How are we getting screwed today?

The big news is that Bush considers all of us potential terrorists. With his poll numbers tanking, his little, paranoid, conservative brain must be imagining all kinds of plots to overthrow his regime.

The National Security Agency has been secretly collecting the phone call records
of tens of millions of Americans, using data provided by AT&T, Verizon and
BellSouth, people with direct knowledge of the arrangement told USA TODAY.

"It's the largest database ever assembled in the world," said one
person, who, like the others who agreed to talk about the NSA's activities,
declined to be identified by name or affiliation. The agency's goal is "to
create a database of every call ever made" within the nation's borders, this
person added.

For the customers of these companies, it means that the
government has detailed records of calls they made across town or across the
country to family members, co-workers, business contacts and others.

This, not exactly new, information may cause problems for the confirmation of Air Force Gen. Michael V. Hayden as CIA director. But he'll probably be confirmed.

"I believe we are on our way to a major constitutional confrontation on Fourth
Amendment guarantees of unreasonable search and seizure," said Sen. Dianne
Feinstein (D-Calif.), a member of the Intelligence and Judiciary panels. "I
think this is also going to present a growing impediment to the confirmation of
General Hayden, and that is very regretted."

Gee, I'm not regretting it.


It's no surprise that the Senate voted for the $70 billion give away to the rich. Bush is foaming at the mouth to sign it. Don't worry we'll get that debt paid off somehow.

Bad new for conservatives, it's not extravagance that's putting Americans deeper in debt. It's flat wages and the rising price of basic services.

Real wages, after adjusting for inflation, have been flat since 2001, according
to the study, while the cost of big-ticket items for which families pay the most
rose. In the past five years, the costs of medical care, housing, food, cars and
household operations rose 11.2 percent, the study said. Many families are trying
to make up the difference by borrowing, according to Christian E. Weller, author
of the report and a senior economist at the center.

I think most of us already knew that.

Iran's President says he's ready to talk, but he won't take any crap off Bush.

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) -- Iran's president said Thursday he was ready to hold
talks over his country's nuclear program, but he warned that efforts to force
Tehran to the negotiating table with threats could backfire.

While this may be considered news, when I was in the Army we called it S.O.S. The two latest politicians either under investigation or indictment are Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher (R).

The Justice Department has begun investigating the activities of Rep. Jerry
Lewis (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, focusing in
part on his dealings with a lobbying firm that hired some of his former staff
members, sources familiar with the inquiry said.

FRANKFORT, Ky., May 11 -- A grand jury indicted Gov. Ernie Fletcher (R) on
misdemeanor charges Thursday, accusing him of illegally rewarding political
supporters with state jobs since he took office two years ago.

Since it's Republicans, it's no big deal. It should be expected. When it's a Democrat, I'll make a production out of it. I expect more from my side.

Italian prosecutors are looking into whether or not their military intelligence helped the
CIA abduct a terrorist "suspect" off a Milan street. "Suspect" is the key word here. Now that we know that the Fed is spying on us all, that would make us all "suspects". So you could be next.

The February 2003 seizure of Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, also known as Abu
Omar, on a street in Milan was part of an American-orchestrated practice known
as "extraordinary rendition," in which terrorist suspects are rounded up without
judicial recourse and sent on clandestine flights to their home countries for
imprisonment and questioning.

When Abu Omar handed Ludwig his papers, two men leapt from a van and hustled
the Egyptian away. Abu Omar was eventually taken to the U.S. air base at Aviano,
flown to Ramstein Air Base in Germany and from there to Egypt, Italian
investigators have concluded. Ludwig has acknowledged his participation.

And finally in the Who Cares section: Paris Hilton proving that you don't need talent or brains to be successful in America. Yeah, I know George Bush beat her to it.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Paris Hilton unveiled her new video game on Thursday, but
inexplicably called it by the wrong name as she greeted throngs of fans and
photographers.

Wearing a green minidress and red platform pumps, Hilton made a brief
appearance at the Electronic Entertainment Expo to promote "Paris Hilton's Jewel
Jam."

"Sorry I'm late," the heiress said. "I'm really excited to have my new video
game, 'Diamondquest.' Thank you all for coming, and you can download the game,"
she said.

Hee hee, my spellchecker came to BellSouth and asked if I wanted to replace it with
bullshit.