No, really...he did. Last weekend Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney held a town hall meeting in Ottumwa, Iowa. One of the members of the audience asked him if he would commit the money necessary to continue President Bush's AIDS program in Africa as a way to restore good will toward America. His answer, while not picked up on by the members of the audience, absolutely floored me. He started out by agreeing with the premise of the question, touting America's health care system -- then he dropped this little nugget:

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Romney: ..."Did you notice in Lebanon, what Hezbollah did? Lebanon became a democracy some time ago and while their government was getting underway, Hezbollah went into southern Lebanon and provided health clinics to some of the people there, and schools. And they built their support there by having done so. That kind of diplomacy is something that would help America become stronger around the world and help people understand that our interest is an interest towards modernity and goodness and freedom for all people in the world. And so, I want to see America carry out that kind of health diplomacy..."

Somebody needs to get his talking points in order before they let him speak in public. What Hezbollah did was essentially provide UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE for the people of southern Lebanon, something Romney has vigorously opposed for you and I here in America. I hate to tell you this Mitt, but I don't think the rest of your party agrees with your glowing review of Hezbollah.

Dick Cheney doesn't recall what Alberto Gonzales doesn't recall about the Ashcroft hospital visit in 2004. Arlen Specter isn't saying yet whether Gonzales lied about NSA domestic surveillance last week. And the NSA's data miners aren't saying what they did with your calls and emails yesterday.

California Republicans are pushing a ballot measure to divvy up the state's electoral votes by Congressional district in 2008. That could put the equivalent of Ohio back in play for the GOP, just in case one Ohio debacle wasn't enough.

First, Rudy Giuliani lied about his record on taxes. Then, Rudy lied again about Democrats' tax plans. And now he's relying on the same Bush tax cut for his recycled health care plan.

Democrats win House passage of ethics reform by 411-8. English speaker and ethically-challenged Alaska Senator Ted Stevens vows to block it.

Rupert Murdoch convinces the Wall Street Journal's Bancroft family that resistance is futile. If only it weren't so.

A Republican unburdens his soul. Meanwhile, President Bush looks into Gordon Brown's soul and concludes that he's not a "dour Scotsman."

Guest blogging the Round Up this week is Jon Perr from Perrspectives. Send your links, recommendations, comments and angst to mbr AT perrs.ectives DOT com.

Iraq is costing the U.S. dearly in blood and treasure. The blood costs are tragic, and the treasure is exorbitant.

The war in Iraq could ultimately cost well over a trillion dollars -- at least double what has already been spent -- including the long-term costs of replacing damaged equipment, caring for wounded troops, and aiding the Iraqi government, according to a new government analysis.

The United States has already allocated more than $500 billion on the day-to-day combat operations of what are now 190,000 troops and a variety of reconstruction efforts.

In a report to lawmakers yesterday, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that even under the rosiest scenario -- an immediate and substantial reduction of troops -- American taxpayers will feel the financial consequences of the war for at least a decade.

Remember in 2002, when administration officials boasted about how this war could be fought on the cheap, and how Iraq would quickly finance itself?

Bill O'Reilly gets a taste of his medicine...

Hey, Bill, how does that taste? Calling All Wingnuts' Mike Stark pays a visit to The Falafel King's home to ask him some probing questions. Ya know, like he does to people he disagrees with. More at dKos, including pictures...

After O'Reilly provided an "accountability moment" to the JetBlue CEO at his home, I decided to provide O'Reilly with his own accountability moment at his home.

I've just returned to home base.

I've got video of O'Reilly in his sleepwear (red shorts and a white t-shirt). I delivered the Andrea Mackris Court filings to all of his neighors - every home in his development got a copy. And I put a bunch of signs up along his street - "Bill O'Reilly: Andrea Mackris has your cash" directly across from his house; "Bill O'Reilly: PERVERT" in front of his home; "Bill O'Reilly: CHEATER" on the road he must take to exit his development and "Bill O'Reilly: Can't be trusted with your daughters" at the landmark boulder marking the entrance to his development.

We had an interesting conversation - not too explosive, but I think a lot of people will be entertained.

It's about time someone pulled this crap on O'Reilly.

(Guest blogged by Howie Klein)

My old friend Danny is in L.A. for the summer and I went to visit him a couple days ago. He manages bands and he was brimming over with enthusiasm for one of his clients, Sweden's hottest young band, The Hives. They're mixing their new album now-- due out in October-- and I was fascinated by all the stuff he told me about the set-up, which included working with Timbaland as well as a special Hives Nike running shoe with an embedded iPod chip. Can't wait. Here's some Timbaland with The Hives backing him up:

The Senate Judiciary Committee's subpoena of Karl Rove makes Senator Leahy's balls grow three sizes. And Asif Mandvi reports that at this rate, the country may be out of contempt (as opposed to in contempt) sometime next year.

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For some hilarious campaign coverage, check out Comedy Central's Indecision 08 page.

RawStory:

The Pentagon announced Tuesday that it will rotate 20,000 into Iraq at the end of this year but denied the troops would extend President Bush's troop "surge" through next spring, The Associated Press reported Tuesday.

CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr reported Tuesday that a "worst case scenario" would stretch military ranks as troops leave for their 15-month rotations.

"They may have to reach down into the National Guard or Army reserve" to maintain the troop levels, Starr said.

YahooNews: (h/t NonnyMouse)

The Army on Tuesday censured a retired three-star general for a "perfect storm of mistakes, misjudgments and a failure of leadership" after the 2004 friendly-fire death in Afghanistan of Army Ranger Pat Tillman.

Army Secretary Pete Geren asked an Army review panel to decide whether Lt. Gen. Philip Kensinger should also have his rank reduced.

Geren told a Pentagon news conference that, while Kensinger was "guilty of deception" in misleading investigators, there was no intentional Pentagon cover-up of circumstances surrounding the former pro football player's death - at first categorized by the military as being from enemy fire.

"He failed to provide proper leadership to the soldiers under his administrative control. ... He let his soldiers down," Geren said. "General Kensinger was the captain of that ship, and his ship ran aground."

At least six other officers received lesser reprimands.

Geren said he considered recommending a court-martial for Kensinger but ruled it out.

What an insult to the Tillmans. What an insult to the intelligence of all of us. NO evidence of a cover-up? Please.

Jane at FDL recounts another failure of memory/failure to appear in the Tillman case, although it appears he's had a change of heart.  VoteVets has an open letter to Bush and a petition you can sign.

There were quite a few offensive Supreme Court rulings this year, but one of the more surprising decisions was in Ledbetter v. Goodyear, in which the court ruled 5 to 4 (natch) that workers who face wage discrimination only have 180 days to challenge the initial discrimination in court. (Slate’s Richard Thompson Ford explained the case quite well a couple of months ago.)

Goodyear Tire intentionally shortchanged Lilly Ledbetter, a female employee, for two decades. The court majority (Justices Roberts, Alito, Scalia, Thomas, and Kennedy) said if Ledbetter wanted to challenge the discrimination, she needed to sue within 180 days of her first unfair paycheck — even though she continued to receive unfair paychecks for 20 years.

Today, the House took up legislation — the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act — that would put into law a clarification — wage disparity based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, and disability is not a one-time occurrence. Every discriminatory paycheck represents an ongoing violation. Employees would still have 180 days to challenge the discrimination, but from the last check, not the first.

The good news is the House passed the measure. The bad news is Bush plans to veto.

Senator Ted "Tubes" Stevens is a grumpy old man about pretty much everything. So when the IRS and FBI raid his house and reporters ask about it, his response is predictable.

"Can you understand English?! That's the only statement I'm going to make."

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