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Congress may be on the brink of passing unexpectedly sweeping new rules on ethics, but any claim that the culture of corruption is in retreat is ludicrous. Consider that with the forced exits of former Reps. Randy “Duke” Cunningham, Bob Ney and Tom DeLay, the one lawmaker who most exemplifies this debased culture happens to be the new Senate majority leader – Harry Reid, the Nevada Democrat who is now arguably the nation's most powerful politician after President Bush. It's bad enough that for decades Reid has dispensed favors to companies and institutions from his home state that employs some...

The old song lyrics “I need a place to hide away” traditionally have applied to the bathroom in conventional culture. It was the one comfort zone in which to be alone. Don’t count on it. The New York Times says attitudes about privacy are changing, and cutting-edge bathrooms have translucent glass or acrylic walls that make the interior visible from other rooms. Joel Sanders, an architect and professor of architecture at Yale, has designed several see-through bathrooms. The shame about the body is not a factor for many clients, he told the Times. Ideas about privacy are more relaxed. Some...

Iowa Senator Tom Harkin has called for the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, saying it's the only solution after recent religious violence in that nation. Harkin's comments place him among the first members of Congress to publicly state that the war in Iraq has become a fight between Muslim factions. The criticism follows a CBS poll last week that showed 65 percent of respondents disapproved of President Bush's handling of the war, his worst marks since the war started three years ago. A White House spokesman says retreat before victory would be reckless.

Old blowhards don’t fade away, we learned again last week, they just serve as Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee. It was almost two decades ago that Sen. Joe Biden (D.-Del.) chaired the confirmation hearings that gave America a new verb: to Bork. When President Reagan nominated U.S. Appeals Court Judge Robert Bork to the Supreme Court, it was Biden who led his Democratic committee colleagues Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts and Patrick Leahy of Vermont in what was then the unprecedented trashing of a nominee of unquestioned professional qualifications and unblemished character. In 1991, in a committee still chaired by...

'Excuse me Condi, can I go to the bathroom?' By Philippe Naughton, Times Online President Bush had a more pressing worry than terrorism or reforming the United Nations during a Security Counil meeting in New York yesterday - the leader of the world's only superpower wanted to go the loo. At one point during the Council's debate on international security and UN reform, Mr Bush picked up a pencil and wrote a short note to Condoleezza Rice, the Secretary of State. "I think I may need a bathroom break? Is this possible?" the note read. The photograph, taken by a...

Sean Penn bales water out of a boat with a plastic cup as he and members of his entourage make an attempt to rescue stranded people in New Orleans.

An Army sergeant who was wounded in Iraq wants a chance to remain in the military as an openly gay soldier, a desire that's bringing him into conflict with the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Sgt. Robert Stout, 23, says he has not encountered trouble from fellow soldiers and would like to stay if not for the policy that permits gay men and women to serve only if they keep their sexual orientation a secret. "I know a ton of gay men that would be more than willing to stay in the Army if they could just be open,"...

Ex-president Bill Clinton won oodles of positive press earlier this week when he traveled to South Asia with ex-President George H.W. Bush to personally minister to South Asia's still-reeling tsunami victims. But in a development that seems to have escaped the notice of Western reporters, the "I feel your pain" president took a detour from his humanitarian mission to boost sales of his memoir, "My Life." -snip- For the Hong Kong event on Tuesday, tickets for a quickie grip and grin with Clinton cost as much as $280 each. The steep price included a copy of his book and his...

A British television channel has broadcast an interview with Chechen terrorist Shamil Basayev, ignoring Russia’s appeal for it not to go on air. The interview was broadcast as part of Channel 4 News at 22:00 Moscow time on Thursday. Explaining its decision to go ahead with the Basayev broadcast, Channel 4 said: “We recognise, of course, that Shamil Basayev's views will be regarded worldwide as repugnant, but we reject utterly any notion that we are being irresponsible.” Excerpts of the interview were published by The Times on Thursday. Basayev took responsibility for the Beslan school hostage drama in September, and...

SEATTLE, Dec. 22 - After a bitter and protracted recount fight in the Washington governor's race, elections officials announced Wednesday that the Democratic candidate, Christine O. Gregoire, was leading her Republican opponent by 10 votes - a minuscule margin but a stunning reversal of the Nov. 2 election results. The preliminary results elated Democratic Party officials and came only hours after the party scored another victory, when the State Supreme Court agreed with the Democrats' contention that more than 700 newly discovered and erroneously disqualified ballots in heavily Democratic King County should now be considered. Since those ballots came from...

RUSSELL Halley takes pride in being able to do the splits as well as any woman on the dance floor. His partner, Jorge Guzman, can spin faster than the female competition. So when the two men don their see-through chiffon shirts to dance together, they alternate the lead. "I can send Jorge into a triple spin and catch him, and vice versa - even in the course of one move," Mr Halley boasts. "We can change place instantly. From an audience point of view it can be very exciting." The duo are at the forefront of an upheaval in America's...

<p>The family of U.S. Air Force Maj. Gregory Stone was shocked to learn that video footage of the major's Arlington National Cemetery burial was included by Michael Moore in his movie "Fahrenheit 9/11."</p> <p>Stone was killed in March 2003 by a grenade that officials said was thrown into his tent by Sgt. Hasan K. Akbar, who is on trial for murder.</p>

Summary: An Indiana three-year-old boy who died of a heart attack last November may have died as a result of being sodomized. An Indiana coroner has determined that rectal injuries to a three-year-old boy may have contributed to his death from a heart attack in November. A report in the Northwest Indiana News(March 13, 2004) quotes coroner Jeff Wells: "His heart was unstable to begin with and yes, this could have thrown it over the edge. There is a possibility that he could have had a heart attack while being sodomized." Read and distribute TVC's report on the high rate...

Rosie Takes Shot At Bush During Gay-Friendly Cruise Cruise To Stop In Key West Later This Week POSTED: 12:13 PM EDT July 13, 2004 UPDATED: 6:00 PM EDT July 13, 2004 PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. -- On the eve of a possible U.S. Senate vote to make gay marriages unconstitutional, Rosie O'Donnell spoke out against the Bush administration's plans to ban same sex unions during a stop on a gay-friendly cruise, according to Local 6 News. Rosie Promotes Cruise, Discusses Possible Gay Marriage Ban "I think this cruise comes at the perfect time, when they're considering an amendment making it illegal...

Sex Tips for Red-State Girls! By JENNIFER SENIOR Published: July 4, 2004 Ever since she qualified for a car award from her employer, Passion Parties, Linda Brewer has buzzed around the South in a silver Cadillac Escalade with a license plate that says ''Funlady.'' On the road, men often notice it and honk before passing, only to realize, with baffled amusement, that a woman of nearly 60 is at the wheel. ''Hey, girl,'' she shouted the first time we met, as she smiled and waved from the car window. ''Climb in.'' Passion Parties is a direct-sales organization based in Brisbane,...

Word on the Beltway is that Sen. Ted Kennedy's Portuguese water pooch Splash is about to make a Splash on the kiddie-lit front. Kennedy is in talks with publishers to write a children's book that gives a dog's-eye view of Washington based on the adventures of his loyal canine companion. ``The senator participates in a reading mentor program in D.C.,'' said Kennedy spokesguy David Smith. ``And after seeing the impact and the benefits reading has had on these second-graders, and after seeing how the children really respond to animals, he warmed up to the idea of doing a book.'' Harry...

SCARSDALE, N.Y. -- As Scarsdale High School is set to graduate another senior class Friday, the actions of a few freshman students are grabbing all of the attention. And it's not the positive kind: male students coaxing two female students to have sex with each other, capturing it on videotape, and e-mailing it throughout the school. "It's very upsetting that this is what our students and children have been doing," said one Scarsdale resident. Officials who have seen the tape tell NewsChannel 4 the two 14-year-old girls appear intoxicated. One of them is seen trying to convince the other to...

Singer Alanis Morissette wore a "nude suit" on stage at Canada's equivalent of the Grammys to complain about censorship in the US. Morissette, who was hosting the Juno Awards in Edmonton on Sunday, wore the cartoon-style bodysuit in protest at TV and radio censorship in the US. "We can't show nipples on national TV," she said in relation to Janet Jackson's Super Bowl incident. "I am proud to be able to stand here and do this," she told the audience. "We live in a land where we still think the human body is beautiful and we're not afraid of the...

Hillary Blasts Bush on Fallujah Attacks New York Sen. Hillary Clinton blasted the Bush administration on Thursday for sending too few troops and not enough military equipment to Iraq, saying the of lack of U.S. resources contributed to the attacks in Fallujah that killed four U.S. workers on Tuesday. "It was heartbreaking and horrible to see the desecration of the four men who were killed in Fallujah," Clinton told Democratic Party radio host Al Franken. Calling Fallujah "one of the epicenters of Saddam Hussein's support," Sen. Clinton said, "Clearly we have to increase our response and make it more effective."...

Let me set the scene. You're sitting in traffic with your 4-year-old. Suddenly you notice she's watching with rapt interest something in the next car. You glance over and realize that the other vehicle is equipped with one of those DVD screens that are available on certain late-model cars. The option is usually marketed as a way of keeping kids quiet on long road trips. But what the folks over there are watching is more loin king than "Lion King." Because there onscreen, before your daughter's steadily widening eyes, is a pair of exceedingly fit people using their private parts...

Last week, every Yale undergraduate received an e-mail heralding "Sex Week: A Celebration and Exploration of Sex and Sexuality at Yale University." Imagine a modest student's reaction to "Grandmother of Masturbation" Betty Dodson's impending lecture on the topic, "One Woman's Illustrated Sexual Revolution." Yale sophomore David O'Leary, upon returning from five o'clock mass, found in his inbox the promise of a "Porn Party! sponsored by Wicked Pictures with porn star Devinn Lane." According to event organizer and Yale senior Eric Rubenstein, Sex Week was supposed to open discussion about issues of love, intimacy, and romance, and was timed to coincide...

Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2004 Post-Super Bowl, Bare Breasts on 'ER' Raise AlarmOnly days after the firestorm created when Janet Jackson exposed her breast during the Super Bowl, plans to air an episode of "ER" on NBC Thursday evening that includes a view of an elderly female patient's bare breast are raising serious concerns among the network's affiliates. Some NBC affiliates are so uneasy about the scene planned for the first night of sweeps that at least one station group executive described himself Tuesday as "considering what my options are" should NBC decide to air the hour with the exposed breast....

Sports are supposed to remain as an inspirational oasis in our culture, a place where merit and performance, and even dazzling feats of prowess grab our attention. Too often in recent years, as professional sports has grown massively popular, the gap between athletic performance on the field and athletic misbehavior off the field has widened into a chasm. But the latest shocking sports news says something worse: now expectations of virtue in sports fans are also falling apart. Even before the sleaze parade known at this year’s Super Bowl unfolded, sports pages were lamenting what was happening at the University...

The Federal Communications Commission will investigate CBS's sleazy halftime show, Chairman Michael Powell said today. "I am outraged at what I saw during the halftime show of the Super Bowl. Like millions of Americans, my family and I gathered around the television for a celebration. Instead, that celebration was tainted by a classless, crass and deplorable stunt. Our nation's children, parents and citizens deserve better," Powell stated. "I have instructed the commission to open an immediate investigation into last night's broadcast," he said. A spokesman had earlier merely said the agency was launching a routine investigation because it had received...

Statement by NFL Executive Vice President Joe Browne regarding the Super Bowl halftime show: "We were extremely disappointed by elements of the MTV-produced Halftime show. They were totally inconsistent with assurances our office was given about the show. It's unlikely that MTV will produce another Super Bowl halftime."

First I read this on Drudge:MTV Statement on Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime Incident Sunday February 1, 11:03 pm ET HOUSTON, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- The tearing of Janet Jackson's costume was unrehearsed, unplanned, completely unintentional and was inconsistent with assurances we had about the content of the performance. MTV regrets this incident occurred and we apologize to anyone who was offended by it. Then I went on MTV's website and I found this: Who's Kidding whom here? Janet Jackson Got Nasty at the MTV-Produced Super Bowl Halftime Show Jaws across the country hit the carpet at exactly the same time....

"I am sorry that anyone was offended by the wardrobe malfunction during the halftime performance of the Super Bowl," Timberlake said in a statement. "It was not intentional and is regrettable." Developing...

CBS is claiming it had no idea that a Super Bowl half-time dance routine between Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake would feature the pop diva going partially topless. But four days before Ms. Jackson assaulted tens of millions TV viewers during the family hour with her R-rated moment, a press release by the company producing the show boasted that her dance would be "shocking." "I don't think the Super Bowl has ever seen a performance like this," Jackson choreographer Gil Duldulao said, in a press release posted to MTV's web site on Jan. 28. "The dancing is great. She's more...

NEW YORK (AP) - CBS apologized on Sunday for an unexpectedly R-rated end to its Super Bowl halftime show, when singer Justin Timberlake tore off part of Janet Jackson's top, exposing her breast. ``CBS deeply regrets the incident,'' spokeswoman Leslie Anne Wade said after the network received several calls about the show.The two singers were performing a flirtatious duet to end the halftime show, and at the song's finish, Timberlake reached across Jackson's leather gladiator outfit and pulled off the covering to her right breast.The network quickly cut away from the shot, and did not mention the incident on the...

Just happened on KLIF570 in DFW. Greg Knapp attempted to interview Dem TX Senator Rodney Ellis, who is currently hiding in Albuquerque and is calling the Senate fines a poll tax. has repeatedly thrown out racial red herrings throughout the runaway. Was unbelievably arrogant, condescending, and rude in this interview, was caught in several lies regarding redistricting, routinely refused to allow Greg to even ask his questions, repeatedly told him to shut up, demanded that they take turns having their full say, was allowed to proceed first, then hung up. Really classy. Not sure if KLIF will put up a...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The Democratic senators in exile may ask the federal courts to halt to(sic) redistricting in the Texas Legislature, which would allow them to return home without having to participate in the effort that would likely end with their party losing clout in Washington. On Day 4 of their holdout in an Albuquerque hotel, the 11 Democrats remained tight-lipped about their strategy to end the standoff with Texas Republican leaders. At their daily press briefing, several senators said they have to keep open every alternative, but they insisted that no decision had been made on whether to go...

New York Sen. Hillary Clinton is urging Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Attorney General John Ashcroft to prosecute Palestinian terrorist Abu Abbas, the notorious mastermind of the 1985 Achille Lauro hijacking who was given a defacto exemption from prosecution by her husband because of the Oslo Peace accords. "I am writing to urge that you coordinate with Attorney General John Ashcroft to bring Abbas to the United States for prosecution as soon as possible in New York," Clinton told Rumsfeld, in a letter posted this week to her Web site. "Since Abu Abbas is responsible for the murder of...

<p>He is 78 and fragile and suffering from symptoms of Alzheimer's and hasn't made a decent movie in decades, unless you count how he sadly made himself look quite the undereducated, largely unsympathetic, defensive fool in the Oscar-winning "Bowling for Columbine."</p>

  ATLANTIC CITY - They start walking down Virginia Avenue from the Trump Taj Mahal shortly before noon, alone or in pairs, bags slung on their shoulders.They are casino bus patrons down for the day from New York City, and they are coming to Miss Jean Webster's soup kitchen for the free lunch.Miss Jean will not turn anyone away, but this influx of casino patrons - mostly older recent immigrants from China - is bankrupting her, she said. As many as 100 a day come for lunch, many of them regulars, then head back to the casinos.They sit stoically through...