Open Thread

Today's starters:

Media: Court hearings on FCC's reinvigorated anti-profanity policy will be televised, meaning the argument over naughty words on TV will be shown on TV. The Christian Science Monitor damns conservative milblogger Bill Roggio with faint praise (Bill, and Karl at PW respond). Patterico ponders copyrights today, wondering who would own the rights to an answering machine message left by a singer during a concert.

Politics: A BBC report out of Ukraine says that newborn babies may have been killed for the purpose of taking their stem cells.

In Iraq news, Gallup's pollsters are starting to ask people if they're confident elected officials will "do the right thing in Iraq." Of course, that question is rather meaningless unless you define right, something few would agree on. John at Power Line also notes an interesting fact: 81% of the public trusts the military to do the right thing. Related: Yet another Islamic militant leader takes pride in the GOP's 2006 defeat: "It seems that every bullet that mujahedeen had fired toward the Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan has turned into a vote against Bush."

Society: Democrats get religion (or at least start paying consultants for it). Conservatives, meanwhile are being shut out of the academy. One of the lonely righty profs details just how in a lengthy, informative Chronicle of Education article here.

Regarding the recent death of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, David Frum notes many lefties are incensed that the U.S. supported Pinochet but seem today to be arguing against the idea of promoting democracy in Iraq.