September 8, 2003 by s.z.

Nuh uh! Stupid People Believe it! In a piece of investigative reporting called Russert Fib: 'No One' Believes Iraq Link to 9/11, NewsMax ("America's News Page: Canadians Will Be Shot For Trespassing") states that NBC News's Tim Russet misspoke when he told Don Imus and his radio audience that "'no one' believes Iraq played a role in the 9/11 attacks."  It seems that NewsMax has proof that some people do.  Well, proof may be stretching it.  What they have is Manhattan U.S. District Judge Harold Baer ruling that because there is evidence that Iraq (like several other Middle Eastern countries) allowed terrorists to be trained within its borders, that the families of two 9/11 victims should be awarded some Iraqi loot.  Of course, Harold Baer is the judge whose decision regarding the fine cuisine at Rikers was overruled last week when the appeals court found that high levels of vermin contamination rendered the food "constitutionally inadequate"  (JUDGES RIP RIKERS RAT FOOD --can you guess which paper this article is from?).  Oh, and even BAER found that the evidence about Iraq's complicity in 9/11 to be "largely circumstantial."  But hey, Baer's ruling does refute Russert's claim that "no one" believes that Iraq had something to do with 9/11, even if it doesn't disprove the assertion that "the Bush White House is misleading the American public by insinuating that ties between Saddam Hussein and 9/11 exist," and so NewsMax deserves a Pulitzer for pointing out that Russert's pants are on fire. And here's more proof that some people do believe in an Iraq-9/11 link: in today's chat with Washington Post ombudsman Howard Kurtz (Media Backtalk), he responded to a question about whether the media should bear some responsibility for the public's misunderstanding of the war in Iraq, with the following: People sometimes believe what they want to believe. The press has reported over and over again that there was little or no evidence of links between Saddam and al-Qaeda, but polls show that majorities believe the Iraqi leader was somehow tied to 9/11. So, SEE!  People DO believe that Saddam was responsible for 9/11!  Sure, they're people who can't read, but that doesn't change the fact that Russert FIBBED! 7:26:43 PM

And speaking of sending "money, guns, and lawyers/ The [crap] has hit the fan," we note sadly that Singer, Songwriter Warren Zevon Dies.  I saw the werewolves at Trader Vic's toasting him with pina coladas (and their hair was perfect).