NP: Alternative Music Channel (digital cable)

On the one hand, he's right. On the other, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz has given perhaps the most convoluted and circular link between Iraq and al-Queda to date. By his reckoning, al-Queda attacked American interests in the Middle East, prior to 9/11, because of our post-Gulf War presence in Iraq. So, clearly, Iraq and al-Queda have a link, but their link is us.

Suddenly, I agree with the pleas for a liberal response to right-wing talk radio, because somebody needs to call this joker out. The problem there is, most people who actually have the wit to pull it off tend to consider themselves either more centrist or more libertarian, so you don't have the solidarity like you've got on the right. Except maybe for Al Franken, but he's annoying enough in just small doses.

Right now, that's a role that various webloggers have filled, but, Trent Lott notwithstanding, it's unclear whether scattershot Internet sites can shape public opinion the way traditional media outlets can. If we keep getting bullshit like this from the Bush adminstration, we'd better hope that they pull it off.

Back in traditional media, though, there's the re-emergence of former ESPN anchor Keith Olbermann, who will merit a look when he says things like this, according to the Washington Post:

"My main complaint was that there wasn't anything happening most of the time," he says of the Clinton impeachment saga, an experience that has led him to ban guests from shouting and interrupting. "It was making up news because you had a story people would pay attention to. That to me is a form of fraud. There should be indictments when you do that."

Again, the antidote to Fox News seems to be shooting straight with wit, not liberal bias, a la Jon Stewart. Olbermann is now back on also-ran news outlet MSNBC nightly at 8pm Eastern.