Please tune in today to “Hoist the Black Flag” on Rightalk. The show begins at 4:05 pm EST, 1:05 pacific. Today’s guest is the controversial and piquant Debbie Schlussel. Oh.  And sadly, I STILL don’t have the broadcast equipment, so I’ll be doing the show from a telephone again.  Which explains my tinny, nasally voice.  And of course my Bush Kultism. Anyway please call in with any questions:  866-884-TALK (8255).

Yesterday’s WaPo lede story, “Al-Qaeda Arranges Most Suicide Blasts In Iraq, U.S. Says” (originally titled ““Military Plays Up Role of Zarqawi”), is, as the Corner’s Cliff May notes a ludicrous attempt to create a scandal out of the U.S. military trying to drive some fairly obvious messages to the media – media that are routinely manipulated by the terrorists (who are almost never called terrorists of course, no matter what

Given that it’s been referenced so often by the anti-Bush crowd, this mini-rant by NRO’s George Conway is worth spending a few moments on.  Writes Conway: John Fund, after discussing how disgruntled the GOP base may be, has it exactly right: “Republicans have appeared to the world to be as unprincipled and rudderless as the politicians they campaigned against back in 1994. Unless they change course dramatically in the seven

…Except, of course, when they are not.  Darleen has the details. Now.  Over to you, Piny, Jill, et al.