Overnight - A roundup of news items that you might have missed

As always, tonights roundup is a team effort by Pale Rider and Blue Girl


Mary Tillman is not going to go away: Seven military investigations and two Congressional hearings can’t convince Mary Tillman that the government is telling all it knows about the death of her son, a corporal in the U.S. Army Rangers. Mary Tillman has been on a crusade for the truth ever since, accusing the government of using the initial story as a publicity stunt and covering up the friendly fire incident. She points to inconsistencies, including that his uniform was burned after his death, which is against regulations, and that the coroner refused to sign the autopsy for months because his analysis of Tillman’s gunshot wounds was not consistent with the Army’s original story. The government doesn't blame her for thinking the worst and has apologized to her. Says Pete Geren, the secretary of the Army who ordered the latest Army investigation. "We made mistake after mistake. We failed in our duty to her. But, we've had seven investigations…a congressional investigation and they have all concluded that there was no deceit - no intentional deceit - no cover-up..." Oh, bullshit.

Measles? You're telling us there's going to be an outbreak of measles? Measles outbreaks in several states have led to more than 70 cases so far this year, the worst in six years, health officials said Thursday. Most of the cases have been traced to outbreaks overseas and are mainly in children who were not vaccinated for religious or other reasons or were too young, according to the Centers for Disease control and Prevention. Since measles vaccinations began in the early 1960s, cases have dramatically declined in the U.S. So far this year, the CDC has confirmed reports of 64 cases in nine states. There were no deaths, but 14 people were hospitalized, said CDC spokesman Curtis Allen.

It's because the Democratic Party insiders have it in for Dean, you idiots: According to the latest Federal Election Commission reports filed through the end of March, the RNC had $31 million in cash on hand while the DNC had only $5.3 million. The RNC has raised $36.5 million this year while the DNC has raised $17.7 million. The story was equally grim in 2007, when the RNC raised a total of $83 million to the DNC’s $50 million. The committee is raising less than $6 million each month. Yeah, and if people would get behind the 50 state strategy--which has now been proven to be the smartest decision in the last fifty years by the Democratic Party--and if they would quit pouting and give up the cash, that deficit would disappear. This is just piss-poor retribution, designed to punish Howard Dean.

Not nearly enough, if you ask me: A key negotiator says a deal has been reached to compensate victims of the Minneapolis bridge collapse. State Rep. Ryan Winkler tells The Associated Press that House and Senate conference committee members shook hands on the deal overnight. Victims' attorney Chris Messerly says the $38 million plan addresses a key sticking point in the negotiations. That's whether to recognize the state's liability limit by capping awards to individual victims. Messerly says the deal would allow victims to get up to $400,000 each. There's also a supplemental $12.6 million fund for the worst injured. The Aug. 1 bridge collapse in Minneapolis killed 13 people and injured 145 others

Wingnuts forget about our own "human rights" issues: "China today is the worst human rights violator in the world," said Rep. Christopher Smith (R-N.J.). "No one else is even close." Human Rights First, an international advocacy group, issued a report in March revealing that China sold $55 million in small arms to Sudan between 2003 and 2006. "This was the period when violence was increasing in Darfur," said Julia Fromholz, advocacy counsel for the group. Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) said China's actions have detracted from the harmony of the games to create instead "an Olympics of oppression." Brownback also accused Beijing of conspiring to spy on visitors staying in the city's hotels. "American hotels have been ordered by the Chinese government to place monitors and filters on their Internet piping to facilitate spying on international guests and visitors," Brownback said. "This is wrong, it's against international convention, [and] it's certainly against the Olympic spirit." OMG! Are those warrantless wiretaps on their Internet connections?

Good for Senator Feingold He sent a letter to the GAO yesterday asking them to determine if the Pentagon's efforts to propagandize the American public for the purpose of promoting aWol's pet war.

Inhoffe draws the ire of Oklahoma Veterans for withdrawing his support for S22, the 21st Century GI Bill that was introduced by Jim Webb as soon as he was sworn in. When we told you about Inhoffe's treachery in last nights newswrap, we asked "How long before Worst. Senator. Ever. bumperstickers start cropping up on cars around Ft. Sill and Tinker AFB?" (We are wagering that they are at the printers right now.)

Pariah At the Quadrennial General Conference of the United Methodist Church yesterday, the governing body of the congregation voted overwhelmingly (844 to 20) “for the library’s rejection to the South Central jurisdiction of the church which owns the university property.” One UMC minister and SMU grad was explicit in denouncing torture and wanting no part of any association with this president and his alma mater. The petition explicitly states concerns about breaching the wall between church and state. The local jurisdiction will vote on the rejection petition when it convenes in Dallas in July. This guy is, at this point, so despised that if he burst into flames, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone to even piss on him.

Addington to testify about the way the administration contorted itself to allow torture? We hope so, but we'll believe it when we see it.

Take the challenge if you don't believe that a McCain presidency would amount to nothing more than a third Bush term, this time with an even worst temper, and more insanity!

This is why Hillary and Obama both need their asses kicked for going on Fox the RNC's very own Izvestia (which translates to "delivered messages" by the way) on the Avenue of the Americas is now gloating about the appearances of Obama on Faux Noise Sunday and Clinton on O'Reilly. Why on earth would any progressive Democrat give those jackasses an opportunity to pretend they have any credibility, or are anything but an instrument of The Party? The mind boggles...

The stupidest argument ever has been laid to rest, at least for now. The Senate has declared John McCain, born on the United States Naval Station at Coco Solo in the Panama Canal Zone while his father was billetd there, a natural born citizen. Duh. (BG sez: The lame assertion that he wasn't a citizen because of the circumstances of his birth pissed off a lot of Brats - me included!)

With nary a trace of irony the worst president ever, who sports the worst record of respect for law and order in the history of the republic, issued a proclamation for Law Day (yesterday) that extolls the virtues of law and order. (Maybe when he talks about law and order, he means that "he's the law and we'll all do as he orders" or something?)

We have seen this movie before The firing of an EPA regulator looks eerily familiar...like when the DoJ purged all those U.S. Attorneys who wouldn't use their offices to influence elections to favor Republicans. The top EPA regulator in the midwest has been forced out of her position for having the temerity to try to force Dow Chemical to clean up chemical spills.

Blogger has made an upgrade that allows us to post on a timer. So if Cheney shoots someone in the face; and five hours later you realize that we have three posts up and not a word has been said...we have our holograms playing cards in the cell and we have done escaped.

Open thread for you overnight readers. Good night, and good luck.