3 issues I wanted to address, brought up in the podcast:

1. al Sadr takes over a city. I got a guffaw when I read this:

"The Shiite militia run by the anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr briefly seized control of the southern Iraqi city... The militiamen later withdrew from the streets after Iraqi soldiers and mediators arrived...}

2. Clinton endorses Webb:

Another guffaw when I read this:

In 1997, Webb had this to say about President Clinton:

I cannot conjure up an ounce of respect for Bill Clinton when it comes to the military. Every time I see him salute a Marine, it infuriates me. I don’t think Bill Clinton cares one iota about what happens in a military unit.

In 2000, Webb called the Clinton presidency "the most corrupt administration in modern memory."

Yesterday, however, Webb could not have been more cozy with Clinton, whom he brought to the state for a fundraiser. The facile Webb attempted to explain away his past pronouncements by claiming that his dislike of Clinton was based on the Vietnam era, and that all of that was wiped away on 9/11.

Webb did not explain why he would suddenly believe on 9/12 that Clinton, whose unwillingness to use force against al Qaeda led to 9/11, suddenly cared about the military. Equally unclear was why 9/11 would wipe the slate clean with respect to Clinton’s corruption.

3. Democrats have raised money lately:

I can’t remember where I read it, but apparently the Dems have borrowed $15mil. to spend on the election in an attempt to cut into the $54mil lead the Pubs have over them.

Steven’s take on global warming and his take on the GOP’s chances in November offer striking parallels in denial and delusion.

I fail to see anything "interesting," though, in the fact that some Democrats, at the height of the campaign, are trying to sound like Republicans. Their party can’t win the House without taking some Republican districts. Ergo, their candidates will try to fool the voters. In a word, spin. Let’s not dignify it as some kind of cultural shift. Everyone of these people who "sound like Republicans" will take us one more step toward empowerment of the rabid, radical, hard left of the Democratic party in the House, mainly through committee chairmanships. As James Burnham would say, let’s not mistake appearance for reality.