The Evening Quickie.

US offers direct talks with Iran...with a catch--Iran must stop all nuclear activities; Iran responds by saying the offer is nothing more than propaganda...which is probably true.

Gagged librarians break silence on Patriot Act; "Connecticut librarians spoke about their fight to stop the FBI from gaining access to patrons' library records at a news conference yesterday organized by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)."

FCC plans relaxation of media ownership rules, watchdogs say; "The Federal Communications Commission is poised to propose new media ownership rules that will allow media companies to own newspapers, television and radio stations in the same city." Clear Channel Satan incarnate must love that plan.

From the Brad Blog: Did Bush Steal the 2004 Election?: How 350,000 Votes Disappeared in Ohio; the title of a Rolling Stone article set to hit stands this week. Robert Kennedy Jr. writes a 10-page piece on the evidence that shows that Ohio Republicans made votes disappear, with a paper trail leading from Kenneth Blackwell and all the way up to the White House.

The fight for the 13th District in North Carolina turns ugly, with incumbent Brad Miller and Vernon Robinson (the Republican party's own version of Uncle Tom) verbally sparring with each other. Soon to turn into a physical match?

Death for some sex offenders OK'd in S.C.

Noe pleads guilty to illegally funneling donations to Bush; "Former GOP fund-raiser Tom Noe admitted today that he used politicians, former aides to Gov. Bob Taft, coworkers, and friends to illegally pour thousands of dollars into the effort to reelect President Bush." Did he also help hide the missing ballots?

Paper May Take Legal Action Against Bush Aide; "The top editor of Syracuse (N.Y.) New Times, which saw its profile of President Bush's new chief domestic advisor altered and reposted on his Web site, calls the incident 'insulting' and said she plans to consult a lawyer about possible legal action."

Chief Justice Roberts advised President Reagan on AIDS: 'no scientist has said AIDS definitely cannot be casually transmitted'; there's your chief reason why Ronnie was so misinformed on the dangers of AIDs. Well, that and the Alzheimers.

It appears that Bush's new domestic advisor, Karl Zinsmeister, also has another pasttime besides pissing off editors of newspapers: he's written some comics in the past. And apparently, they weren't very good, either.

Tags: [Karl Zinsmeister], [Boots on the Ground: A Month with the 82nd Airborne in the Battle for Iraq], [Combat Zone: True Tales of GI's In Iraq #1-5], [Chief Justice Roberts advised President Reagan on AIDS: 'no scientist has said AIDS definitely cannot be casually transmitted'], [Fred Fielding], [Chief Justice Roberts], [Paper May Take Legal Action Against Bush Aide], [Molly English], [American Enterprise Institute], [Justin Park], [Noe pleads guilty to illegally funneling donations to Bush], [Former GOP fund-raiser Tom Noe admitted today that he used politicians, former aides to Gov. Bob Taft, coworkers, and friends to illegally pour thousands of dollars into the effort to reelect President Bush], [U.S. District Court Judge David Katz], [Death for some sex offenders OK'd in S.C.], [South Carolina House on Wednesday passed a pair of bills that would allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty for some repeat child molesters], [Rep. Ken Kennedy], [Contest for 13th already strident], [13th District Democratic convention at Alamance Community College], [Rep. Brad Miller], [Republican Vernon Robinson], [13th Congressional District], [North Carolina], [BOBBY KENNEDY JR. TO QUESTION 2004 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN MAJOR ROLLING STONE FEATURE ARTICLE], [Evidence Shows High-Level Republicans Suceeded in Scheme to Steal Election in Ohio], [Did Bush Steal the 2004 Election?: How 350,000 Votes Disappeared in Ohio], [FCC plans relaxation of media ownership rules, watchdogs say], [The Federal Communications Commission is poised to propose new media ownership rules that will allow media companies to own newspapers, television and radio stations in the same city], [Move to allow more consolidation could come as soon as June 15], [Federal Communications Commission], [Gagged librarians break silence on Patriot Act], [Connecticut librarians spoke about their fight to stop the FBI from gaining access to patrons' library records at a news conference yesterday organized by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)], [National Security Letter (NSL)], [Patriot Act], [US offers direct talks with Iran], [if Tehran suspends disputed nuclear activities], [Iran calls U.S. talks offer 'propaganda'], [IRNA], [Iran accepts only proposals and conditions that are in the nation's interest], [Halting enrichment definitely doesn't meet such interests]