Bush Fears Dean
After all, why would the GOP start running ads in Iowa to question the patriotism of political war critics?

And if he doesn't, according to these Republican strategists, he should. In this memo, they come to the conclusion that Howard Dean could even spot the President Florida's 27 electoral votes, PLUS most of the Old Confederate South, and STILL become the new President of the United States in 2005.

In their words, "Let us not be fooled by misguided conventional wisdom. Dean is a threat and Republicans better not ignore him."

Music to my ears.

Dirty Pop
There are many lessons to be learned from this entire Michael Jackson fiasco.

The first is, if people THINK you're a child molester, maybe you shouldn't hold sleepovers with the children of complete strangers. It just might not look too good.

I really, really, really want to believe Michael. I really want to believe that he's innocent and that this is all a witch hunt. But the fact that the sleepovers continued for a decade, even after he'd been publicly accused of being a pedophile, with a gravy train of dozens of random children......

I recently watched The Wiz for the first time in nearly 20 years, and Michael as the Scarecrow was a simply mesmerizing musical/dance performance. Every time I think about the Motown 25 special, I get goosebumps. I mean, people lost their minds watching Michael perform that night ("Oh, my God! He's walking...... BACKWARDS?!?!?!?!?!?!")

Michael was magic.

A black Harry Potter in penny loafers.

I am part of a generation of Black children who grew up in the age of "Billy Jean" and Thriller and Off The Wall, where Michael seemed to be a living embodiment of all of the promise and hope that our community had placed in us for the future.

And maybe that's the point. Maybe Michael's madness (and, believe you me, I'm still not convinced he's a child molester, but Michael Jackson is clearly insane, perhaps dangerously so) is a visible, visceral symbol of the sickness that still pervades young Black America. He had the world at his fingertips, yet his mental scars run so deep that, instead of using a razor on his arms like most cutters, he's opted for a plastic surgeon's scalpel to help externalize his suffering. He claws jealously for the closeness of babies, as if he can become young through association.

I pray he didn't do it.

But I still hope for some court-mandated therapy.

God knows he needs it.

Return of the Press Gang
Why is the Army suddenly looking to recruit a bunch of volunteers to work on local draft boards?

And, in other news, how long have those 130,000 troops been getting shot at while wearing full combat gear under desert heat?

Gen. Franks Doubts Constitution Will Survive WMD Attack

Junta
retired General Tommy Franks, in an interview with, of all places, Cigar Afficianado, suggests that the U.S. Constitution could not survive the use by a terrorist of a Weapon of Mass Destruction in mainland America, and that the resulting public outcry for security would force, in his words, "a military style of government" to replace it.

Scariest quote from General Franks:

"It's not in the history of civilization for peace ever to reign. Never has in the history of man. ... I doubt that we’ll ever have a time when the world will actually be at peace."