The War on America

The war against women rages on. The ongoing struggle for women to obtain and safeguard basic reproductive rights has suffered another setback with the passage of the omnibus spending bill. Why would a spending bill cut back on women's rights? Well, instead of worrying about the HUGE federal deficit, Republicans decided to include provision that is intended to curtail the options women have with regards to their reproductive rights. This provision cuts options that women have to speak to their doctor, get an abortion, or get information regarding reproductive health. [NYT]

The war on taxpayers rages on. A back-door provision was inserted into the very same spending bill that would have allowed your lawmakers to view your tax returns, without regard to privacy protections. Of course, they don't tell you that the omnibus spending bill was given to lawmakers less than 24 hours before the vote. Oh well you say? Yeah, it was 14 inches thick! So, some nefarious "evildoer" inserted this provision into the bill. Luckily, it was caught and defeated. Hmmm...Who could have put that in there...A staffer? Nevermind that fact that they voted on the bill at about 4 AM! [NYT]

Oh, and Dan Rather announced his retirement effective in March 2005. I never really had any problems with the guy. He is 73, and even though the end of his tenure was marked with controversy, his legacy will be a positive one. He's still no Walter Cronkite (my journalistic idol), but he lasted 24 years. [Yahoo]