie star.

Problem is -- the star was Mel Gibson. The Daily Show sums up over the top coverage of the Gibson arrest below:



Mr McClintock has given up on using it. Maybe he can check to see if Robert Downey, Jr., Ann Heche or Margo Kidder are available. They haven't served up a heapin' helpin' of crazy in a while! (Newsvine.com/ HT: Huffington Post)

The Department of [Sex] Education

The US Department of Education got a bunch of angry e-mails about all the links on their website to porn sites.

Contractors scanning the DoE site found 15 links to porn buried in more than 65,000 links on the site.

Don't blame the goverment entirely. Seems the porn industry has started buying up web addresses when the owners let them expire. You have to get new technology to scan all your links to see if you're linking to porn.

Watching Washington's tech department has notified me that they "ain't buyin' no stinkin' new software" -- so please consider any inadvertent links to porn sites from WW a public service.

The Boston Philharmonic Orchrestra is among those who had their expired web address swiped. But that does explain what's going on with that oboe in the new picture at their old site. (PCWorld)

Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and Iraqi WMDs

After spending 16 months and $900-million dollars, the US found no evidence of any WMDs in Iraq. No Iraq WMD programs, no weapons, nothing that we were warned posed an "imminent danger" to the US.

But a new Harris poll shows 50% of the American people still believe Saddam had WMDs when the US invaded Iraq in 2003. And that's up from 36% last year. (WashPost)