News Round-Up and Open Thread

For all 7 of my readers (and all 2 of you who care enough to leave comments):

There is so much going on today that I can't fully blog each one, but there are several things that all bear at least a mention and a snark.

As Bush stumps for candidates, he is pretty unwelcome in states where the race is close enough that his presence could actually hurt the Republican. Solid strategy from the politicos, but how sad are things for you when your own party has to worry about whether or not the President of the United States will hurt your chances for victory?

So Hussein was sentenced to death on Sunday. I have heard great arguments from both sides...not whether or not he is a guilty fleabag of contempt - that's a done deal. He sucks. But from the camp that believes his death is an important gesture, befitting someone as dangerous and connected as he, and the side that says that violence is no solution to violence, and his death may spark more violence. For example, this from a Sunni (who don't want him killed, by the way):

"Today's sentences were a death sentence on righteousness, and this makes it obligatory to take the revenge for Iraq," said the man, 29-year-old shopkeeper Ibrahim Yahya, joining other Sunnis in jabbing rifle muzzles and pistols in the air in angry protest.

What do I think? He's better off dead. Why? This:

AA white-haired, gray-robed man in his 50s, who identified himself only as Abbas, walked among them holding up the swaddled bones of his son Hassan. "Saddam took my sons from me," Abbas said. He began crying. "What was the crime that my son committed? He was only 4."

Color me doubtful:
Hussein, as he was read his verdict:

"Long live the nation! Down with the criminal invaders! Down with the spies! Down with the occupiers!" Hussein declared, thrusting his finger in the air, his body shaking with rage.

"Go to hell! You and the court!" Hussein shouted. "You don't decide anything, you are servants of the occupiers and lackeys! You are puppets!" [from WaPo]

Then later, from Hussein's lawyers:

Saddam "knew that he would be sentenced to death and wanted me to pass on this message to the Iraqi people and to the whole world after the verdict was announced," Khalil al-Dulaimi told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from Baghdad. "His message to the Iraqi people was 'pardon and do not take revenge on the invading nations and their people'," al-Dulaimi said. [USA Today]

Yeah. I bet that's exactly what he saidd

From WaPo: It's Official. The campaign season and all of its ads and robo-calls will become completely intolerable tonight. I don't think I will turn the TV on. Speaking of robo-calls, check this our from Balloon Juice. True? Big deal?

From Yahoo News: The title of the article says it all: Naked Man Arrested for Concelaed Weapon. There is only one option for concelment in that case, folks. But the horrid part is that the firemen were called, and one of them, cross-trained as an EMT like so many local governments do, had to remove it. "Hey Newbie! I got a job for ya. Bring the gloves..."

From the New York Times: Apparently, the U.S.S. Intrepid wouldn't make it out of the harbor in NYC today. There's a joke in here somewhere about the Intrepid's trepidation.

Fun stuff.