BUSH’S FIRST ASSAULT ON BLUE STATE TRAITORS WILL BE. . .

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. . .a provision buried in the Bush administration’s tax reform plans. According to a very well-connected economist who is meeting just about every one with the word “economic” in his or her administration title, the administration is planning to disallow the exemption on federal taxes allowed now for state income taxes paid.

PRESIDENTIAL “SPEAR-CARRIER FOR EMPIRE” MEDALS AWARDED TODAY

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Oops, I meant the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This highest civilian award in the U.S. recognizes individuals who have made “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, or to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.” Today, L.

WASHINGTON STATE’S KIEV-IAN MUDDLE

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First of all, democracy via the ballet box in this country is fragile. Look at this mess in Washington State. A friend caught this on NPR this morning. Some King County election official disqualified a number of ballots because their local computer did not have electonic copies of signatures for all those voting stored.

YOU’RE A MEAN ONE, MR. RUMSFELD. . .YOU REALLY ARE A HEEL. . .YOU’RE AS CUDDLY AS A CACTUS, CHARMING AS AN EEL….MR. RUMSFELD

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From my perspective, Donald Rumsfeld had some good ideas on technology and modern war at one time — and his and other’s notions on modernization and the revolution in military affairs made some sense to me.

STOCK OPTIONS FOR SOLDIERS: A <em>NY TIMES</em> IDEA OF THE YEAR

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Check out the New York Times Magazine this Sunday (page 96). Jason Zengerle has profiled my notion of “Stock Options for Soldiers.” I like the entire article — which ran among many in the annual New York Times Magazine ‘The Year in Ideas: A to Z’ issue.

PHONE CARDS FOR WOUNDED SOLDIERS

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Since the several posts I have written about how important it is to help those soldiers returning from America’s Iraq and Afghanistan operations, I have been flooded by notes from those wondering where they can send checks. Some soldiers’ familes are economically undermined because of the long-term deployment of the man or woman deployed abroad….