Karl Growing Old at Home?

A Grass Roots Effort to Grow Old at Home - This story features an elderly couple who remains in their Georgetown home thanks to a mutual aid society with the neighbors. Nothing to do with Rove, but you have to love the way the headline about "growing old at home' is placed directly under the photo of W kissing Karl goodbye on page 1 of the hard copy NY Times.

Rove resigns as Bush Aide - The blogosphere is abuzz with speculation on why Karl resigned. The mystery of the fired AGs may be a real problem for Karl, , or just a nuisance. His stated reason, he is doing it for his family, is being dismissed too lightly. It's not the time - as every Blue blogger has noted, why wait until your son leaves for college to head home- but it might be the money. Karl has been a public servant for many years and he is not getting any younger. A successful book and some lucrative consulting work on the 2008 campaign could help him set his family up for life.

Sweatology - The Human Cooling System is Leaky, but it's Efficient - Why does Nixon automatically come to mind when we need a photo of sweat? The science page story on sweatology puts Dick in a whole new perspective - he was actually cool because he perspired so profusely - take that hippie scum.

After Killings, Sense of Unity Surprises Newark -Tragic murder of college bound Newark students unites a city that was turning on it's Mayor. Corey Booker's genuine grief and commitment connected with a community in mourning and forced the Sharpe James brigade of petty pols to hold its collective tongue, at least for now. The complaints and gossip will resurface soon, but Booker may have just established a personal relationship with the community that can endure the sniping.

The Incline is Going Up

After 40 straight days of finding something that passed for humor in the NY Times headlines, As Good As News will change formats for a few weeks, with posting shifting to a more sporadic schedule and features from new contributors, including Chris Reitmeyer and Corey Hassett, originally from Pittsburgh, Pa., pictured above - that is Pittsburgh that is pictured, not Chris and Corey. More humor, fewer headlines, As Good As News is moving on up.

FOR CLINTON, WOOING WOMEN REQUIRES A CAREFUL BALANCE - OK, make it 41 straight days, and this headline stands on its own. Do not even bother to look at the boring story, just appreciate the art of the headline itself, no room for any mention of Hillary or voters, just Clinton Wooing Women. No way this was the result of anything less than a well laid plan. NY Times has at least one Obama supporter composing headlines.

IN A SHIFT, US WILL ALLOW MOST TYPES OF CIGARETTE LIGHTERS ON PLANES - Cigarette lighters allowed on planes where smoking is always banned, thanks for the breakthrough, TSA. Now put on your thinking caps and come up with something really useful, like letting us wear our shoes as we pass through security. Relaxation of lighter ban not totally useless, we can use them while chanting encore if we are ever booked on a flight with a Dylan concert.

A CHAMPION AT CHECKERS THAT CANNOT LOSE TO PEOPLE - Canadian professors announce they have computational proof that Chinook, a checkers playing computer, cannot be defeated. Big deal, I used to go to a restaurant in Chinatown with a chicken that was undefeated in tic-tac-toe. You drew a grid in the dirt at the bottom of the cage and scratched in your X's and O's. The chicken never lost fair and square, but became very confused if you went out of turn. What does Chinook do when you say, "Quick, look over there" and take a checker off the board? It always works on nephews. What about the basic Star Trek (original TV series, not sequels or movies) question - if Chinook plays itself will the two computers compute to their deaths or settle for a dignified draw? The only real proof in this story is that Canadian professors have too much spare time.

CHENEY WINS DISMISSAL OF SUIT BROUGHT BY VALERIE WILSON - First, kudos to As Good As News, we did not use this story to drag in a picture of Valerie (Plame) Wilson. Pittsburgh looked too good. Second, no real news here. Darth and his codefendants, Scooter, Karl and Richard Armitage (nice guy weight lifter who looks like WWE refugee, Armitage was the real Val outer, albeit inadvertently) were heavy favorites to win. Much precedent for immunity from suit when officials are acting within the broad scope of their duties, to rule otherwise would open Pandora's box. W might even be civilly liable for injuries and deaths in Iraq. Wait - let's think about this.

No Fun Allowed?

-ROVE STRATEGY PAPER FOUND IN NIXON ARCHIVE - A 1973 memo by the young Karl Rove has surfaced. Karl was seeking pointers on his 1974 strategy, a strategy that included building a group of "New Federalism Advocates" (NFAs) by promising them face time with Haldeman and Ehrlichman. This proved less than enticing to potential NFAs when face time turned out to mean looking through thick glass while talking on prison telephone. Most exciting was Rove's suggested use of Reefer Madness showings as a fundraiser. Karl is sometimes accused of dissing the religious righteous behind their backs, Maybe he's been a closet hippie all along? Now Karl is hiding behind memory loss to duck questions about the Reefer Madness reference. Could memory loss be the result of Karl's personal reefer madness? More likely it's just practice for Karl's response to inquiry on US Attorney firings. Come on, Karl, everyone our age remembers Reefer Madness, but we will let that slide if you just tell us what NFA really stood for in the young Republican elite - No Fun Allowed? -

-CONRAD BLACK, EX PRESS BARON, GUILTY OF FRAUD -Earlier in these proceedings Mr. Black had advanced the novel argument that he could not receive a fair trial since a jury of his peers would consist entirely of billionaires. Actual jury did a discriminating job, acquitting on most counts but picking the most indefensible facts as the basis for convictions. Essentially American Publishing, an almost inactive subsidiary of the public company managed by Black, paid Black not to compete with American Publishing if he should ever leave the company. If that did not seem to make sense it's because it doesn't make sense, like getting paid not to compete with yourself. Fact that the payments were made under a backdated contract that allowed Black to receive them tax free under Canadian law the real explanation. "I was only cheating on my taxes, not bilking the shareholders" never a great defense, but here he also seems to duck normal approval process for compensation, so he was doing both. This jury picked and chose among complex charges, which may mean Black's appeal will be difficult. If Lord Black (who is actually a peer of the realm, member of House of Lords) thinks it was difficult to get a jury of his peers wait until he tries to find a cell block of his peers - relatively few titled billionaires in Joliet at last count. Joliet Jake Blues might be available if you would settle for Black & Blues cell pairing with color peer, always good to have a cell mate who plays the harmonica.

-FOR JAMES'S COMPANION, REAL ESTATE PROVED LUCRATIVE IN A HURRY -Maybe No Fun Allowed was the watchword for Nixon-Rove young Republicans, but it was a different story for former Newark Mayor Sharpe James. He faces one set of charges based on use of City funds to cover living large personal expenses for himself and his companions, a second set of charges based on arranging sweetheart deals in sale of city properties to one of those companions, real estate baron Tamika Riley, pictured above. Riley, with no training, experience or capital, managed to earn a quick $620,000 by flipping properties she purchased from the city with James's help. James defends on grounds that extravagant lifestyle was all necessary to promote Newark, jump start recovery. Newark government's incompetence and corruption has been preventing recovery in a city that should have taken off a decade ago. James's personal touch as a politician may work with a jury, could make for an interesting trial when all he needs is reasonable doubt. If James tried to prove he achieved anything as mayor beyond patronage expansion and being in the right place at the beginning of the right time he would lose before he could finish his opening statement.