Mainstream media to link the earthquake that killed 18,000 to global warming in t-minus 3... 2...

The BBC is planning to run a series proving that Christianity has turned Bush into a deranged lunatic, according to one story written by Rupert Cornwell for The Independent.

"In the programme Elusive Peace: Israel and the Arabs, which starts on Monday, the former Palestinian foreign minister Nabil Shaath says Mr Bush told him and Mahmoud Abbas, former prime minister and now Palestinian President: 'I'm driven with a mission from God. God would tell me, 'George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan.' And I did, and then God would tell me, 'George go and end the tyranny in Iraq,' and I did.'"

Also according to the story,

The Washington Post has run an extended whitewash of dishonest conduct in Hillary Clinton’s 2000 campaign for the Senate from New York. The article, “House of Cards,” ran today, 8 October, 2005. The money quote, the one when Tom Sawyer really slaps the white paint on the fence, is in the 14th paragraph:

“ ‘Who knew?’ turned out to be a $1.176 million question. Federal law enforcement officials eventually confirmed that the gala, night of a thousand egos -- when Cher sang 'If I Could Turn Back Time,' the president cried for the cameras and con artists hobnobbed with the most powerful couple in the world -- cost somebody at least $1.176 million to produce. Yet Hillary Clinton's joint fundraising committee eventually reported that the gala cost just $401,419 in donated goods and services.”

Famed BBC reporter David Frost announced yesterday that he has joined a new English-language version of the Qatar-based al-Jazeera network.  As reported by Howard Kurtz in today’s Washington Post:

“‘I love new frontiers and new challenges,’ Frost, 66, said yesterday from London. He said the new network, al-Jazeera International, has promised him ‘total editorial control’ and that he had checked out the company with U.S. and British government officials, ‘all of which gave al-Jazeera a clean bill of health in terms of its lack of links with terrorism.’"

Charles Krauthammer has called the Miers nomination a "joke."

George Will called her "the wrong pick."

Bill Kristol labelled the nomination a "mistake."

David Frum suggests she is "not good enough."

Senators Brownback, Thune and Lott have expressed reservations.

So what are these folks up to? Well, to listen to Ellen Ratner, of Fox & Friends Weekend "Long & Short of It" feature, they are consciously . . . lying.

Yes, in her appearance this morning, Ratner claimed that the Republicans are "protesting too much" about Miers' lack of conservative credentials in a "concerted effort" [read "conspiracy'] to dupe Democrats into accepting her.

Said Ratner: "I think she is a stealth, very conservative candidate. I think they are raising this as a way of causing a lot of storm so liberals can say 'well, maybe she is not that bad' and I think this is a concerted effort to get her through."

The November issue of Ladies’ Home Journal (circulation: 4.1 million) arrived in the wife's mail, and it has a cover story/interview with Bill Clinton by Editor-in-Chief Diane Salvatore. Most of the questions up front are about eating and nutrition and obesity prevention, and Hillary's ability to scarf a dozen chocolate donuts as a stress reducer when they were dating. Yawn. Salvatore is a classic liberal suckup, especially when it comes to Chelsea, whom she typically presents as one of the best things the Clintons have done, and even asks Daddy if he envisions her as a "future Condi Rice." But look at the questions about marriage and Hillary's ethics, and enjoy creating your own answers. (The wife's guess for Bill's real marital advice: "Don't get caught.")

Salvatore: "In your book, you wrote very movingly about wanting to save your marriage...[She mentions the magazine's long-standing feature "Can This Marriage Be Saved?"] Mr. President, what insights and modifications have you felt you have wanted to focus on to keep your marriage now healthy and strong?"