Smoke em out of their holes.

It's interesting how leisurely a pace the DoJ is taking in investigating this, given John Ashcroft's strong words in the pass on going after leaks.

"This increase is required by law." So says Ted Stevens regarding the Senate's pay raise -- for the fifth year in a row -- as required by a cost-of-living increase that goes to all civilian government workers and the military. A vote to exempt the Senate was defeated -- by the venerable Senators -- 60-34.

Michael Kinsley explains why some people so personnally dislike George W. Bush. As a Parkinsons sufferer himself, I can only image the rage Kinsley must feel. George's stem cell decision, was even more venal, cynical, and calculated than his brother's actions in Florida, commented on in yesterday's post.

Here's another reminder of the frat boy's world view and sophistication.

"On a visit to the White House last year, President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada told President Bush that he would push ahead with a plan to eradicate coca but that he needed more money to ease the impact on farmers.

"Otherwise, the Bolivian president's advisers recalled him as saying, 'I may be back here in a year, this time seeking political asylum.'

"Mr. Bush was amused, Bolivian officials recounted, told his visitor that all heads of state had tough problems and wished him good luck."

There was a fascinating op-ed in the Times last week, which I meant to blog a link to, but didn't get a chance (here's a link to the archived article, but you gotta pay to get past the abstract). In it, Leonida Zurita-Vargas writes that the rioting in Bolivia stems from deepening anger toward the U.S. drug war and its effect on Bolivian culture, of which coca growing was an important aspect. Manufacturing cocaine was not a part of that culture, but growing coca was, as a valuable crop, as a medicine, as a stimulant. Our heavy-handedness -- and I know, this precedes Bush II -- will have consequences.

Maybe Wesley Clark can understand that a more nuanced approach to how we deal withother countries. According to Michele Goldberg, his campaign seems to be attracting the kinds of voters we need to get rid of our current failed presidency. Moderate democrats and moderate republicans may be attracted to a real live hero-type, who knows his national security without a Donald Rumsfeld or Dick Cheney to lead him around by the nose. He appeals to those of us who aren't attracted to Dean's anger and inability to articulate a message that isn't simply negative.

Speaking of Tweedledee and Tweedledum, i.,e., Cheney and Rumsfeld (or is it the other way around), this is interesting. Thanks to Talkingpoints for the link and for more on Defrank's continued scoops for the Daily News.

*****

This is too close. The Yanks had the fish by the throat and couldn't get them last night. Forget Weaver, who gave up the first W.S. walk-off HR against the Yanks since William Stanley Mazeroski did it in '61, and that didn't go well for the Bombers. Weaver shouldn't even been in that game after the Yanks had runners on 2nd and 3rd with less than 2 outs in the 10th and 11th. Aaron Boone is quickly going from hero in Game 7 of the ALCS to World Serious goat.

A big game is required of Mr. Wells, who may be pitching his last game for the team. And some timely hitting would be nice. If it weren't for Jeter, Bernie, and, especially, Matsui, the Yankees would be out of it by now. Heard on the sports talk radio this afternoon that Soriano is not playing tonight. It could just as easily have been Boone, but with the leftie on the mound, Torre wanted the stronger player at third.