Okay, so there is this technology called BPL, or Broadband Over Power Lines. Basically, it consists of sending radio frequency signals over power lines. It enables broadband access to any home with, basically, electricity (as long as an appropriate number of repeaters are installed on the power lines outside because transformers tend to drastically reduce the signal, and as long as converters are used inside the home or building, but neither is really that big a deal). The FCC wants to use BPL to provide broadband access to under-served areas. A potential problem exists, however, as explained in Wikipedia below.

Note: power lines are unprotected, thus engaging in this type of activity apparently causes a fair amount of noise and interference for certain already-existing applications.

Katherine Kersten does some good reporting for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Apparently a charter school there gets religious funding despite the fact that charter schools are PUBLIC, and therefore not supposed to push religion.

This school, TIZA, has been trying to hide that it is a Muslim school, despite much evidence to the contrary:

The furious Republican reaction to the Democrats' accusations of McCain's warmongering is a classic case of "doth protest too much." We aren't often treated to such a display of righteous anger from the right wing....it usually only happens when one of their fictitious icons are attacked with facts. For instance, go to any RW board and suggest that the media speak primarily for corporate interests rather than being liberal or conservative, and you'll incite quite the firestorm. And if you suggest that George Bush was AWOL during the Vietnam War, Look Out.
Now we have McCain's warmongering.

Read it and weep, fellow Democrats:
Rasmussen Generic Congressional Ballot Poll. Only 44% to 40% these days.

Of course, the overall impression of Congress has been dismally low for months, hovering below George W Bush in the mid-teens. The reasons for that are fairly obvious: Congress won't stop a war that 65% of the nation wants ended; it's wasting a lot of time on steroid use in baseball; it won't vigorously launch investigations into the administration's culture of corruption; it seems ineffective on anything else that matters. But most of this wouldn't account for the narrowing of the Democratic lead, so let's investigate possible reasons for that, below the fold.

Okay, I realize people may have overlooked this issue, but it is one that is vitally important: allowing imported pharmaceuticals into this country. Please go to this excellent diary for a rundown of what happened. Basically, Byron Dorgan (D-SD) introduced a bill to allow for the importation of drugs, and then Senator Cochring (R-MS) managed to pass an amendment ensuring the bill's failure.

Of course you remember Presidential Debate #3, don't you? Where we heard John Kerry say this?

We’re all God’s children, Bob. And I think if you were to talk to Dick Cheney’s daughter, who is a lesbian, she would tell you that she’s being who she was, she’s being who she was born as. I think if you talk to anybody, it’s not a choice.

And you remember Lynn Cheney (author of a racy book) on CNN shortly thereafter?

"I am speaking as a mom and a pretty indignant mom. This is not a good man. What a cheap and tawdry political trick."

Honest to God, I have no idea why this hasn't been pushed yet, but it is time for the Iraqis to vote --- not for a government, or a constitution --- but to determine whether they want us to stay or leave, and how long they want us to go about it if they want us to leave.

Personally, I, along with:

72% of the U.S. military;

60% of British voters;

50% of the U.S. public;

AND most importantly,

71% of the Iraqi public

want us to leave Iraq.

Well, it's almost that time again. Back in 2002, the FCC reviewed its rules on ownership and decided that

neither the newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership rule nor the radio/television cross-ownership rule remained necessary in the public interest. Accordingly, it replaced those rules with new cross-ownership regulations called the Cross Media Limits ("CML"). The Commission also revised its market definition and the way it counts stations for purposes of the local radio ownership rule, revised the local television multiple ownership rule, modified the national television ownership cap, and retained the dual network rule.

Subsequently, an apellate court stayed many of the rules and required the FCC to seek public input.

While some want Domenech run out on a rail, some are, as one might expect, switching on their vast capacity for delusion and making some of the following amazing claims:

But first....AN UPDATE! The RS Directors give Ben a big, wet smooch and forgive him as any good little Republican should be forgiven. I guess they had long ago hoped to be a credible source for news OR opinion:

The left has their blood today. Ben resigned from the WashingtonPost.com. He did not resign from RedState - and even if he tried to do so, we would have refused to accept it. The four Directors of this site, including Ben, had a call earlier today shortly after he spoke with the Post and we're happy that Ben's staying right here.

Look. I know these people are supposed to be professionals, but the Democratic Message "Machine" seemed pretty damn broken last week. Let me count the ways:

Here in the Bay Area, our Air America radio affiliate, KQKE, has taken Jerry Springer off in favor of a local program hosted by Willie Brown and Will Durst - and the show is often pretty good. Today, Brown had on Michael Isikoff of Newsweek, who like others will soon publish articles on the Abramoff and Wiretap scandals.

Willie brought up that Abramoff has been shopping around photos of Bush and Abramoff together (check!). Then Willie mentioned that Abramoff was on the Bush transition team (check!). And then finally Willie asked about whether the Abramoff scandal was Republican or bipartisan.

for the ugly truth, read below:

The San Francisco Chronicle ran in interesting strange bedfellows story today discussing illegal wiretapping, and the opposition thereto by neo-con Democrat and Hoover Institute fellow Larry Diamond, and Grover Norquist, of all people. They apparently agree that "the Bush administration's program of domestic eavestrdopping by the NSA without obtaining court warrants has less to do with the war on terror than with threats to the nation's civil liberties."

After an edifying discussion of branding in Rippe's diary, I thought I'd put in my $.02. I initially wanted to do it within that thread but then realized that is will be long enough for a diary, so here goes.

I think the term BRAND is even simpler than it was described by Rippe. In my estimation, a BRAND is the total of what "people" think of when they hear the name of a product or a service, or a party or a candidate. That's pretty much it. It can be a very powerful tool because if you can get your candidate associated with an immediate positive set of attributes by a large number of people simply by mentioning his or her name, half the battle is won.

So, last we visited the Golden State, Secretary of State Kevin Shelley (D) had demanded that all voting machines have a voter verifiable paper ballot. Then, Shelley was caught with his hand in the cookie jar, so he resigned. Herr Gropenfuehrer nominated the well respected, mild-mannered Bruce McPherson (R) in his place. McPherson has always tacitly supported the intent of the new laws. Until now.

From the Brit Hume program, we have this.

Basically it says that water and food attempted to be provided by FEMA (or agencies working under FEMA) were denied by something called the Louisiana Dept. of Homeland Security, which is a state office. The reporter claims that LDHS did not want the SuperDome to become a magnet for more people. While this sounds fishy to me, I can't explain why, and after hearing all those stories about people being refused entrance, it kind of makes sense. If you can disprove, you get a brownie point. If you prove (after all, it did come from Fox and Hume's show, so if you can find further evidence), then Blanco should be fired.

Go here to see what Redstate has to say:

I'm sure you are all familiar by now with the controversy regarding the rights of pharmacies to distribute only the legal drugs they deem to be "moral."

SJ Mercury News columnist Sue Hutchinson, for instance, today makes the following observation:

But also to consider is Hutchinson's observation that with the highlight of this issue, the legal trend is actually going the wrong way. Separately, and also very important, is the role this issue plays, not only in contraceptive drug cases, but also in PAIN MEDICATION cases.

While writing Congressmember Pelosi to sponsor Rep. Miller's anti-predatory lending bill, I saw that Pelosi put out a statement yesterday warning that Bush was about to allow loggers to use the offroads again. Road restrictions were put together by Clinton and supported by the public, but since the public gave less to Bush than, say, L-P, L-P's got to get theirs, too, especially since Bush has been generous to the billions with power, oil, and big pharma. So start your (diesel) engines!!!!

Pelosi's statement is below the fold