Howard Dean was a guest on Vermont Public Radio's "Vermont Edition" on Friday.  I listened but didn't have time to post about it then.  Howard was a little difficult to understand at times since he was calling in but he was able to hit a few major points.

There were topics that Howard declined to discuss; for example, he wouldn't comment on any of the Democratic nominees saying that if he commented about one, the rest would ask why he didn't say anything about them.  So his policy is to not say anything.

If your answer is "October 1" you get a half-point for being technically correct.

What else happens on October 1?

The new fiscal year, 2008, begins on October 1.  And which agencies have received their appropriations for the new fiscal year?

Anyone?  Bueller?

None.  Not a one.

And what event eclipsed this little piece of news?  The GOP-drafted amendment expressing support for Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq.

More malfeasance from DOJ?

The blog Is That Legal? notices something funny buried in today's Washington Post story about the FBI and IRS search of Sen. Ted Stevens' Alaska home:

Stevens said in a statement that his attorneys were advised of the impending search yesterday morning. (emphasis mine)

More from guest blogger Shertaugh:

UPDATE:  There have been questions about a Democratic debate in June.  That debate is not a DNC-sanctioned debate.  It will be sponsored by CNN, WMUR-TV, and the New Hampshire Union Leader, and will take place at Saint Anselm College on June 3.

Today, the Democratic National Committee announced the dates, media sponsors and cities for the six DNC sanctioned debates.

These are the only debates sanctioned by the DNC.  And not a Fox in the vicinity, either.

Leslee is one happy gal.  Happy as in "Here's your winning lottery ticket" happy.  As in "You've won the Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes" kind of happy.  Or even "Today's my lucky day" happy.

Come meet Leslee and find out how happy she is.

"I'm ecstatic," said Leslee Unruh, an antiabortion activist in South Dakota. "It's like someone gave me $1 million and told me, 'Leslee, go shopping.' That's how I feel."

Unruh says she wants to ban abortion precisely to protect women's freedom.  So women are truly free when they have no right to choose.  How deceptively simple.

While there are so many diaries asking for people to keep the Edwards family in their thoughts, I'd like to see some good come out of this.  The ultimate good is that with the help of her doctor, Elizabeth Edwards' cancer can be controlled.

I think this is a good opportunity to make the case for increased funding to the National Institutes of Health in FY08.

UPDATE: This is from the House Appropriations Cmte website:

03/15/07
Full Committee Markup
Emergency Supplemental for Iraq, Veterans
9:00 AM, 2359 Rayburn House Office Building
*** THURSDAY HEARINGS ARE POSTPONED DUE TO MARKUP ***

I'm as upset as everyone over the apparent capitulation by the House Democratic leadership over limiting Bush's authority for taking military action against Iran.  

However, there is an important paragraph in the AP story that tells me there is still time to act.

UPDATE: From Salon.com, dateline 2/27: "Veterans groups told the Army surgeon general about the shockingly bad mental health treatment at Walter Reed two months before the latest expose, but there's no evidence he followed up."

This story is in the Army Times, which I saw cited over at Think Progress.

Walter Reed patients told to keep quiet

Soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Medical Hold Unit say they have been told they will wake up at 6 a.m. every morning and have their rooms ready for inspection at 7 a.m., and that they must not speak to the media.

"Some soldiers believe this is a form of punishment for the trouble soldiers caused by talking to the media," one Medical Hold Unit soldier said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

It is unusual for soldiers to have daily inspections after Basic Training.

The DNC Winter Meeting is taking place today and tomorrow.  

There is live streaming through the DNC Web site.  You'll see it on the banner at the DNC home page (hint: it's red and it blinks!)

Yup, Billion with a B.  That's the cost of Bush's planned escalation in Iraq.

Think Progress

NBC News reports that President Bush will announce an escalation of 21,500 troops — 17,500 to Baghdad and 4,000 to Anbar province. The cost of the new strategy will be $6.8 billion.

Think Progress is reporting that Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) will introduce the first legislation demanding accountability for President Bush’s Iraq policy.

The bill will require the president to gain new congressional authority before escalating the war in Iraq.

It appears that DNC Chairman Howard Dean really would like the 2008 convention to be held in Denver.  However, Sen. Ken Salazar and Howard "spoke for more than 30 minutes Thursday morning, and it ended with the senator putting the odds of Denver winning the convention at "50-50" - a less optimistic assessment than previously, said Salazar spokesman Cody Wertz."

The major obstacle seems to be whether Denver can raise the estimated $80 million required to host the convention.

Rocky Mountain News

Democrats still vividly remember the problems that Los Angeles had raising money for the 2000 convention, when party officials had to scramble at the last minute to raise several million dollars.

UPDATE: In order to appreciate fully just what Howard has accomplished, read Backstory on Carville v Dean at The Next Hurrah. (hat tip Kitty)

The Association of State Democratic Chairs are meeting in Jackson Hole, WY and Howard is there as well.

ASDC commended Howard for his commitment to the DNC's 50 State Strategy and celebrated its contribution to last week's historic election victories. The ASDC members adopted the following resolution today:

There isn't enough Kleenex in the world right now because I am so damn happy and proud to be a Democrat.  

I'm used to going to sleep on Election Day, resigned to the Democrats snatching defeat from the jaws of victory but hoping I may wake up pleasantly surprised.  When my alarm went off at 4:45 a.m. I knew we had prevailed.

There's a photo on the front page of today's Washington Post: Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer, and Rahm Emanuel, hands aloft in a victory pose.  And you were conspicuously absent in the coverage, which is just unacceptable given what the party accomplished.  

This time, though, the slinging continues in the House Intel Committee, according to Josh Marshall.  To recap:

* Ranking member Jane Harman (D-CA) released the summary of the committee's investigation into the corrupt practices of former committee member Rep. Duke Cunningham.

* Payback: Chairman Hoekstra (R-MI) yanked the clearances of one of the Democratic committee staffers and accused him of having leaked the Iraq NIE to the New York Times.  An accusation, incidentally, for which Hoekstra's staff conceded there was no evidence.

Damn. Here's a story that must have about a billion volts of charge in it.

Time says the FBI is now investigating Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) as part of their expanded AIPAC investigation. They are, says Time, "examining whether Rep. Jane Harman of California and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) may have violated the law in a scheme to get Harman reappointed as the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee."

Well now.  Let's see what else Time has to say.

Parker asks Cockburn: You were friends and allies, and now you're not; how would you describe what happened in between?

Cockburn replies: As so often with friends and former friends, it's a matter of what you're prepared to put up with and for how long.

Cockburn reproduces the entire e-mail exchange over at Counterpunch. It's illuminating.

This month's New Yorker has a profile of Christopher Hitchens.  Ezra Klein wonders why Hitchens merits a profile now, but I believe it's because while Hitchens is just batshit insane, he's never boring, always controversial, and doesn't engender any neutral feelings.  You either like him or you don't.  Face it, the guy always looks like he could use a shower, a shave, and a month or two at Betty Ford.

Hitchens can never resist shooting off his mouth and the profile includes a recounting of what sounds like a classic Hitchens outburst at a dinner party.