Earlier, Bustamante was questioned pointedly about his membership as a college student in the Chicano activist organization MEChA, or Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan. The group's strident rhetoric urged retaking the American Southwest, among other things.

Asked if he still supports MEChA's goals, Bustamante suggested the organization is fairly tame.

"I think ... what takes place in those organizations is to provide student leadership. For me and many, many others, we were running for student government. That's how I got here today."

Still, even the government of a superpower can't simultaneously offer tax cuts equal to 15 percent of revenue, provide all its retirees with prescription drugs and single-handedly take on the world's evildoers — single-handedly because we've alienated our allies. In fact, given the size of our budget deficit, it's not clear that we can afford to do even one of these things. Someday, when the grown-ups are back in charge, they'll have quite a mess to clean up.

Most nations standing firm in Iraq

VIENNA, Austria - They're talking tough - and standing firm.

Nations that have sent forces to help keep the peace in postwar Iraq have no immediate plans to draw down or pull out despite mounting casualties, eroding security and a growing wariness of the potential for a quagmire.

From Slovakia to Singapore, coalition governments are steeling their resolve. Others are offering more than troops, such as Hungary, which says it's open to a U.S. proposal to train up to 28,000 Iraqi police cadets at one of its military bases.

"To run away from this conflict only means to turn a blind eye to reality," said Cyril Svoboda, foreign minister of the Czech Republic, which has 312 personnel stationed at a military hospital in Basra, in southern Iraq.

"It is important for us to stay in Iraq," he told the Pravo newspaper this week. "One must confront terrorism. No country today is considerably safer or less safe than another."

Bulgarians take control of Karbala


Military control over Iraq's second holiest Shiite city, Karbala, has been handed over to a Bulgarian military governor as Washington again reaches out to the so-called new European democracies for help.

U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Matthew Lopez handed over control of Karbala to Bulgarian Lt. Col. Petko Marinov, whose 250-member force will begin patrolling the city, according to reports on Tuesday.

"We welcome you today for the transfer of authority of the city of Karbala between the Marines of 3rd Battalion 7th marines and the Bulgarian battalion," said Lopez.

As well as the 250 Bulgarian soldiers stationed in Karbala, which is 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Baghdad, Marinov will be in charge of Polish troops and U.S. marines serving in Karbala.

In handover, Polish troops see chance to shine

Camped in the shadow of one of Saddam Hussein's grandiose palaces, adjoining the maze-like ruins of ancient Babylon, a vanguard unit of Polish soldiers is preparing the way for that country's biggest military deployment since World War II.

Three hundred Polish officers are already here, and a total of 2,300 Polish troops are scheduled to arrive soon in south central Iraq to help relieve the US First Marine Expeditionary Force, which seized this ground during the war and has watched this heavily Shi'ite region south of Baghdad become relatively stable.

Beginning Sept. 1, the Polish soldiers will lead a peacekeeping force of 10,000 troops from 18 countries that will monitor this region of Iraq during the nation's hoped-for transition to a democratic government.

But in writing such a strident book, doesn't he risk being branded the sort of ideological warrior he spends so much energy attacking?

"First of all, I'm funny," Franken said. "It's done for comedic purpose. And I don't lie."

Castro dies and goes to heaven [bear with us]. When he gets there, St. Peter tells him that he is not on the list and that, no way, no how, does he belong in heaven. Castro must go to hell. So Castro goes to hell, where Satan gives him a hearty welcome and tells him to make himself at home.

"Then Castro notices that he left his luggage in heaven and tells Satan, who says, 'No hay problema, I'll send a couple of little devils to get your stuff.'

"When the little devils get to heaven they find the gates are locked — St. Peter is having lunch — and they start debating what to do. Finally, one comes up with the idea that they should climb over the wall and get the luggage.

"As they are climbing, two little angels see them, and one angel says to the other, 'Would you look at that? Fidel has been in hell no more than ten minutes and we're already getting refugees!'"

How would Jesus tax the state? Well, no can say for sure. But it's a safe bet that waste, duplication of services and pork-barrel spending aren't in line with being good stewards of resources. The poor are best served by government if its resources are used wisely and prudently, while the private economy is allowed to grow and create a wealthier society that can then be more generous in both public and private expenditures.

At the same time, some religious supporters of Mr. Bush say they feel betrayed by promises he made as a candidate and now, they maintain, has broken as president.

"After three years, he's failed the test," said one prominent early supporter, the Rev. Jim Wallis, leader of Call to Renewal, a network of churches that fights poverty.

Critics of Call to Renewal said the letter's signatories are far-left political ideologues. They say the letter does not represent the feelings of all church leaders and their congregants.

“These are liberal religious leaders from the get-go. Looking over the list, I would say it would not be a stretch to say only 10 percent of them voted for Bush, and even that 10 percent wouldn’t admit that to their friends,” said Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.

“I’m sure he’s cognizant of their concerns, but the president knows where these people are coming from,” Land added.

Lou Giovino, a spokesman for the Catholic League, said it's notable that Call to Renewal emerged during the tax cut debates, a severely partisan issue on Capitol Hill. Wallis was often seen railing against the Republicans alongside Democratic leaders at the height of the fight.

Today, Women's Equality Day, the National Organization for Women's Political Action Committee is proud to announce our endorsement of former Ambassador and Senator Carol Moseley Braun for President of the United States. I'm pleased that the National Women's Political Caucus also is announcing their endorsement this morning.
Roselyn O'Connell, president of the National Women's Political Caucus (left) and Kim Gandy, chair of the NOW Political Action Committee (right) jointly announced their groups' endorsements of Carol Moseley Braun on Aug. 26. Photo by Lisa Bennett
With our endorsement comes access to NOW's hundreds of thousands of contributing members and over 500 chapters across the country—and the support of thousands of volunteer activists who are dedicated to supporting feminist candidates with their contributions and volunteer time.

To receive NOW/PAC's endorsement, a candidate must demonstrate an uncompromising commitment to the entire range of women's rights issues. After considering the positions and past records of all the candidates lined up to challenge George W. Bush, one candidate stood above the rest for her lifetime commitment to feminist ideals and her 25-year record fighting for the rights of women at the local, state, national and international levels. We are particularly excited when out of a field of strong progressive candidates, the strongest feminist candidate is also a woman.

Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor, one of the few state officials providing some adult supervision on the matter, is unpersuaded. "The rule of law means that no person, including the chief justice of Alabama, is above the law," he said last week. "We all must obey the orders of these courts even when we disagree with those orders." By the way, Mr. Pryor, a nominee for a federal judgeship, is currently being blocked by Senate Democrats who claim he can't be trusted to uphold the law on the federal bench. His willingness to stand against Justice Moore in the face of public anger gives the lie to that claim.

If Christians in USA had their way, they'd go about firebombing medical clinics. American Christian values are no different from Muslim values in many respects. It is just that they manifest themselves in different ways.

Examples:

1) Both Muslim fanatics and American Christians believe in not making a graven image of the beasts or fishes or god or humans. Mullah Omar refused to allow anyone to photograph him so as to not break this commandment. The Government of Bush will cage anyone who does scientific research clonig/stem [sic] cell research)

2) Many Muslims argue that wearing the burqua [sic] actually shows the strength of the woman. As you might know, I
posted a sample letter to the editor of Knoxville News Sentinel a few days back where the Bible thumper argued that submissiveness in a woman shows her strength. Bible belters are still debating whether women are human or sub-human in nature.

3) Both believe in harvesting souls for their religion. Both believe in using force to achieve this aim. In fact, both groups go about killing people who do not convert to their religion. The Christians do it with the help of the Churches in the Bible belt and their Governments. A few days back, I posted links to news items related to the US/UK sponsored terrorism for the sake of harvesting souls. Muslims call it jihad.

Regardless of the crime committed, isn't putting someone into an environment in which he can be strangled to death cruel and unusual punishment?

1. Awareness and distribution of El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán . Presented at every meeting, demonstration, confrontation, courthouse, institution, administration, church, school, tree, building, car, and every place of human existence.

2. September 16, on the birth date of Mexican Independence, a national walk-out by all Chicanos of all colleges and schools to be sustained until the complete revision of the educational system: its policy makers, administration, its curriculum, and its personnel to meet the needs of our community.

3. Self-Defense against the occupying forces of the oppressors at every school, every available man, woman, and child.

4. Community nationalization and organization of all Chicanos: El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán .

5. Economic program to drive the exploiter out of our community and a welding together of our people's combined resources to control their own production through cooperative effort.

6. Creation of an independent local, regional, and national political party. A nation autonomous and free - culturally, socially, economically, and politically- will make its own decisions on the usage of our lands, the taxation of our goods, the utilization of our bodies for war, the determination of justice (reward and punishment), and the profit of our sweat.

"If we assume that the weight of what was stolen was one ton, [its worth] doubled every 20 years, even if the annual interest is only 5%. In one ton of gold is 700 kg of pure gold – and we must remember that what was stolen was jewelry, that is, alloyed with copper. Hence, after 1,000 years, it would be worth 1,125,898,240 million tons, which equals 1,125,898 billion tons for 1,000 years. In other words, 1,125 trillion tons of gold, that is, a million multiplied by a million tons of gold. This is for one stolen ton. The stolen gold is estimated at 300 tons, and it was not stolen for 1,000 years, but for 5,758 years, by the Jewish reckoning. Therefore, the debt is very large…

"The value must be calculated precisely in accordance with the information collected, and afterward a lawsuit must be filed against all the Jews of the world, and against the Jews of Israel in particular, so they will repay the Egyptians the debt that appears in the Torah."

4Then Moses said to all the people, “This is what the Lord has commanded: 5-9All of you who wish to, all those with generous hearts, may bring these offerings to Jehovah:

Gold, silver, and bronze;
Blue, purple, and scarlet cloth, made of fine-twined linen or of goats’ hair;
Tanned rams’ skins and specially treated goatskins;
Acacia wood;
Olive oil for the lamps;
Spices for the anointing oil and for the incense;
Onyx stones and stones to be used for the ephod and chestpiece.

10-19“Come, all of you who are skilled craftsmen having special talents, and construct what God has commanded us:

The Tabernacle-tent, and its coverings, clasps, frames, bars, pillars, and bases;
The Ark and its poles;
The place of mercy;
The curtain to enclose the Holy Place;
The table, its carrying poles, and all of its utensils;
The Bread of the Presence;
Lamp holders, with lamps and oil;
The incense altar and its carrying poles;
The anointing oil and sweet incense;
The curtain for the door of the Tabernacle;
The altar for the burnt offerings;
The bronze grating of the altar, and its carrying poles and utensils;
The basin with its pedestal;
The drapes for the walls of the court;
The pillars and their bases;
Drapes for the entrance to the court;
The posts of the Tabernacle court, and their cords;
The beautiful clothing for the priests, to be used when ministering in the Holy Place;
The holy garments for Aaron the priest, and for his sons.”
The Living Bible, (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1997.

And the people of Israel did as Moses said and asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. And the Lord gave the Israelis favor with the Egyptians, so that they gave them whatever they wanted. And the Egyptians were practically stripped of everything they owned!

The Living Bible, (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1997.

Unless something is done, the Social Security Administration will have no choice but to cut benefits. The impact of those reductions will start falling on baby-boomers. People born in 1955 won't see any benefit reductions until they are 83; then they will fall off the cliff. But if you were born in 1970, you fall off the retirement income cliff when you are 68, shortly after retirement. Those born in the 1980s will never receive the benefits retirees get today.

At the United Nations yesterday, grieving diplomats spoke bitterly, but not for attribution, about the U.S.-led invasion and occupation. They said it has not only resulted in the violent deaths of close and highly respected colleagues, but has also galvanized the most radical elements of Islam.

"This is a dream for the jihad," said one high-ranking U.N. official. "The resistance will only grow. The American occupation is now the focal point, drawing people from all over Islam into an eye-to-eye confrontation with the hated Americans.

"It is very propitious for the terrorists," he said. "The U.S. is now on the soil of an Arab country, a Muslim country, where the terrorists have all the advantages. They are fighting in a terrain which they know and the U.S. does not know, with cultural images the U.S. does not understand, and with a language the American soldiers do not speak. The troops can't even read the street signs."

The American people still do not have a clear understanding of why we are in Iraq. And the troops don't have a clear understanding of their mission. We're fighting a guerrilla war, which the bright lights at the Pentagon never saw coming, with conventional forces.

Beefing up the American occupation is not the answer to the problem. The American occupation is the problem. The occupation is perceived by ordinary Iraqis as a confrontation and a humiliation, and by terrorists and other bad actors as an opportunity to be gleefully exploited.

What terrible irony that the United Nations, which stood so steadfastly against George W. Bush's war, should be the target of Tuesday's suicide attack in Baghdad. Turning on your defender is an act of total desperation.

In a war that makes no sense, targeting Sergio Vieira de Mello, the U.N. mission leader in Iraq, is like targeting Mother Theresa. A man of great humanity, he was in Iraq to help save the situation into which Bush has placed our nation. To the bombers, however, he was just one more faceless symbol of foreign occupation.

As several U.S. and British reports have indicated recently, Bush's war will inevitably lead to an increase in worldwide terrorism. It has animated and coalesced terror groups, drawing them into Iraq as they once went into Afghanistan.

This problem, of course, is precisely what the U.N. Security Council worried about. However much Bush's advisers may have disliked Saddam Hussein, war and occupation were always likely to create more problems than they solved.

The Bush administration has lost all sense of reality about Iraq. This is perhaps human nature: One tries to defend bad choices by plunging in deeper – what's called "averaging down" on Wall Street and "doubling up" in gambling. The "Charge of the Light Brigade" mentality is strong among decision-makers back in London or Washington.

Examine Bush's use of the word "terrorists" to describe those attacking U.S. forces. What makes people opposing occupation of their land terrorists? Was French, Yugoslav and Greek resistance to Nazi occupation terrorism? Was Native American resistance to white "manifest destiny" terrorism? Is Palestinian resistance to Israeli settlements on the West Bank terrorism? When defeated fighters take up other means to oppose the occupier, do they become terrorists? Who are the terrorists in such situations?

Terrorism is sometimes defined as war against civilians, but what if the civilians are illegal settlers? War should be fought only by professional armies, but scorched earth tactics are common to every war.

We learned recently from the Union-Tribune's James Crawley that the U.S. military used chemical weapons (napalm-type) against Iraq in a war fought putatively to deprive Iraq of chemical weapons that may not exist. Who is the terrorist?

Bush has us in a no-win situation, and no fiddling with words will make things better. This war was conceived by those in the administration who believe it is America's job to remake the Middle East according to their design, and such projects have no record of success in our time. To compare Iraq to postwar Germany or Japan is absurd. Bush's war is imperialism by another name, and the distinction is lost on Iraqis.

What makes our times different is the United Nations. We must establish rules, said the World War II victors, led by the United States. We will create a Security Council which alone will have the authority to make war. When a nation starts a war of aggression, the council will act to stop it.

It hasn't worked that way in practice because council nations tend to be the major aggressors, but at least the U.N. Charter provides a benchmark for war legitimacy. The council overwhelmingly believed Bush's war was illegitimate and would make a more dangerous world, and so it has.

The United Nations is in an awkward situation. Iraq is not Kosovo where the council helped stop the fighting and create the peace. In Iraq, America brought the fighting and ruined the peace.

The council knows after Tuesday's bombing that even if Bush agreed to hand over authority in Iraq to the council, as in Kosovo, which he won't, U.N. troops would be no safer from attack than Americans.

America is engaged in a futile process, which anyone with a sense of history could foresee. Our authority is resented, and anyone we elevate alongside us will become an equal target. Our forces live behind walls and wear armor outside them. We are an occupying army attempting to foist our ideas and ways on an ancient people known for its xenophobia.

We should not be surprised that the situation is unraveling.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, facing growing international pressure to clamp down on militants, convened an emergency Cabinet meeting Wednesday to decide how to respond to a Hamas suicide bombing that killed 20, including five Americans.

The Cabinet did not announce a decision after its two-hour session, except to say the rule of law in the West Bank and Gaza Strip would be enforced. The final say is up to Yasser Arafat and top PLO officials, who will meet later Wednesday with Cabinet ministers. [emphasis added]

The blast, just across from a synagogue, blew a hole in the bus roof and shattered the windows of a passing bus. Rescuers used blowtorches to remove some of the wounded.

Crying children with tattered clothes and bloodied faces were led away. Doctors leaned over a bloodied infant in an ambulance. Paramedics treated the wounded on the sidewalk, and body parts were strewn amid broken glass.

In an Israeli prison, Palestinian security prisoners applauded and passed out candy when they learned of the bombing, the Israel Prisons Authority said. Inmate leaders were sent into isolation and the rest had their TV sets removed as punishment, the authority said.

Under the terms of a compromise, Willis said, the city agreed in federal court in San Diego to have a judgment entered against it but admitted no fault.

Oceanside police arrested the men as they preached to passers-by Aug. 3, 2002, at Pier View Way and Coast Highway. Police said they acted on the complaint of a nearby business owner.

The men were members of West Coast Baptist Church in Vista, which, said the Rev. Philip Clark, its pastor, has sent preachers to the streets of Oceanside for 30 years.

Clark said yesterday that church members have continued preaching despite the arrest and a phone threat "to keep our blankety-blank preachers out of Oceanside."

Police said the case stemmed from a citizens arrest on behalf of the business owner who found the preaching annoyed her customers.

Comedian and left-wing activist Al Franken has apologized in writing to Attorney General John Ashcroft for asking him for his personal story of remaining abstinent before marriage. In June Franken wrote a letter to Ashcroft on Harvard University stationery, telling him the story was to be one of many he had already received from several conservative leaders…including Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson (search) and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice (search)…for a book about abstinence called 'Savin' It. Thing is, Franken never had permission to use Harvard's stationery, he never received any accounts from any conservative leaders, and, what's more, he was never working on such a book to begin with. He does have a new book, though. Its title: Lies and the Lying Liars who tell them: A fair and balanced look at the right.

In fact, there is another Iraq that the media virtually ignore. It is guarded by the First Marine Division, and, unlike Baghdad, it has been a model of success. The streets are safe, petty and violent crime are low, water and electrical services are almost universally available (albeit rationed), and ordinary Iraqis are beginning to clean up and rebuild their neighborhoods and communities. Equally important, a deep level of mutual trust and respect has developed between the Marines and the populace here in central and southern Iraq.

I know because I'm one of those Marines. My reserve unit was activated before the war, and in April my team arrived in this small city roughly 60 miles south of Baghdad. The negative media portrait of the situation in Iraq doesn't correspond with what I've seen. Indeed, we were treated as liberating heroes when we arrived four months ago, and we continue to enjoy amicable relations with the local populace.

The "Arab Street" I've meet in Iraq loves--that's not too strong of a word--America and is deeply grateful for our presence. Far from resenting the American military, most Iraqis seem to fear that we will leave too soon and that in our absence the Baath Party tyranny will resume. This sentiment is readily apparent whenever we venture into the city. We don't make it far outside of our camp before throngs of happy, smiling children greet us.

3. The top 12 financial supporters for the renewal of Iraq are (in descending order): the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Australia, Germany, Norway, Denmark, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and Kuwait.

Whatever happened to "live and let live?" If I can live with the occasional rustle from the undergrowth as I'm strolling through a condom-strewn park or a come-hither look from George Michael in the men's room, why can't gays live with the occasional expression of disapproval?

Christian opponents of gay marriage oppose gay marriage, they don't oppose the right of gays to advocate it. But increasingly gays oppose the right of Christians to advocate their beliefs. Gay activists have figured that instead of trying to persuade people to change their opinions, it's easier just to get them banned.

Texas was redistricted by a court after the Democrats managed to halt a redistricting plan in 2000. Texas was allotted an additional three seats -- all of which were made GOP seats -- leaving the Democrats with a 17-15 advantage in the Congressional delegation.

This in a state where every statewide office is held by Republicans.

This in a state where Republicans hold large majorities in both houses of the state legislature.

Let's compare the Texas situation to California, where the inverse is true. In California, the Democrats hold a large majority in both houses of the state legislature and every statewide office.

What does California's delegation look like? 33 Democrats and 20 Republicans.

"They've added measures which will make it difficult for our legislative staff back in Austin to continue to serve our constituents," said Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, chairwoman of the Senate Democratic Caucus. "It is unconscionable that these white Republicans would attempt to hurt our constituents even while we are making our stand to defend Texas." [emphasis added]

A story yesterday about the massive power blackout that rolled across the Northeast, Midwest and southern Canada, misidentified Ottawa as the capital of Ontario. In fact, Ottawa is the capital of Canada.

Yesterday's announcement was made from the office of Robert Bonner, commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection.

A review of the memo "determined that it was an overly broad and restrictive statement of Border Patrol policy in the San Diego sector," bureau spokeswoman Gloria Chavez said. "Commissioner Bonner has directed that the memorandum of Aug. 8 be rescinded."

Benjamin Prado of the Raza Rights Coalition said the quashing of Veal's memo means that immigrant-rights groups must redouble their efforts to monitor the Border Patrol to prevent human-rights violations.

"If they do raids in our communities, we're going to have a presence," Prado said.

SCHWARZENEGGER'S GAMBIT. Tapped should be clear about our basic position on the California election: California voters wanted a stupid recall provision in their state laws, and some of California's voters wanted to dump the current guv. If California's voters are also dumb enough to elect Arnold Schwarzenegger, they will get, as journalist Martin Walker once wrote of Bill Clinton and the Boomers, the governor they deserve.

California voters wanted a stupid recall provision in their state laws...

and some of California's voters wanted to dump the current guv

If California's voters are also dumb enough to elect Arnold Schwarzenegger, they will get, as journalist Martin Walker once wrote of Bill Clinton and the Boomers, the governor they deserve.

Where's the beef?" worked for Walter Mondale. It can work for Gray Davis (or Cruz Bustamente). Time for a reprise of "Where's the beef?"

A moral pygmy like Rep. Bob Ney might be pleased he got french fries banned from the House cafeteria, but Tapped bets your average soldier sweating it out in Tikrit right now would trade Ney's infantile sense of self-satisfaction for a brigade or two of French infantry.

(Shawn) Moran (communications director for Local 1613 of the National Border Patrol Council) said the order effectively bars agents from stopping to talk to suspected illegal immigrants, even if they recognize them as criminals who have been deported in the past.

"If we're going down the street and we see somebody we've deported for child molestation or some other crime, even if they're walking down the street holding some child's hand, there's nothing we can do about it," he said.

Again, I don't dispute this fact -- I've seen it in Pentagon press briefings, and I've talked to Army logisticians who say this is true. But what he doesn't say is that his unit also has a supply of unbottled water -- "tap" water if you will. I stand by my original contention, because I've fact-checked it, that a soldier will die in a desert environment on 3 liters/water a day. (The same is true in a cold weather environment, actually) I've led soldiers in the frozen hills of Korea and in the hot Mojave Desert, and I know how much water it takes to keep them alive under body armor and full battle rattle. 3 liters/day would result in a lot more than 2 heat casualties in one MP company -- it would result in a dead MP company.

The Blair affair was treated as a stand-alone mishap. Here is a culture of arrogance. The thread that connects the Blair scandal with the Times' other lapses is overconfidence -- a faith that it can't be "out-thought." If the Times were serious about self-examination, it would have assigned the task to outsiders. It is hard for insiders to be too critical of their organization for both psychological reasons (their assumptions may be part of the problem) and economic self-interest (they may censor themselves to protect their job).

The Times is a good and sometimes great paper. But it is not perfect or infallible. The humiliation it suffered from the Blair scandal did not produce much humility or learning. Until it's as tough on itself as it is on others, it will not deserve the "significance" now so often accorded it.

The president and his advisers could have learned something about the real world if, instead of hanging out at the ranch, they had visited a city like Los Angeles (or almost any other hard-hit American venue) and spent time talking to folks who have been thrown out of work and, in some cases, out of their homes in this treacherous Bush economy.

The job market in California worsened in July. More than a million people are out of work statewide, and there are few signs of the optimism that Mr. Bush is feeling.

Officials at homeless shelters in Los Angeles, as in other large American cities, are seeing big increases in the number of families seeking shelter because of extended periods of joblessness. The pattern is as depressing as it is familiar: the savings run out, the rent doesn't get paid, the eviction notice arrives.

Tanya Tull, president of Beyond Shelter in downtown L.A., said the percentage of families in her facility had climbed from about one-third to more than half because of the employment crisis. The breadwinners can't find jobs, she said, "so they're losing their housing."

1. Krugman starts his column with a description of American woe in Iraq -- based on the griping of a soldier about food.

A few days ago I talked to a soldier just back from Iraq. He'd been in a relatively calm area; his main complaint was about food. Four months after the fall of Baghdad, his unit was still eating the dreaded M.R.E.'s: meals ready to eat. When Italian troops moved into the area, their food was "way more realistic" — and American troops were soon trading whatever they could for some of that Italian food.

This should bring a smile to any veteran's face, because it's a time-honored tradition in the Army to gripe about food. In fact, they taught us as new lieutenants that your soldiers probably had a real problem if they weren't griping about their food, and that such gripes about Army chow were a sign of good morale. Frankly, I'm not a fan of eating MREs for 4 weeks straight, let alone 4 months. But I'm not too concerned when I see this gripe in the news... in the pantheon of Army b*tching, it's pretty low.

As usual with Herr Doktorprofessor's more striking complaints, there's not much provided to back them up - and the sources that are cited in context don't say what the quotes he chooses from them at first seem to say. He quotes the Newhouse News Service as reporting: U.S. troops in Iraq suffered through months of unnecessarily poor living conditions because some civilian contractors hired by the Army for logistics support failed to show up. But he omits the Newhouse article's qualification: conditions have improved. Worse, although Herr Doktorprofessor serves up this article to support his contention that it is Bush Administration officials who intervened to "privatize" something that the Army wanted to keep for itself, the article seems to say that it was the Army, not Bush Administration officials, who misjudged the logistics: "We thought we could depend on industry to perform these kinds of functions," Lt. Gen. Charles S. Mahan, the Army's logistics chief, said in an interview. No evidence is provided to support Herr Doktorprofessor's insinuation that the relevant Army policies of the Bush Administration differ from those of the Clinton Administration. But, even if the Bush Administration has moved further into privatization, there is no evidence adduced that the SNAFU's are anything more than new systems being worked out. Herr Doktorprofessor's argument seems to be: There were some problems, therefore the military should do everything for itself. Without evidence that privatization is being persued for extra-military purposes, he is simply absurd.

In fact, in regard to abortion — and abortion was the one issue brought up again and again by Democrats in the judiciary committee — it is a matter of Catholic faith that one does not need Catholic faith to make a judgment about the evil of abortion. All that is required is some basic knowledge about biology. What is killed in an abortion is undeniably human, a being with an individual genetic code separate from that of its mother and father. It is a human individual. Unless it is killed, it will grow into a full-grown woman or man, perhaps even a senator. It does not take rocket science, and certainly not faith, to know that killing a human individual for one's own purposes is not right.

In her response to the charges, she wrote the government that "if it comes to fines or imprisonment, "please be aware that I will not contribute money to the United States government to continue the buildup of its arsenal of weapons." Since she won't pay, she said, "perhaps the alternative should be considered."

An article on Sunday about attacks on the American military in Iraq over the previous two days, attributed to military officials, included an erroneous account that quoted Pfc. Jose Belen of the First Armored Division. Private Belen, who is not a spokesman for the division, said that a homemade bomb exploded under a convoy on Saturday morning on the outskirts of Baghdad and killed two American soldiers and their interpreter. The American military's central command, which releases information on all American casualties in Iraq, said before the article was published that it could not confirm Private Belen's account. Later it said that no such attack had taken place and that no American soldiers were killed on Saturday.

Repeated efforts by The Times to reach Private Belen this week have been unsuccessful. The Times should not have attributed the account to "military officials," and should have reported that the command had not verified the attack.

Perhaps I the only one who winced at this: “God has once again brought an Easter out of Good Friday.' said Rev. Gene Robinson after his election as the first openly gay bishop. Good heavens, man, why don’t you just do the full James Cameron: hop up on the cross and shout I’m King of the Jews!

This story has irritated me from the start, and it has nothing to do with Rev. Robinson’s sexual orientation. The guy left his wife and kids to go do the hokey-pokey with someone else: that’s what it’s all about, at least for me. Marriages founder for a variety of reasons, and ofttimes they’re valid reasons, sad and inescapable. But “I want to have sex with other people” is not a valid reason for depriving two little girls of a daddy who lives with them, gets up at night when they're sick, kisses them in the morning when they wake. There's a word for people who leave their children because they don't want to have sex with Mommy anymore: selfish. I'm not a praying man, but I cannot possibly imagine asking God if that would be okay. Send them another Dad, okay? Until you do I'll keep my cellphone on 24/7, I promise.

Who are you to judge? is the standard response, and I quote Captain James T. Kirk when asked the same question by Kodos the Executioner: who do I have to be? I’ll tell you this: my nightmare is losing my daughter. The idea of leaving her on purpose is inconceivable, and I don’t care if Adriana Lima drove up the driveway in a '57 BelAir convertible, tossed me the keys and asked me to drive her to Rio, it ain’t gonna happen. I made a promise when I married my wife, and I made another when we had our daughter. It's made me rather cranky on the subject of men who don't stick around. They're letting down the side. They're reverting to type. They're talking from their trousers.

I know, I know, his daughters love him & support him now. So what. Hitler’s dog went to his funeral. (No, that doesn’t make sense, but it’s my favorite wrench to throw in conversations this week.) If he’d cast off his family to cavort with a woman from the choir, I’m not sure he’d be elevated to the level of moral avatar – but by some peculiar twist the fact that he left mom for a man insulates him from criticism. It’s as if he had to do it. To stay in the marriage would have been (crack of thunder, horses neighing) living a lie, and nowadays we’re told that’s the worst thing anyone can do. Better to bedevil other lives with the truth than inconvenience your own with a lie. Right? If others are harmed in the short run, eventually they will be happy because you’re happier. Right?

I don’t think it works that way with little children. I don’t think they understand why Dads leave – and so they make up their own reasons and spend years looking for evidence in other people.

Heard an interview with Rev. Robinson this afternoon, and he used a phrase that set my teeth on edge: he referred to partnerships as “life-intentioned.” A wonderful weasel word, that: intention. The escape hatch is built right in. It’s as if the intention to stay together is equal to the expressed promise to stay together. But it’s not. Everyone had a faithless lover who did you wrong, and usually blamed everything but free will. It just happened, you know. Wasn’t intending to cheat, but . . . it just happened, okay?

Tonight I told my wife that I now regarded our marriage vows not as a solemn promise, but an expression of my intentions.

Ever seen those “Bringing Up Father” cartoons where Jiggs flees the house, trailed by a fusillade of rolling pins and frying pans?

Bishop Peter J. Lee of Virginia spearheaded the successful effort to drop a provision calling for the development of national rites, saying it would be ''a sign of concern for those who voted against Canon Robinson'' and would demonstrate ''extreme pastoral sensitivity during a time of discord.'' (Third paragraph)

Bishop Mark S. Sisk of New York, who supported Robinson's confirmation, supported Lee, saying that bishops need to recognize that ''our actions do have an impact around the world.'' (Fourth paragraph)

''There are gay men and lesbian women all through this church who are creating families, who care about the church, who want to be contributing members of the church and want to be respected for who they are,'' said Bishop Otis Charles, who came out as a gay man after retiring as bishop of Utah. (Fifth paragraph)

Bishop Alfred C. Marble, the retired bishop of Mississippi, declared: ''In my heart I believe gay and lesbian persons are who they are, just as I am who I am, and if that is not a sin . . . then it cannot be a sin to honor same-gender relationships.'' (Sixth paragraph)

''We're very pleased with the resolution as passed,'' said the Rev. Michael Hopkins, a member of a group called Integrity. (Seventh paragraph)

Bishop M. Thomas Shaw of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts said he regretted that the resolution does not require development of a national liturgy that could be debated at the church's next triennial convention. ''But it does move the discussion along and make it a priority for the life of the church to carry on a discussion about this,'' he said. (10th paragraph)

The president of the American Anglican Council, the Rev. Canon David C. Anderson, acknowledged that the bishops seemed to be trying to mollify conservatives like his members after the collision over Robinson. ''The bishops seemed to show some restraint, rather than going whole hog,'' Anderson said. (12th paragraph)

But a conservative theologian, the Rev. Canon Kendall S. Harmon, said the measure does seem to give official recognition to the fact that some bishops are not waiting for the national church to act on blessing same-sex unions. ''People who are already doing it are going to keep doing it, and we're just going to admit that they're doing it more explicitly,'' he said. (13th paragraph) [This is the first identified conservative, and his is the eighth quote in the story. However, the quote doesn't say why the resolution is opposed by conservatives, instead it is unbiased analytical quote. Anyone, including a liberal, could have said the exact same thing.]

''Publicly, many of the [international] bishops are very distressed, but privately they know we have to speak out of our cultural context, just as they do,'' Shaw said. (19th paragraph)

''The Anglican Communion will hold together,'' Charleston said. ''What you are seeing is the honest reaction of people who are hurt, and their first impulse is in many ways to cry out. . . . But pay careful attention to what has happened in our past.'' (20th paragraph)

''Though many of you are celebrating, many of us are in mourning,'' Harmon said. (24th paragraph -- still haven't said why there is opposition)

The Rev. David H. Roseberry, rector of a prominent Episcopal church in Plano, Texas, resigned as a deputy from the Diocese of Dallas. Roseberry's parish is planning to host a gathering of conservative Anglican leaders in October. ''I believe that this convention has done something that is outside the revealed will of God as found in the Scriptures and the historic teaching of the church,'' Roseberry said. (26th and FINAL paragraph)