A little busy this morning, but I wanted to note this show on PBS, which I glanced at last night. I had forgotten just how sinister Frank Lorenzo was, even if I have some vague, vague memories of the coffee, tea, or me airline marketing campaigns back in the day.

On another front, I saw Billmon take strong issue with the New York Times article I referenced on Wednesday night/Thursday morning. However, he doesn't dispute the basic facts of the piece, but instead raises general questions as to the credibility of one of the principals. But since this isn't a court of law, I'll still defend the item--to summarize, it argues that Hussein sent out an 11th hour request on a diplomatic back-channel, offering a number of concessions if the United States wouldn't invade. Whether the concessions were in good faith or not, the Administration should have given them more than a cursory glance--if, for no other reason, the fact that hostile invasion of a foreign country should ALWAYS be a LAST OPTION for ANY COUNTRY--period. Hell, even George Soros has figured that one out.

I find it surprising that so-called conservatives go giddy over the prospect of massive amounts of federal money being spent. Aren't these people supposedly for SMALLER government? A related note: The same so-called conservatives, who extol the virtues of free-market principles, suddenly adopt a Soviet-stye, apparatchik mentality when it comes to support of cost plus contracts for our military suppliers. Cost plus, for those who don't know, allows the supplier to SET THEIR OWN RATE OF PROFIT, which, back in the 80's, gave us $600 toilet seats, $800 ashtrays, and, my favorite, $150 wrenches, so priced because they were dual function, both tightening and loosening nuts.

Maybe we should be looking to see if some of those folks have a screw or two loose.