The Bush administration is planning a massive expansion of covert military efforts in the war on terror, veteran journalist Seymour Hersh charges in The New Yorker, and has for months been carrying out secret reconnaissance missions in preparation for possible air strikes in Iran.

Outgoing Secretary of State Colin Powell has issued his bleakest assessment of Iraq yet, just two weeks out from the country’s first elections since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s government. The Financial Times reports that Bush recently asked Powell for his views on Iraq. “‘We’re losing,’ Mr Powell was quoted as saying.

Most of us that get the MLK Holiday treat as most of the other holidays…having no real significance beyond the day off. I’ll admit to being guilty, but I did do some reflecting on how Dr. King might have responded to the America we have today.

Economist Paul Krugman has pointed out that, even if NOTHING is done, SS will be able to pay 81% by the date most doomsayers say the program will be bankrupt. We only need to rescind about 25% of the Bush tax cut to keep Social Security solvent into the next century.

We are a confused lot, aren’t we? On the one hand, Americans seem to know exactly how a failed secretary of defense can redeem himself: By resigning. A majority thinks Rummy should step aside. Bold of them, no?

I wrote here sometime back about the probability that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was using a signature machine for the condolence letters being sent to the families of the service members killed in action. The Pentagon finally confirmed that?.Rummy made some lame excuses and promised to never do it again. Buts that’s not the worst part of the story.

Gotta be sure we protect Bushworld’s miniature golf course and their waterpark. Where else can Cheney and Rummy send W to play so he’ll be out of their hair? It takes concentration to figure out world domination.

Last week say SecDef Rummy got challenged a little by some of the screwed over Guardsmen. I guess the Guardsmen figured he had nothing to lose. What’s the worse that could happen, he might get sent home instead of Iraq.

Anyone want to talk about America’s real drug problem? Nearly half of all Americans are currently taking some kind of prescription drug. And we’re pretending that giving a joint to a person in pain is the real drug issue in this country.

For millions of low-income Americans, it’s going to be a long, very cold winter. Fuel prices have skyrocketed ? according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), the average cost of home heating this winter will be a whopping 24 percent higher than last year.