A few easy pieces

• Democratic Presidential candidate John Edwards really held President Bush's feet to the fire with some tough talk today:

  "Today, as a result of what George Bush has done, we have more terrorists and fewer allies," Edwards said at a news conference. "There was no group called al-Qaida in Iraq before this president's war in Iraq."

  Whether or not there are more terrorists in the world is debatable, but the United States has definately gained allies during President Bush's time in office. These allies are Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia -- all inducted into NATO in 2004.
  
  For the sake of argument, conceed there was no such group called "al-Qaida in Iraq" in Iraq before 2003. There was a vastly more powerful, aggressive, and downright psychotic terrorist group operating out of Iraq before 2003, generally refered to as the "Saddham Hussein Dictatorship of Iraq" or just "Iraq". Now instead of all of Iraq hating the United States (although mostly at gunpoint), only part of Iraq hates the United States. Isn't that progress?



• The Paris Hilton coverage has gotten so ridiculous that even Al Sharpton is elbowing his way into the story:

  The Rev. Al Sharpton denounced Paris Hilton's release from jail on Thursday, saying it had "all of the appearances of economic and racial favoritism."
  
  "I think that it's both another glaring display of how race and money seem to get different treatments. There seems to be a different criminal justice system for some than others," Sharpton said.

  I feel your pain Rev. Sharpton. We live in a country where, as long as you're rich, powerful, glamorous and white, you can get away with anything. I guess that means you won't be endorsing Senator Hillary Clinton for President then?