Shrub the scrub

Mark it down: Our President has officially broken a campaign promise. At issue here, regulation of CO2 emissions. Not only was this among his most specific campaign promises, it also comes fewer than two weeks after his new EPA director, Christine Todd Whitman, explicitly reiterated the promise.

"George Bush was very clear during the course of the campaign that he believed a multi-pollutant strategy, and that includes CO2, and I have spoken to that," Whitman said during a February 26 interview with CNN's Crossfire. "He has also been very clear that the science is good on global warming. It does exist. There is a real problem that we as a world face from global warming and to the extent that introducing CO2 to the discussion is going to have an impact on global warming, that's an important step to take."

Obviously this shows the clout that Whitman has in his administration. While I'm bagging on our Vile Filth In Chief, as predicted, the plan to fund Faith Based Community Initiatives has been put on hold over fears that crazy cultists will get their grubby paws on some of the money.

The administration prepared for an outcry from organisations and public figures who oppose any links between church and state. What it did not expect was that most of the loudest criticism come from the conservative Christian right …In an article in the Wall Street Journal yesterday, Mr Robertson described the prospect that Scientologists might be beneficiaries of the scheme as "an intolerable situation". Mr Falwell, in an interview last week, objected to Islamic groups having access to federal funds. But the main complaint … is the White House declaration that religious groups which receive federal funds must not proselytise for converts.

Shortsighted morons.

Good Links! Evil Clowns!

A fat interview with Noam Chomsky on international media globalization. I think this is worth a full above-the-fold bloggage, but I'll just toss out the link for now. Very interesting.

Jeff has passed on this bit on Doink/Dink the Clown(s) in pro wrestling. Now, who wouldn't love a wrestler dressed as a clown, entering the ring to bad circus music, popping balloons of little kids with a smelly lit cigar on the way? The writer of the piece seems genuinely sorry to see the clowns go.

And then there's the Sports Team Names You'll Never See. I especially relate to the "Minnesota Asses Frozen Off," although the "Indiana Jones" is also funny. It kinda reminds me of the controversy a couple of years back over Jason Williams' nickname, which was "White Chocolate." His mom didn't like it because she didn't like him being compared to a black player, I guess, so ESPN had a contest to come up with a new nickname for him. I was mad because they didn't like my suggestion, which was the "Smokin' J," referring to his penchant for pot. However, while looking for a link, I ran into a nickname for JW even better than mine: Tokin' White. (Peter Vecsey came up with that one.) That's hilarious.