WHATS IN ROSSIS MAIL BOX:

THE CONFLICT IN IRAQ
U.S. Officials Suspected of Embezzlement in Iraq
Nearly $100 million in reconstruction funds is unaccounted for, investigators say.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/iraq/la-fg-fraud5may05,0,7432321.story?coll=la-home-headlines

U.S. troops accused of arming Colombian death squadsTwo soldiers arrested in raid Colombians may not be able to prosecute pair under treaty
ASSOCIATED PRESS

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/050505Z.shtml

IMPEACHMENT TIME: "FACTS WERE FIXED."
Special to BuzzFlash
Thursday, May 5, 2005
By Greg Palast

Here it is. The smoking gun. The memo that has "IMPEACH HIM" written all over it.

www.GregPalast.com

In attacking Hillary Clinton, Janet Parshall revived debunked smear

During an extended attack on Democrats who oppose President Bush's judicial nominees, radio host Janet Parshall falsely accused Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) of promoting herself as an evangelical Christian. The source of Parshall's accusation was apparently a National Review Online column by "comic commentator" Rob Long, in which Long "quoted" a fake bulletin from a fictitious church that "reported" comments that Clinton was said to have made to the bulletin.

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GOP Social Security talking points hit the airwaves

Media figures on network and cable news broadcasts, talk radio, and in the op-ed pages of national newspapers have repeated four misleading or false claims that support President Bush's proposal to create the option of private accounts and reduce future Social Security benefits: 1) that benefit cuts already mandated by "current law" are greater than what Bush has proposed; 2) that Democrats have "put forth nothing" in the Social Security debate; 3) that the "voluntary" nature of President Bush's proposed private accounts means they "can't do much harm" to the system; and 4) that Bush's proposal helps the poor at the expense of the rich.

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Cal Thomas's higher authority for criticizing new Army interrogations manual: counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer on Fox's 24

Nationally syndicated columnist and Fox News host Cal Thomas inveighed against the Army's new interrogation manual, which explicitly forbids abusive techniques made infamous by the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, by citing an example in which torture proved effective in interrogation: an episode of Fox Broadcasting Co.'s espionage drama 24.

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NPR political editor lashed out at critics, but reporter Welna seemed to see their point

Responding to listener criticism in his April 28 Q&A column, NPR political editor Ken Rudin mocked the "dozens and dozens" of emails he received criticizing NPR congressional correspondent David Welna. On April 25, Welna had reported: "Democrats call a simple majority rules change banning judicial filibuster the 'nuclear option.' "

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Family pleas won't work: negotiators The family of hostage Douglas Wood must negotiate through tribal leaders in Iraq, a spokesperson for Iraqi Institute for Peace said today.

Full report

Bin Laden's 'chief planner' caught One of al-Qaeda's top planners with a $6.5m bounty on his head - and the mastermind behind two attempts to kill Pakistan's President - has been caught.

Full report

Hill Leaders Often Take Corporate Jets

Companies with considerable stakes in legislation before Congress often offer lawmakers discount flights in the hope of currying favor with the leaders, a practice permitted under House rules.

House GOP to Consider Tougher Lobbying Rules

Bush Ally in House Alters Social Security Debate Strategy

With President Bush's top domestic priority fading fast, Republicans once again have turned to one of their least liked but most effective colleagues: Rep. Bill Thomas, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

DeLay Tries, Without Much Success, to Duck the Media Pack

Tom DeLay sneaks around the Capitol like a fugitive these days, using back doors and basement passages to avoid television cameras. He skips meetings where reporters might get a chance to film his answers to their questions. And it still doesn't work.