Believe it or not, it now appears that Christian leaders in Australia can enter the political debate without being lectured concerning that which belongs to God and that which belongs to Caesar. Provided they choose a fashionable topic, of course. As in criticising the Howard Government's Work Choices legislation.

The latest revelations in the Bush Administration's long unfolding, ever growing illegal wiretapping scandal carry with them a multiple sting.

The US secretary of state has said it is time for a Palestinian state to be founded, and that the US will put its full weight behind such efforts.

Condoleezza Rice said reaching a two-state solution was a priority for her and US President George Bush.

Did you hear the one about the AFP counterterrorism strategy founder who became the manager of a homeland security company that made a killing in the Australian share market? Sorry, it's not a joke. It happened years ago.

Let's set the scene...

"Planners hope that, the more they do it, the more the agencies and personnel will learn to work together, forming some semblance of organization before any occurrence of the real thing." Don't you find this to be bizarre language to hear on a nightly TV bulletin? Esoecially in a city about to host a fake terror attack? The way KOIN TV (love the name) would have it, it's gonna happen sometime or another.

The AEC has revealed that overnight, it has removed 140,000 people from the electoral roll - right before the election was called. The coincidence is a little too big to be believed. Normally removals would occur progressively over many months. People would have time to be informed that they need to get back on. Now, there is basically not enough time.

The AEC is doing Howard's dirty work. Be in no doubt. Denial stops here.

Such a blatantly dodgy act will antagonise any incoming Labor Government. Why would impartial AEC officials risk their careers like that? I believe the AEC leadership are either convinced the Coalition will win, or want the Coalition to win. Given the Government's polling, the former implies the latter.

Our moral trajectory over the Bush years could not be better dramatized than it was by a reunion of an elite group of two dozen World War II veterans in Washington this month. They were participants in a top-secret operation to interrogate some 4,000 Nazi prisoners of war. Until now, they have kept silent, but America’s recent record prompted them to talk to The Washington Post.

Pangea

from Crikey …..

first fibs from Dear Leader

Mungo MacCallum writes: 

Always start the way you intend to continue; so our Dear Leader began his official election campaign with a great big fib.

I'll help battlers, promises Howard …..

• Howard pledges to help battlers if re-elected
• Howard "trying to have it both ways", says Rudd
• Election could be called as early as today

John Howard has pledged to do more to help battlers if he is re-elected as he moved yesterday to clear the decks ahead of officially calling the election as early as today.

Ex-Commander Says Iraq Effort Is 'a Nightmare' …..

In a sweeping indictment of the four-year effort in Iraq, the former top commander of American forces there called the Bush administration's handling of the war "incompetent" and said the result was "a nightmare with no end in sight."