We have a lot to celebrate tonight!  The last 24 hours require at least 48 hours of celebration.  What better way than by handing out 4s to everyone?  

Take the poll, post a comment, and spread the mojo.

I'm currently reading At Day's Close: Night in Times Past by A. Roger Ekirch.  I just started it, so I don't have much to say yet.  It's a history of nighttime in pre-industrial Western societies.  Lots of quotations and footnotes, but not too dry and scholarly.  I'm looking forward to spending more time with it.  Since I just started my current book, I'll mention the last couple that I read too.

So Bush's tax commission has decided to "simplify" tax forms -- by eliminating many popular deductions in favor of a "family credit", which would include raising the per-child deduction to $1,500.   Also (and here's the kicker that's going to cost all of us), the tax commission, concerned about all the people being caught by the Alternative Minimum Tax, proposes to repeal the AMT.  

This is probably great news if you're affected by AMT (see below for percentages of people affected -- and note the income ranges).  Note that the numbers used to calculate AMT have never been adjusted for inflation.  

However, here's what will be eliminated or reduced to pay for AMT repeal:

1.  State and Local propery tax deductions
   
2.  Student Loan interest deductions
   
3.  Mortage interest and health insurance deductions

President Bush and his team are repeating the failure of Vietnam: failing to craft a realistic and effective policy and instead simply demanding that the American people show resolve. Resolve isn't enough to mend a flawed approach -- or to save the lives of our troops. If the administration won't adopt a winning strategy, then the American people will be justified in demanding that it bring our troops home.

Clark sums up his strategy by writing, "we will have to be the catalyst for regional cooperation, not regional conflict".  To this end, he proposes a three-part strategy for Iraq.

This year, I put the flag out on Memorial Day like I always do.  It's the least I can do to honor those who have fallen while serving our country.  

I'm not sure what to do about July 4th.  For me, July 4th has never been about the military, or supporting any current policies.  It's always been about the birth of the U.S., standing up to tyranny, and doing what is right.

This year, the President seems hell-bent on making the 4th all about displaying the flag to support his policies (and the military, but I'm sure that's a distant second for him).  From his weekly radio address (edited a bit):

....Some of America's finest men and women have given their lives in the war on terror, and we remember them on Independence Day...And we know that the best way to honor the lives that have been given in this struggle is to complete the mission, so we will stay in the fight until the fight is won.

In this time of testing, all our troops and their families can know that the American people are behind them. On this Fourth of July weekend, I ask every American to find a way to thank men and women defending our freedom -- by flying the flag, sending letters to our troops in the field, and helping the military family down the street.

I can't even describe how much his words offend me.  It's shameful that the President of the United States doesn't seem to understand what July 4th is all about.  It's not about supporting his asinine policies.  It's not about the military.  It's not about forcibly "freeing" people in other countries from tyranny, only to turn their country into a battleground.  It's about the birth of this country and the ideals it stands for.  It's about people who felt so strongly about the need for Independence that they risked death by declaring their freedom.

So, what to do?  I debated not hanging the flag, but it's my flag too, and I don't want some moron trying to change the meaning of July 4th.  I debated hanging it upside-down, but that seems disrespectful somehow.  Finally, I decided that a two-part display might be appropriate this year:  the flag, plus a poster board with some pithy message about the true meaning of July 4th.  The problem is:  what should the message be?  I'm obviously not inclined to brevity, so I could use some suggestions.

The Supreme Court is issuing several major decisions today, but the biggest may be in the case it didn't take: In an order issued a few minutes ago, the court said it will not hear the appeals of Time's Matthew Cooper or the New York Times' Judy Miller in the Valerie Plame case.

Cooper wrote a story on the Plame case. Miller didn't. But barring some other legal development -- and there really aren't any on the radar -- today's Supreme Court decision means that both Cooper and Miller will soon be in jail. Meanwhile, Robert Novak and whoever it is that leaked Plame's identity to him continue to go free.

Retuers also has the story here.

So, will they testify, or go to jail??

Why?  Because AP didn't run a wire story about the memo.   Apparently USA Today waited a month to report, while the Minneapolis Star-Tribune waited a week and then assigned a local reporter to story (good for them!).  I'm baffled by why USA Today, which surely had resources to cover the story, waited an entire week??

AP's excuse?  Writing a story was hard work and just not a priority.

The Associated Press, the world's largest newsgathering organization, essentially didn't cover the document in its reports until last weekend in a story mostly about John Bolton, Bush's nominee to become U.N. ambassador. The document then was reported on in an AP story stemming from last week's news conference involving Blair and Bush."

"The original story broke on a Sunday, so it was initially difficult to match without access to government officials and documents," said Nick Tatro, the AP's deputy international editor. Then, the AP editors who repeatedly considered doing a story, he said, didn't necessarily see the document as a clearcut case of proving the manipulation of intelligence. Also, the demands of other important stories kept diverting them, he said. "Our people felt it wasn't a completely clear comment from the raw material," Tatro said. "It was our intent to do a story, and it just didn't happen."

In response to a request for comment, Deborah Seward, AP's international editor, conceded to Salon in an email, "Yes, there is no question AP dropped the ball in not picking up on the Downing Street memo sooner."

Ah, nothing like our press, hard at work.  However, at least AP admits its mistake.  

I've noticed a couple of good Howard Dean articles this afternoon. It looks like some people are finally starting to understand what Howard Dean is trying to do for the Democratic Party. The first article is from Reuters, and the second is from a web site called Corante.